Topic description and stories

Small Owl from Ornithologia libri tres by Francis Willughby

The owl and the wind turbine: how stealth feathers could help reduce noise pollution

09 Sep 2015

The Cambridge Animal Alphabet series celebrates Cambridge's connections with animals through literature, art, science and society. Here, O is for Owl...

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A jet engine turbine blade.

From atoms to jet engines – extreme materials on display at summer exhibition

30 Jun 2015

At any one time over half a million people are flying far above our heads in modern aircraft. Their lives depend on the performance of the special...

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Rotor

Engineering atoms inside the jet engine: the Great British Take Off

29 Jun 2015

The Periodic Table may not sound like a list of ingredients but, for a group of materials scientists, it’s the starting point for designing the...

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Flying snowy owl

Silent flights: How owls could help make wind turbines and planes quieter

22 Jun 2015

A newly-designed material, which mimics the wing structure of owls, could help make wind turbines, computer fans and even planes much quieter. Early...

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Wind turbines in the Thames estuary with heavy supporting structures under water.

How offshore wind turbines could be more efficient

17 Aug 2012

A Cambridge University study suggests that offshore wind farms could be 100 per cent more efficient in terms of energy payback if manufacturers...

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