STEM
STEM
Why are Jellyfish Taking Over the UK Coastline?
FIRST REGISTERED FLYING CAR ‘PAL-V’
grasp of humanity. Yet recent history has consistently shown technology can advance at a rapid pace, providing innovative solutions. The fate of these vehicles is tightly tied to autonomous driving, which if mastered, means a multitude of control systems driven by AI could ensure safe navigation through the airspace as well as communication with other vehicles to effectively eliminate the risk of crashes. In turn, this would instil public confidence, paving the way for the introduction of cars and their associated infrastructure. However, the time required to optimize these factors coupled with the uncertainty on battery technology could be lengthy. According to Back to the Future, we are 7 years overdue when it comes to flying cars. Ultimately, this will keep being pushed back until substantial scientific advancement propels technology enough for flying cars to become more efficient than their road counterpart. Researchers predict this could be around 2040, and until then motorways will reign champion around the planet.
provided by the engine. However, as you increase the engine size to accommodate this, the weight of the vehicle increases, necessitating even more thrust to achieve lift-off. The optimal solution lies in using extremely energy-dense batteries. However, battery technology has not evolved sufficiently to produce these yet. As a result, if VTOL cars were introduced in the near future, they would be extremely inefficient, being only able to travel small distances and carry minimal people as a trade-off. Another issue bound for harsh criticism is the safety measures. A minor mechanical failure could potentially lead to a life- threatening situation, so high-level flying systems, collision avoidance systems, and fail-safe mechanisms will need to evolve and be rigorously tested for governments to fully legalize flying cars. In addition, large amounts of infrastructure will be needed. Landing pads at thousands of intervals, maintenance stations, and mapped flying routes will all have to be designed and built. It would be easy to conclude from this that flying cars are currently beyond the
MARTHA DOYLE
If you travelled to the UK coastline last summer, you may have been shocked to find an unprecedented number of jellyfish inhabiting the shallow waters, raising the simple question of ‘why?’. Jellyfish belong to the plankton family, a marine group at the very beginning of oceanic food chains which have been drifting through the sea using currents for 500 million years. Despite being larger than most forms of plankton they have no brain or blood but can deliver a painful sting through microscopic barbs on their tentacles. Usually, the sting will only have localized effects including discomfort and swelling but, in some cases, a whole-body reaction may occur and the stings can be fatal. This is the case for Box Jellyfish, which are now spreading into waters previously too cold for it to survive, posing a threat to popular tourist beaches worldwide.
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