Our world-leading science and engineering at The University of Manchester has been the cause of some exciting stories this year. Whether its space, materials, or the climate, our stories have been top news across the country and the world. Heres some of the most popular and interesting news releases from the Faculty of Science and Engineering in 2021. Enjoy!
January
The worlds finest fabric: 2021 started with an award win as a team of University scientists were honoured with theGuinness World Recordfor weaving threads of individual molecules together to create the worlds finest fabric, overtaking finest Egyptian linen.
February
Mysterious gamma-ray source identified: The start of the year continued with a spectacular space discovery as a rapidly rotating neutron star was found to be at the core of a celestial object now known as PSR J2039-5617. The astronomers findings were uniquely boosted by the Einstein@Home project, a network of thousands of civilian volunteers lending their home computing power to the efforts of the Fermi Telescopes work.
March
7bn innovation investment: A major investment boost for the North was announced in March to the tune of 7 billion to support economic growth in the region. The University of Manchester will be joined by leading innovators from business, science, academia and local government in developing the Innovation GM partnership as the basis of a formal collaboration deal with Government, suggesting it could create 100,000 jobs.
April
Solved: The Brazil nut puzzle: April saw researchers finally crack the age-old Brazil nut puzzle. For the first time they captured the complex dynamics of particle movement in granular materials, helping to explain why mixed nuts often see the larger Brazil nuts gather at the top. The findings could have vital impact on industries struggling with the phenomenon, such as pharmaceuticals and mining.
May
Graphene solves concretes big problem: In May, graphene met concrete in another world first which could revolutionise the concrete industry and its impact on the environment. In a joint venture, with Nationwide Engineering the team has laid the floor slab of a new gym with graphene-enhanced 'Concretene', removing 30% of material and all steel reinforcement. Depending on the size of onward projects, it is estimated to provide a 10-20% saving to its customers.
June
Plans for ID Manchester revealed: Summer began with the announcement that The University had found a partner to deliver the ambitious 1.5 billion ID Manchester project. The project will look to re-develop the North Campus to become a globally significant innovation district with specialist infrastructure to commercialise scientific discovery and R&D innovation.
July
New technology to help achieve Net Zero: July saw new efforts to help the world achieve its Net Zero targets with the aim of converting CO2, waste and sustainable biomass into clean and sustainable fuels and products. Catalysts are involved in helping to manufacture an estimated 80% of materials required in modern life, so are integral in manufacturing processes. As a result, up to 35% of the worlds GDP relies on catalysis. To reach net zero, it will be critical to develop new sustainable catalysts and processes.
August
Breakthrough in metal bonding: In summer we reported that scientists managed to successfully make actinide metals form molecular actinide-actinide bonds for the first time, opening up a new field of scientific study in materials research. Reported in the journal Nature, a group of scientists from Manchester and Stuttgart universities successfully prepared and characterised long-sought actinide bonding in an isolable compound.
September
Using astronaut blood to build space houses: September saw blood, sweat, tears and space with a discovery that astronaut blood could be the key to creating affordable housing in space. In their study, published in Materials Today Bio, a protein from human blood, combined with a compound from urine, sweat or tears, could glue together simulated moon or Mars soil to produce a material stronger than ordinary concrete, perfectly suited for construction work in extra-terrestrial environments.
October
New era of physics thanks to neutrino experiment: A two-decade long physics question was explored in October with a discovery that could cause a radical shift in our understanding of the universe. A major new physics experiment used four complementary analyses to show no signs of a theorised fourth kind of neutrino known as the sterile neutrino. Its existence is considered a possible explanation for anomalies seen in previous physics experiments.
November
New study shows link between weather and COVID-19 transmission: It wouldnt be a 2021 news round-up without mention of COVID-19. A new meta-analysis of over 150 research papers published during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the link between the weather and the spread of the illness. The research, published in the journal Weather, Climate, and Society, started with 158 studies that were published early in the pandemic using data before November 2020. It was discovered that early data was often inconsistent as they were affected by seasonal cycles and weather conditions impacting on the spread of the virus.
December
Challenging Einstein with stars: Rounding off another unusual year we saw scientists across the globe collaborate to challenge one of Einsteins greatest theories the theory of relativity. Using seven radio telescopes and taking 16 years the team successfully observed a double-pulsar system which demonstrated new relativistic effects that, while expected had never been observed and proved before.
The rest is here:
2021's news highlights from the Faculty of Science and Engineering - The University of Manchester
- 10 books thatll help you become a better software engineer - The Next Web [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Total hands out UKCS engineering framework deals to trio of consultants - News for the Oil and Gas Sector - Energy Voice [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Prometheus: Why The Engineers Were Heading To Earth | Screen Rant - Screen Rant [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Management CEMETERY SUPERINTENDENT The City of Gibbon is currently accepting - Kearney Hub [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference to be held Dec. 9-11 - Penn State News [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- 'Bending' light to engineer improved optical devices and circuits - ND Newswire [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- UC Merced Engineering Center to Focus on Ag Technology - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST - AGInfo Ag Information Network Of The West [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Head of Engineering Maintenance job with DURHAM UNIVERSITY | 233561 - Times Higher Education (THE) [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Civil Engineering student part of National Women in Engineering "Dream Team" panel - uoflnews.com [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Breaking News - Engineering at Its Best... and Worst: Don't Miss the Return of Science Channel's Hit Series "Deadly Engineering" and... [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Tesla is No. 1 most attractive company for engineering students, and thats a massive advantage - Electrek [Last Updated On: November 11th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 11th, 2020]
- Wolves alter wetland creation and recolonization by killing ecosystem engineers - UMN News [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2020]
- Global Automotive Simulation Market To Witness Astonishing Growth 2026 | Altair Engineering Inc., ANSYS Inc., PTC, Siemens AG, Autodesk Inc.,... [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2020]
- Engineers Without Borders urges industry reflection - The Engineer [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2020]
- 9 Engineers on the Hardest Song They Ever Mixed - Vulture [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2020]
- Daewoo Engineering and Construction and SPH Engineering disclose AI partnership - sUAS News [Last Updated On: November 17th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 17th, 2020]
- TRIPLE EIGHT BATHURST WINNING ENGINEER TO JOIN WAU - Auto Action [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- First-year engineering classes for Anna University affiliated colleges take the e-way from today - The New Indian Express [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- Datafold raises seed from NEA to keep improving the lives of data engineers - TechCrunch [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- Tech has overtaken engineering as Bristol's fastest-growing industry with more than $1.07bn invested in the city since 2014 - Business Leader [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- Start 2021 as an electrical engineer with this training for less than $20 - Boing Boing [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- The Global Engineering Plastics Market is expected to grow by $ 43.00 bn during 2020-2024 progressing at a CAGR of 8% during the forecast period -... [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- Elementary students test their engineering skills with Mayflower project - williamsonherald.com [Last Updated On: November 24th, 2020] [Originally Added On: November 24th, 2020]
- Global Architectural Engineering and Construction Solutions (AECS) Market 2020-2024 | Market Analysis, Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Threats... [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers Celebrates Organizations and Leaders for Doing a World of Good - GlobeNewswire [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- 2 Texas Engineers Honored Among Top Inventors in US - UT News - UT News | The University of Texas at Austin [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- Chemical engineering alumna named Woman of the Year in Engineering - Penn State News [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- 14 Largest Engineering Companies In The World - Yahoo Finance [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- Vails namesake was a controversial state highway engineer - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- The Next Frontier of Learning Engineering: AI That Teaches Other AI - EdSurge [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- $496M Contract Will Give DOD Engineering Capabilities, Official Says - Nextgov [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- William H. Robinson has a 'new and expanded leadership' post at Vanderbilt University - BlackEngineer.com [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- Di Appointed to Lead Computer Science and Computer Engineering - University of Arkansas Newswire [Last Updated On: December 14th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 14th, 2020]
- English is easier: India is woefully underprepared to teach engineering in regional languages - The Times of India Blog [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- VW Bolsters U.S. Footprint With Advancements In Electric Car Portfolio, Infrastructure And Engineering - CarScoops [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- These 4 Measures Indicate That SIA Engineering (SGX:S59) Is Using Debt Reasonably Well - Simply Wall St [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- New engineering business opens its doors in Netherton despite the pandemic - expressandstar.com [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- 'Earables' the next milestone in wearable tech, say engineers - E&T Magazine [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering job with BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY | 238845 - Times Higher Education (THE) [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- New collaboration provides opportunity for future water scientists and engineers - Cranfield University [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- Box Opens Research and Development Engineering Site in Warsaw, Poland - Business Wire [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- Engineering and Technology Management students achieve high pass rate on certification exam - Morehead State University News [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2020] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2020]
- Hydram Engineering warns Covid-19 and Brexit will dent its turnover - Business Live [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- Calculating The Intrinsic Value Of Watts International Maritime Engineering Limited (HKG:2258) - Simply Wall St [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- Is Suprajit Engineering Limited's (NSE:SUPRAJIT) Stock's Recent Performance A Reflection Of Its Financial Health? - Simply Wall St [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- Engineering CAD Software Market is Flourishing due to Rising Emergence of Technical Implementation Drives Growth by 2027 | TurboCAD, SketchUp,... [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- Apple vs. Tesla: Which Offers Software Engineers the Biggest Salaries? - Dice Insights [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- From the classroom: Mechanical engineering at global top 10 uni - Study International News [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2021]
- 'A lot of unknowns': Grass Valley Assistant City Engineer Bjorn Jones said the city has adapted under the pandemic - The Union of Grass Valley [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Associate Professor in Broadcast Engineering job with BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY | 243677 - Times Higher Education (THE) [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- CORRECTING and REPLACING: KCI, One of the Top Engineering Firms in the US, Adopts ProStar's PointMan SaaS Solution for SUE - Business Wire [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Purdue's online engineering graduate programs again rank in the top 3 nationally - Purdue News Service [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Faculty Positions of Intelligent Engineering and Microelectronics job with South China University of Technology (SCUT) | 314652 - The Chronicle of... [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Examining the Engineering of the Kasukabe Reservoir in Japan - Interesting Engineering [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- Home - Springer [Last Updated On: January 31st, 2021] [Originally Added On: January 31st, 2021]
- SIA Engineering ekes out small profit in third quarter - Flightglobal [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- ST Engineering Launches Anti-Microbial Solution Approved for Use in Cabin Interiors - AviationPros.com [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- Journey Engineering announces the addition of a new VP and Principal, Projects and Engineering - BOE Report [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- K-2 Ventures Advises Mark Two Engineering on Its Sale to CORE Industrial Partners - Business Wire [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- Global Engineering Liability Insurance Market latest demand by 2020-2025 with leading players & COVID-19 Analysis KSU | The Sentinel Newspaper -... [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- First recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award is appointed Deans' Professor in Education and Engineering - BlackEngineer.com [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- Google will pay $2.5 million to underpaid female engineers and overlooked Asian applicants - The Verge [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- Clay County teen whose dream is to be an astronaut introduces other girls to STEM pursuits - The Florida Times-Union [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- Universal Engineering Sciences Strengthens Western Expansion By Acquiring Construction Testing & Engineering, Inc., In Southern California -... [Last Updated On: February 2nd, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 2nd, 2021]
- U.S. Navy Has Patents on Tech It Says Will Engineer the Fabric of Reality - VICE [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Cummins and Isuzu collaborate on mid-range powertrains and advanced engineering - Engine Technology International [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Liberty engineering teams helmet prototype earns second place in NFLs 1st and Future competition - WFXRtv.com [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- FM Global executive on the insurer's risk-engineering based approach - Insurance Business Australia [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Black former NASA engineer: We have to teach our children well - WFXRtv.com [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Cummins and Isuzu announce global mid-range powertrain and advanced engineering collaboration - Automotive World [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- University of Iowa College of Engineering receives diversity recognition, but still has work to do - UI The Daily Iowan [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Darin Gray Named Engineer of the Year - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering - USC Viterbi School of Engineering [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- Rubrik transitions to new phase as sales and engineering heads leave Blocks and Files - Blocks and Files [Last Updated On: February 5th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 5th, 2021]
- A*Star scientist Jackie Ying elected to prestigious US engineering academy based on work in Singapore - The Straits Times [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- A Disillusioned ExxonMobil Engineer Quits to Take Action on Climate Change and Stop Making the World Worse - InsideClimate News [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- USC Junior Advances Communities By Engineering Infrastructures That Serve The People - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering - USC Viterbi School of... [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- Join us on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 pm EST for the Black Engineer of the Year Awards - BlackEngineer.com [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- Sebastian Ceria Elected to the National Academy of Engineering - Salamanca Press [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- Three Harvard Professors Elected to the National Academy of Engineering | News - Harvard Crimson [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]
- Newsmaker: South Shore native working on NASA space telescope - The Patriot Ledger [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2021] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2021]