Content for Birmingham.Edu

Online ‘library of properties’ helps to create safer nanomaterials

“Researchers have developed a ‘library of properties’ to help identify the environmental impact of nanomaterials faster and more cost effectively. Whilst nanomaterials have benefited a wide range of industries and revolutionised everyday life, there are concerns over potential adverse effects …

New material could better protect soldiers, athletes and motorists

“Soldiers, athletes, and motorists could lead safer lives thanks to a new process that could lead to more efficient and re-useable protection from shock and impact, explosion, and vibration, according to a new study. Pressurised insertion of aqueous solutions into …

PLATYPUS reveals new vulnerabilities discovered in Intel processors

“An international team of security researchers, including experts from the University of Birmingham, is presenting new side-channel attacks, which use fluctuations in software power consumption to access sensitive data on Intel CPUs. Power side-channel attacks are attacks that exploit fluctuations …

Death by Spaghettification: Scientists Record Last Moments of Star Devoured by a Black Hole

“A rare blast of light, emitted by a star as it is sucked in by a supermassive black hole, has been spotted by scientists using telescopes from around the world. The phenomenon, known as a tidal disruption event, is the …

Detection of gravitational wave ‘lensing’ could be some way off

“Gravitational wave scientists looking for evidence of ‘lensing’, in which the faintest gravitational wave signals become amplified, are unlikely to make these detections in the near future according to new analysis by scientists at the University of Birmingham. A team …

Quantum goes deeper

“Experts in quantum cold-atom sensors are delving deep underground in a new project aimed at harnessing quantum gravity sensing technology in harsh underground borehole environments. The Gravity Delve project, funded by Innovate UK, brings together academics from the UK Quantum …

Scientists make quantum technology smaller

“A way of shrinking the devices used in quantum sensing systems has been developed by researchers at the UK Quantum Technology Hub Sensors and Timing, which is led by the University of Birmingham. Sensing devices have a huge number of …

Using Jenga to explain lithium-ion batteries

“Tower block games such as Jenga can be used to explain to schoolchildren how lithium-ion batteries work, meeting an educational need to better understand a power source that has become vital to everyday life. While lithium-ion batteries are abundant in …

New 3D printing technique for biomaterials

“A new way of 3D printing soft materials such as gels and collagens offers a major step forward in the manufacture of artificial medical implants. Developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham, the technique could be used to print …

Engineers demonstrate key step in robotic disassembly

“Engineers at the University of Birmingham have successfully designed a robotic system that can perform a key task in disassembling component parts. The research is an important advance for manufacturers looking for more efficient ways to build products from a …

Secrets of fluorescent microalgae could lead to super-efficient solar cells

“Tiny light-emitting microalgae, found in the ocean, could hold the secret to the next generation of organic solar cells, according to new research carried out at the Universities of Birmingham and Utrecht. Microalgae are probably the oldest surviving living organisms …

Computer scientists address gap in messaging privacy

“Researchers have developed a solution to a longstanding problem in the field of end-to-end encryption, a technique that ensures that only sender and recipient can read a message. With current end-to-end encryption, if an attacker compromises a recipient’s device …