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The ingenuity of ancient Egyptian engineers may have been even more ahead of their time than we thought. A new study suggests a currently unexplained ancient structure may have been part of a water purification system feeding a hydraulic lift to raise huge stone blocks to build a pyramid. · From our vantage point thousands of years later, the specific steps of how ancient wonders were built have been lost to time, leaving us with massive,…

Researchers have prototyped sensor-packed robot bugs that mimic biological digestive systems to meet energy needs, employ a Janus interface for a steady supply of nutrients and move on the water's surface like a water strider. · Back in 2017, DARPA proposed a program to develop and deploy thousands of floating sensors aimed at gathering environmental data like "ocean temperature, sea state, and location as well as activity data about commercial…

The explicit reason was to swiftly end the war with Japan. But it was also intended to send a message to the Soviets. · Ever since America dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945, the question has persisted: Was that magnitude of death and destruction really needed to end World War II? · A few days earlier, just 16 hours after the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay shocked the world by dropping the first A-bomb known as…

Transitioning to 100% renewable energy globally would be cheaper and simpler using firebricks, a form of thermal energy storage with roots in the Bronze Age, to produce most of the heat needed for industrial processes, according to a new Stanford study. · Today’s industries require high temperatures for manufacturing, which are achieved largely by continuously burning coal, oil, fossil gas, or biomass. With much of the world focused on reducing…

Following Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, Kamala Harris is poised to become the first woman of colour to run as presidential candidate of a major political party in the US. · As the youngest presidential nominee since Barack Obama, Harris, 59, is comparatively youthful compared with Biden, 81, and Donald Trump, 78. · Her age is likely to make her more appealing and relatable for younger Americans. Polling has already found…

The unexpected can always happen, so it pays to unsure your things with the highest level of cover. · The team at Sepio Insurance Management Ltd can do just that. · They  provide insurance based solutions specific to the needs of Individuals, Commercial and SME businesses of all sizes. · Because not all insurance products are the same,  they will work with you to gain an understanding of your business and recommend an insurance programme to…

Being immunised against shingles has been linked to a reduced dementia risk before and now a study suggests that the newer vaccine wards off the condition more effectively than an older one · The latest shingles vaccine may delay or possibly even prevent the onset of dementia more effectively than an older version. · Being vaccinated against shingles has been linked to dementia protection before. Now, it seems that a vaccine called Shingrix,…

Since 1896, the modern Olympic Games has been one of the globe’s most coveted and beloved sporting mega-events. During the 20th century, the games were used as a stepping stone for a nation, to assert its collective ambition to the world. · A catalyst for change, catapulting cities such as Seoul and Barcelona into the collective conscious, the games were also hijacked as a way to project distorted visions of humanity from the Nazi Olympics of…

New building code for Smoke alarms · From 1^st^November this year, new Building Code rules come into effect around smoke alarms · Mid-winter is peak house fire season. It only takes three minutes for a house fire to claim lives, and good working smoke alarms are essential. More so as New Zealand’s housing density and population grows, and extreme weather events roll in. · From November 1, it will be mandatory for all new homes to have a Type…

A skinny snake between two mega-continents, the isthmus of Central America is easy to ignore on a map. Perhaps that’s why only 330,994 people from the UK visited the region in 2022. Given that official data includes the Dominican Republic, it’s safe to say that more Britons go to North America every fortnight than visit Central America in a year. · Only 30 miles separate the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea in Panama. A flight from top to…