Sun, Feb 14, 2016
Back in the 1920s, electricity was generated by hundreds of small companies in towns and cities across the country. They were all different and mostly incompatible: London alone had 24 voltages and 10 frequencies. How did we get from there to the billion-pound tunnel projects of today?
Wed, Apr 13, 2016
Wage transparency is a strange concept for most of us: not so in some of the Nordic countries. And while Norway, Sweden and Finland differ in exactly the amount of access they give the public, fundamentally your tax return would be public knowledge there. So how does it affect the world? And is it a good idea? Let's look at the science and find out.
Tue, Jul 5, 2016
This may be the most British video I've done in a while. But I saw the news story and immediately wanted to film it: the volunteer-run, narrow-gauge Leadhills and Wanlockhead Railway, in the south of Scotland, has stepped in to replace buses while a road is being resurfaced -- avoiding a 45-mile diversion and meaning that local residents can still get to their neighbouring village. This isn't the first bus replacement train in British history, but it's pretty rare.
Sun, Jul 24, 2016
"Non-brewed condiment" is what they call it: it's chemically very similar to proper vinegar, a mixture of ethanoic acid, colourings and flavourings, but it's put together by just combining simple chemicals rather than brewing. Hardly anyone knows, and those that do know don't generally care; so here's my question. Does it matter?
Sun, Aug 7, 2016
If your robot-building skills aren't quite up to Battlebots or Robot Wars, then Hebocon might be for you. Described "as a robot sumo-wrestling competition for those who are not technically gifted", the emphasis is on having fun, entertaining the crowd, and "heboiness". At Electromagnetic Field 2016, a maker festival in the UK, I hosted one of the UK's first Hebocon contests.
Wed, Aug 17, 2016
As the world switches to renewable energy - and we are switching - there's a problem you might not expect: balancing the grid. Rotational mass and system inertia are the things that keep your lights from flickering: and they only appear in big, old, traditional power stations. Here's why that's a problem, and how we're likely going to fix it.
Wed, Sep 21, 2016
Jakob emailed me when I said I was headed to the Arctic, offering to help out with a video. I don't think he knew what he was signing up for. Thank you so much to both Jakob Schytz and John Davidsen: we had only a few minutes to film this before I had to be on the last Zodiac boat out of town, so I'm really happy with the result.