Engineering: from steel to psychiatry

Steel is the most commonly used metal in the world. We cannot replace steel, it’s ridiculously cheap and ultra-strong. But can we use steel in structures more wisely to improve the construction sector sustainability? Steel is also indefinitely recyclable, and when it is recycled, it doesn't lose its performance which is an extraordinary ability inexplicably often ignored. Barbara will explore questions including: will recycled steel become one of the industry’s most important raw materials? Could scrap shortage arise in the UK? Have we already produced the steel that we will need tomorrow?

As the market for alcohol-free drinks grows, so does our need for carbon-free energy. Driven by local societal value (beyond just money), Local Energy Systems are often served-up as the tipple of choice for achieving carbon-free energy. However, managing the cocktail of distributed energy resources such as variable renewable generation, electric vehicles and heatpumps, is a challenge. Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire) is demonstrating how smart flexible systems can overcome some of the social, technical and commercial barriers to accelerate net zero across Oxfordshire.

Karen will talk about her project: PREDICTOR. The goal of this project is to detect neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, and psychiatric diseases, such as depression, in a routine eye test several years before symptom onset. This work involves collaboration with researchers in Experimental Psychology, and uses a technique developed in astronomy.