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The past 16 months or so have been unlike any other in my lifetime. At times, it’s been all too easy to focus on how the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have affected our own lives: our daily routines, seeing friends and extended family, keeping the kids entertained on weekends…  But there have been more changes to our surroundings than we’ve perhaps noticed. Take fundraising for The Royal British Legion, for example. Poppy sellers have been a fixture of UK high streets for

Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell lamented “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone” in her hit single Big Yellow Taxi. She wasn’t wrong, and we have 2020 to thank for proving it to the masses. In a 1996 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Mitchell stated: “I wrote “Big Yellow Taxi” on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked d

Innovation breeds innovation. There’s no two ways about it. When the first iPhone was announced, we were blown away by the existence of a weather app.  Today, there are more than 1,960,000 apps to choose from. Not bad, when you consider there were just 500 when the App Store launched back in July 2008. That said, it’s no surprise that app development has gone from strength to strength. Why wouldn’t entrepreneurs take advantage of an accessible, cutting-edge platform with glo

In November 2020, The Times published an article exposing the downsides of so-called “green prescriptions”, whereby patients are advised to participate in outdoor activities such as exercise classes, planting trees or visiting natural beauty spots. On paper, it seems like a sensible remedy. Studies have shown that spending time in green spaces helps to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, premature death, stress and high blood pressure. Indeed, the issuing of “green prescript

Can you believe it’s been more than six months since that nail-biting US presidential election? For many of us “outsiders”, the choice between the two candidates seemed clear cut, but the incoming results proved anything but.  Onlookers around the globe endured a slow, tortuous few days glued to CNN and the like before the rightful victor was called. For anyone with only a passing interest in US politics, such a complex voting system can be incredibly confusing. The Guardian

In October 2020, the Harvard Business Review published an article entitled “What Health Care Can Teach Other Industries About Preventing Burnout”. It’s a topic of particular interest to me. Not just because of my line of work, but due to my own experience of burnout.  Failing to recognise the signs is something I think all of us will be guilty of at least once in our lives. It’s just a headache it will pass… Oh it’s nothing to worry about, I never sleep well… Sorry, what did

In October 2020, The Guardian published a tongue-in-cheek “Pass Notes” article about how young people no longer understand traditional hand gestures such as miming a phone call or requesting a bill at a restaurant.  Questioning whether we’re losing part of our cultural heritage as a result, the piece takes the form of a conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee: hand gestures themselves. "Can you give me an example of what you’re talking about?" "Certainly: pl

I recently wrote a blog about the new technology of 2020, determining if the latest offerings to the gadgetry market were genuinely useful and worth the price tag (AKA “good”) or gimmicky and over-priced (“fad”).  One such gadget is Ring’s Always Home Cam security drone. Gadget Flow — whose “Best of Futuristic Tech” shortlist I assessed — are seemingly big fans of the concept: “What’s better than a home security camera that stays put? The Ring Always Home Cam security drone

When we think about Artificial Intelligence and the opportunities it could unlock, we tend to picture things we can see, hear and touch. But what about taste? Does AI have a role to play in developing and honing flavours?  Geneva-based Firmenich — the world’s largest privately owned perfume and taste company — certainly think so. In October 2020, Firmenich announced the first ever AI-created flavour: a lightly grilled beef taste for use in plant-based meat alternatives. The

“Do you know what I love most about buying a car? The sales process.” Said no one, ever. Car buying can be as frustrating as it is exciting. After the initial joy of finding your new wheels comes hours of waiting around: the haggling, the paperwork, the salesperson “running it past The Boss”, said Boss gracing you with their presence to tell you what a great bargain you’re getting. It’s all just a bit… dated. But things are changing... For younger generations convenience is k

When you read the terms “space”, “clutter” and “junk”, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m about to launch into a Marie Kondo-esque lecture on the power of tidying up. Except I’m not talking about rolling up your socks in your bedroom drawer, but the satellites and debris that orbit our planet. In October 2020, New Scientist reported that a major collision between two “old spacecraft” was narrowly avoided, passing within just 12 metres of each other on 16th of the month: “The

When you hear the term “artificial intelligence”, what springs to mind first? For some, it will be the threat of a robot takeover, in part thanks to the “Hollywood” treatment the subject matter has received in recent decades. But what about “life-saving”?  Do you associate AI with improving the quality and longevity of human lives? Perhaps it’s time you did... In August 2020, Forbes published an interesting article detailing “5 Life-Saving Applications of Artificial Intellig

Prior to the pandemic, you’d be forgiven for wondering what on earth “WHO” stood for. Now, not a day goes by without some reference to the World Health Organisation. Corporate companies spend thousands every year measuring brand awareness… Did so-and-so message cut-through? Is our logo instantly recognisable? How did the new colour scheme go down? I expect many in brand marketing would aspire to reach the level of recognition that WHO has accomplished in 2020 but, you know, w

Nowadays, taking photographs is so quick and easy, that the idea of “saving your film” for a few choice shots feels like a lifetime ago. There will be eighteen-year-olds alive today — who can drink, drive and vote — who have never known the rigmarole of taking camera film to the High Street for processing, nor the wait that followed before your holiday snaps were ready for collection. It’s not an experience I’m especially nostalgic about, but it does feel like photos held mor

The term “mind control” may conjure up images of magicians and hypnotherapists, but where prosthetics are concerned, it represents hope.  Researchers have been developing mind-controlled prosthetics for more than a decade with the aim of dramatically improving functionality for the user. An MIT Technology Review article from March 2020 outlines the powerful potential of machine learning for such an endeavour, and the challenges faced by scientists in the process: "Until now

A regular feature of fictional survival movies is the isolation factor: “no one knows where we are”, “how will anyone find us?”, “we’re going to die out here". It serves to hammer home the hopelessness of the situation, and tends to precede the inevitable attack by shark, crocodile, bear, wolf or short-fused campmate. At least one of the main characters succumbs to their injuries, usually more. This in turn prompts further in-fighting — the blame game about who’s ultimately

If you’ve ever watched a documentary about how guide dogs are trained, you’ll know it’s the doggy equivalent of joining the Marines but with plenty of belly rubs, treats and “who’s a good boy...” Potential guide dogs undergo a temperament assessment before joining a 20-week STEP training programme (Standardised Training for Excellent Partnerships). Using positive reinforcement techniques, the dogs are taught to ignore distractions and avoid obstacles, all the while developing

In July 2020, Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) published an article outlining the potential of artificial intelligence to improve school attendance. Utilising AI models, experts from DMU’s Institute of AI analysed data from Willen Primary School in Milton Keynes and identified patterns relating to pupils who were frequently absent. No prizes for guessing which day of the week saw the greatest level of absenteeism… yep, that’s right — Monday. The Mamas & The Papas had

You’ve watched David Attenborough shows. You’ve listened to Greta Thunberg speak. You’ve read about international initiatives instigated to combat it. Climate change is all around us. Literally. The highest ever UK temperature was recorded on 25th July 2019 in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. It’s no coincidence that it’s so recent. Global warming is transforming the environment as we know it and, if we don’t act now, will continue to do so with the direst of conseque

A very fishy trend has surfaced since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: a surge in webcam usage.  It’s no surprise that webcam usage went through the roof as employees around the globe settled into their new working-from-home routines, but this is something quite different. The views in question were for live streams from Monterey Bay Aquarium, California. Since the aquarium closed to the public in March, visits to its website have tripled year-on-year. With ten webcams to