Economic cost of nuclear power

About 1 year before the Fukushima disaster President Obama announced $8 bn dollars in loan guarantees to the Southern Company, for the construction of two new nuclear reactor piles at the Vogtle site, each having a capacity of 1117 MW. The expected construction cost of the plants is $8.87 billion. The Southern Company provide the [...]

1M Prize for Engineering

Presumably to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee, and to also celebrate engineering, a 1M pound prize has been announced to be given biannually for achievements in engineering. Lord Browne, Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Prize Foundation, said, ‘Too often the engineers behind the most brilliant innovations remain hidden – The Queen Elizabeth Prize aims to [...]

Fukushima

My thought go out to all those in Japan in the continuing disaster which seems to be going on after the earth quake struck last week. I didn’t understand what is happening in the plant from the media reports I heard on the radio… but the situation seems to still be developing. Can anyone explain [...]

Engineers are Terror-ble?

Engineers are angry – Beware! Are engineers statistically more likely to be terrorists than other disciplines (or rather terrorists are more likely to be engineers) . If that is explained by greater ability to do something once they decide (they don’t have to learn much new to make a bomb etc.). They have ability to [...]

EPSRC make massive investment in scanning transmission electron microscopy?

EPSRC is announcing news of ‘New investment in the next generation of scientists and engineers to boost the UK economy‘. Forty six outstanding UK researchers have been awarded EPSRC fellowships totaling £38 million to help develop their potential as the next generation of world-leading scientists and engineers. Announcing the new fellowships at Farnborough International Airshow [...]