Biotechnology
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Biotechnology
”It [Artificial intelligence] will either be the best thing that’s ever happened to us, or it will be the worst thing.” - Stephen Hawking
Latest
Problem of the Week
Problem Of the Week: 20th November 2023
One of the CCF's guns is designed such that it can launch a projectile of mass 10 kg at a speed of 200 m/s. The gun is placed close to a straight, horizontal railway line and aligned such that the projectile will land further down the line. A small rail car of mass 200 kg travelling at a speed of 10
Chemistry
The Bright Future of Solar Power
Solar power is the world’s fastest growing energy generation technology. Due to its many benefits, it is a very good candidate for replacing much of the fossil fuel power generation in use today. Currently, most solar panels are made up of silicon photovoltaic (PV) cells. However, there are countles
Problem of the Week
Problem Of the Week: 7th October 2023
There are 100 lockers that line the main hallway of Holyport. Every morning, the security guards make sure that all of the lockers are closed so that there will be an orderly start to the day. One day, 100 mischievous students decide that they will play a prank. The students all meet after school en
Engineering
Talking Engineering: Dr Sanjay Vijendran
For nearly 7000 hours per year, Europe’s hundreds of millions of solar panels face a sunless sky. In the race to replace fossil fuels with sustainable alternatives, the European Space Agency (ESA) is heading a bold approach to provide permanent power by putting solar panels in space. Max Hersov spok
Problem of the Week
Problem Of the Week: 24th September 2023
Alan and Claire live by the old Scottish saying, “Never have whisky without water, nor water without whisky!” So one day, when Alan has in front of him a glass of whisky, and Claire has in front of her a same-sized glass of water, Alan takes a spoonful of his whisky and puts it in Claire’s water. Cl
Engineering
Talking Engineering: Andy Reynolds
It is estimated that the Aviation sector accounts for 3.5% of global warming, releasing into the atmosphere more than 900 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Airbus, the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer, is at the forefront of research into sustainable aviation, and is pioneering the development of
Problem of the Week
Problem Of the Week: 22nd May 2023
The evening after national lockdown was lifted, a couple decided to celebrate their newfound freedom at a bar down the street. Much to their surprise, they find four other couples there who had the same idea. Eager for social contact, every person in the five couples enthusiastically hugs each perso
Talking Engineering
Talking Engineering: Dr Simon Thomas
Talking Engineering 10: Dr Simon Thomas The Revolutionary Potential of Graphene in Electronics Conducted by Max Hersov, December 2022 A University of Cambridge spin-off founded in 2017, Paragraf is the first company in the world to mass produce Graphene-based electronic devices using standard semiconductor processes. Their patented contamination-free deposition technology,
Problem of the Week
Problem Of the Week: 15th May 2023
You want to create a family tree, but you are having trouble tracking down your grandmother’s birthdate. The only clue you found was a letter written from your great grandfather to your great grandmother on the day you grandmother was born. Unfortunately, some of the characters were smudged out, rep
Biotechnology
AlphaFold
Unlocking the secrets of DNA, AlphaFold revolutionises the world of protein structures, dramatically enhancing our understanding of diseases. This AI breakthrough paves the way for unprecedented advancements in life sciences and medicine, redefining scientific exploration.
Computer Science
A Crash Course on Quantum Computers
(Warning: Maths ahead.) A quantum computer uses phenomena unique to the quantum world, such as the strange idea that something can be in two different states simultaneously. In this article, we’ll start with the smallest unit of quantum computing, the qubit, and work up towards a simple quantum algo