My latest editorial contribution to Materials Today and a little more oily news.
- Paradigms, peers, and patents – For every paradigm-shifting breakthrough in science there are a plethora of failed experiments, myriad grant applications, patent pressures, and the activation energy barrier that is peer-reviewed publication to overcome. So with all those issues to face is science a good career?
- Composite damping is music to the ears – A newly developed material could be used to reduce the effects of vibration by absorbing energy through an accordion-like movement of its internal structure.
- BP to make new attempt to plug Gulf of Mexico oil leak – This is just crazy, they've still not fixed this problem? What's taking them so long (apart from the fact that they're reluctant to spend the necessary money to get the job done?) It doesn't take them this long to sink a well and start making profits from their black gold does it? Meanwhile, the scale of the disaster is yet to reach the extent that they forecast and that the media scaremongered about, but that's no excuse not to get the thing plugged.