Science writing wasn’t really an early focus in my career for two reasons. First, it’s a small, specialised field and I frankly didn’t have the experience or knowledge. Second, I’d considered myself a computer, phone and application guy since first becoming a freelance writer.
I reviewed the latest mobiles and software. I was fully acquainted with the whole Mac versus PC thing at its height. I gave ratings out of five, knew all the products RRPs and my system was littered with product shots from PR agencies working for the IBMs, Lenovos and Samsungs of the world.
Today my interest is where tech fits into our lives. Sometimes it’s AI agents that appear all but human, sometimes it’s an emerging field like the new Internet of Things paradigm of short lived, disposable sensors.
But my knowledge of science evolved and grew and I’ve been thrilled to join the ranks I’d always admired and envied and write about scientific topics from the whimsical, like when Skylab returned to Earth in remote Western Australia, to the socially urgent, like the way the human brain reacts to sexual assault.
One zany professor, and even the U.S. military, once proposed plans for how—and why—we should blow up the moon. Sci-fi is full of stories of wars or alien invasions destroying
Continue readingA Brief History of the Ludicrous (And Misguided) Plots to Blow Up the Moon
Did people who drove the first cars look back at the horse-drawn carriage and wonder why something as obvious as a self-propelled vehicle took so long to invent? Some advances
You’ve landed back home after visiting your offshore oil rig when you realise you need to set up a meeting with that drilling rig assessor. Her email address is written
The Internet has finally come into its own in the Cloud age. It was never going to be just about web pages on screens; it was meant to form the
Continue readingWelcome to the Industrial Internet of Things
The 2016 construction of Dubai’s Office of the Future signaled that 3D printing in construction was ready for its close-up. The 2,691-square-foot building uses energy-efficient HVAC systems, responsive LED lighting,
Continue readingHow 3D Printing in Construction Will (Eventually) Transform the Built World
By innovating with next-gen technology, companies are also developing new ways to work that cut costs and boost sustainability. The 15th and 16th centuries aren’t commonly known for robotics, but
Continue readingThe History of Industrial Robots, From Single Taskmaster to Self-Teacher
Batteries provide energy to electronic devices. Your body generates and uses energy. Ergo, you’re basically a battery. As you run, walk, or even breathe, your body is moving. A system
Continue readingScientists Found a Way to Turn Your Body Into a Battery … With Your Clothes
Imagine all the things you could do with an accurate digital representation of your body that includes height, weight and BMI, eye colour, muscle mass, bicep or calf girth, bone
After decades of use, industrial robots are finally coming of age. Tomorrow’s manufacturing will use robotics to be smarter, faster, and more efficient. There are three main reasons to use
Continue readingThe Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Industrial Robots in Manufacturing
Smart factories are smart business. According to a 2019 joint study by Deloitte and the Manufacturer’s Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), early adopters of smart-factory technology have seen average
