The Engineer articles from September 2004

The Engineer archives from September 2004

Winding up for the challenge.(ThisWeek)
September 10, 2004... RENEWABLE ENERGY is a growth area for advanced technology. Utilities, governments and international bodies such as the EU are imploring the engineering and scientific communities to find new ways to wean us off our reliance on fossil fuels and...

Up for the Cupola: ESA and NASA join forces on European observation module for the ISS.(The Big Picture)
September 10, 2004... THE CUPOLA, a European-built observation module for the International Space Station, has been completed and is ready to be transported to the Kennedy Space Centre. The module, scheduled for launch in January 2009, is an observation and...

A twist in time.(The Big Picture)
September 10, 2004... A NEW RANGE of designer wrist watches will use UK-developed display technology to bring an animated twist to timekeeping. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Created by US fashion products specialist Fossil, the watch uses a self-illuminating...

The well-connected home.(The Big Picture)
September 10, 2004... ENGINEERS at the Fraunhofer Institute for Communications Systems in Munich have developed a self-organising network for connecting Bluetooth and other wireless devices in homes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The prototype network is based on...

Honda uses far-infrared to develop sights for the night.(In Brief)
September 10, 2004... Honda has developed what it claims to be the world's first intelligent night vision system. It uses images obtained from two far-infrared cameras to detect the position and movement of heat-emitting objects, determine whether they are in or are...

US Customs tests nuclear scanner to find illicit goods.(In Brief)
September 10, 2004... The US Customs and Border Protection agency is testing a nuclear scanning device that will reveal the molecular structure of materials within a cargo vessel without agents having to look inside. The $10m ([pounds sterling]5m) device, called a...

UK to trial satellite tracking of prisoners on parole.(In Brief)
September 10, 2004... The UK is the first European country to use satellites to monitor the movement of offenders on parole. The trials, being held in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and Hampshire, will track prolific offenders and paedophiles with GPS...

Wheel spin: demonstrator car fitted with electric drivetrain system to debut at Paris Motor Show.(News)
September 10, 2004... AN ELECTRIC drivetrain designed to improve the efficiency of cars and trucks has been fitted for the first time to a demonstrator vehicle that will be unveiled later this month. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The system, which comprises four...

Fuel cells are stacks cheaper.(News)
September 10, 2004... A UK ELECTRO-CHEMICAL technology specialist said it has cleared several hurdles in its bid to bring a range of cheaper fuel cells to the commercial marketplace. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ITM Power of Cambridgeshire has unveiled details of...

Mean, green machine: UK develops fuel-efficient car with V10 hybrid engine.(News)
September 10, 2004... THE UK DEVELOPER of an exciting new sports car believes that its creation could redefine the way consumers think about hybrid cars. Previewed at this month's Goodwood Revival meeting, the Connaught Type-D will be a sporty coupe with a...

Turtling along: US Navy could soon clear mines in rough seas with UUV that mimics nature.(News)
September 10, 2004... A HIGHLY MANOEUVRABLE unmanned underwater vehicle that is easy to control in water too turbulent for other craft could soon be used for mine clearance by the US Navy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The TransPhibian, from Nekton Research of...

Cat over shallow water.(News)
September 10, 2004... A HIGH-SPEED catamaran capable of travelling over shallow water could be used to transport cargo on Europe's rivers, reducing road congestion, its UK developers claim. The vessel consists of the twin rigid side hulls of a catamaran, with a...

Buoyant future: sub-surface energy converter rises and falls with the waves.(News)
September 10, 2004... A US PIONEER in wave-powered electricity generation will set up a UK operation after securing the first European interest in its technology. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ocean Power Technologies, which already has contracts to install...

Blending for reinforcements: combining carbon nanotubes with composites could improve strength and wear resistance.(News)
September 10, 2004... UK RESEARCHERS are attempting to improve the strength and wear resistance of composites by combining them with carbon nanotubes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A team led by Dr Milo Shaffer, lecturer in materials at Imperial College, plans to...

Looking for the sunny side: solar concentrators that track the path of the sun could halve the price of panels.(News)
September 10, 2004... A UNIVERSITY of Reading spin-out company is on the verge of commercialising solar energy devices that are both more efficient and half the cost of conventional solar panels. Whitfield Solar claims to have achieved a significant advance in...

Building houses out of C[O.Sub.2].(News)
September 10, 2004... A COMMON MINERAL could provide a cheap, energy-efficient way of removing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions, researchers at Penn State University in the US say. Fossil fuel-burning plants could add a reactor to their emissions treatment...

Remote control: BMW develops technology to enable drivers to check up on their houses.(News)
September 10, 2004... THE NOTION of the car being an extension of the home was reinforced this week by technology developed by BMW to enable drivers to remotely check up on their house. The system, which enables drivers to view live pictures of their homes as...

Keeping an eye on river pollutants.(News)
September 10, 2004... AN OPTICAL SENSOR, capable of detecting minute amounts of organic pollutants in river water, has been developed in an EU-funded project. The bio-sensor chip, which can measure trace quantities of pollutants including hormones such as...

Carbon dating; Carbon sequestration makes sense: technology for it is in place and it could help the UK meet emissions targets. But it will have to happen soon in the North Sea. Julia Pierce reports.(Focus)
September 10, 2004... ANY PROPOSAL suggesting that an undesirable industrial by-product could be buried beneath the sea and forgotten about would be enough to make even the most vaguely green members of society foam at the mouth. But scientists insist that such a...

Reinvention pays off: focus on technology kickstarts IMI's 2004 with profits boost and growth in sales.(Business)
September 10, 2004... STRONG performances by its fluid power and climate control divisions helped IMI to a bright start to 2004. The UK group--which is fast emerging as a case study of a highly-focused, technology-led international engineering...

Antonov: it's all systems go in Paris.(Business)
September 10, 2004... ANTONOV, the company developing new automatic gearbox technology, said it is on course to unveil a car equipped with its latest transmission system at the Paris Motor Show later this month. The company's engineers have spent the last few...

Marconi back in the black: telecoms giant pays off its debts four years early.(Business)
September 10, 2004... MARCONI--best known over the past few years for its ability to lose bucket loads of cash--is now debt free, the company has announced. The communications technology group said it has paid off the [pounds sterling]670m of debt it assumed in May...

NXT sheds Cyrus in a bid to shave [pounds sterling]2m a year off overheads.(The Week in Business)
September 10, 2004... NXT, the UK flat speaker developer, has sold its Cyrus hi-fi electronics subsidiary as part of a drive to cut costs. A management buy-out team paid almost [pounds sterling]700,000 for Cyrus, which has a turnover of [pounds sterling]3.3m a year....

Delphi and Ener1 pool expertise to make specialist batteries.(The Week in Business)
September 10, 2004... Delphi, the automotive systems giant, has formed a joint venture with energy technology company Ener1 to develop advanced low-cost lithium batteries. The two partners will each contribute specialist expertise to the project, Ener1's in vapour...

Outlook for aerospace business looking brighter, said Hampson.(The Week in Business)
September 10, 2004... Hampson Industries, the UK engineering group, said there were signs of medium-term improvement in several of its aerospace programmes. While the immediate outlook remained difficult. Hampson told shareholders at its annual meeting that it had...

Carclo's Chinese operation on the up as the company diversifies.(The Week in Business)
September 10, 2004... Specialist components group Carclo said demand for products from its technical plastics operation in China had 'increased markedly'. Carclo, which will soon complete a second facility in the Czech Republic, also said it was on course to unveil...

Restructuring at ABB to make services more accessible to clients.(The Week in Business)
September 10, 2004... ABB has streamlined its Power Technologies division from its current five separate business areas into two. The Swiss-based engineering giant said the first will focus on products, including ABB's 150-strong network of power technology...

Earth to Galileo: spread the word; Ignorance and misinformation are rife when it comes to satellite positioning. If the EU doesn't get out and publicise how its new system can work, it may not work. Max Glaskin reports.(Comment)
September 10, 2004... TEN YEARS AGO Top Gear magazine sent me to Paris to be the first to test drive a fancy new prototype. I was told to expect something red, powerful and more fun than a prancing horse. Obviously it was going to be a carbon-fibre Ferrari so I...

Make liquid an asset.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 10, 2004... After reading your article on the building of desalination plants in the south of England (feature, 27 August), and particularly the process of reverse osmosis, I had a thought. If reverse osmosis is very energy intensive and requires the water...

Fuel for the debate.(Talking Point)
September 10, 2004... Those of us who have used biodiesel will welcome the greater availability of the fuel (Interview, 27 August). I have to buy biodiesel from Norfolk company Broadland Fuels, although I live not far from BIP, a major producer in my area, the Black...

Deep thinking: a multi-national submarine rescue system that can be flown anywhere in the world within 72 hours is on the horizon--and it's all thanks to UK technology. Richard Fisher reports.(Cover Story)
September 10, 2004... IN THEIR DARKEST moments, even the most hardened submariners must wonder where help could possibly come from if they were stranded 600m down on the ocean's floor. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION...

The right connections: Jon Crowcroft and his Communications Innovation Institute team are out to identify the best ways to apply new technology to ensure the industry is not caught by another 3G-style surprise. Helen Knight reports.(Interview)
September 10, 2004... NOBODY WOULD CLAIM that Vodafone is short of a bob or two. But ever since the company and its fellow network providers paid billions of pounds for 3G spectrum licences, only to find the technology was not ready and people were not desperate to...

TEAM: Total Engineering & Manufacturing NEC 28-30 September.
September 10, 2004... WE ALL KNOW about Birmingham City and Aston Villa, but another TEAM is hoping to pack in the crowds in the West Midlands later this month. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TEAM--Total Engineering and Manufacturing--is the annual showcase for...

Best of the West: in stark contrast to the victroian structures associated with the West Midlands of yesteryear, the Technology Innovation Centre is flying the flag for the region's future. Christopher Sell reports.
September 10, 2004... ANY SHOW the size of TEAM will draw participants from far and wide, but the West Midlands will have a strong local presence at the NEC in a few weeks' time. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The region is probably sick of being reminded of the...

Bird's eye view: Kestrel 3D will use the exhibition to showcase its innovative laser scanning technology. Christopher Sell reports.
September 10, 2004... EVENTS SUCH AS TEAM can act as a showcase for the UK's up-and-coming developers of engineering technology as well as their bigger and better-known counterparts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kestrel 3D and its laser scanning technology, which...

Exhibitor directory.
September 10, 2004... CIM Aim Software; Epicor Software; Freestyle New Media Group; Headway Consulting; Infor Global Solutions UK; Lilly Software Associates; McGuffie Brunton; Rent-IT Systems; Sage UK; Statsoft; Winman; World Class APS; Zensar Technologies. ...

Cool operators: developments in cooling technology could be a breath of fresh air for designers of electronic devices. Jon Excell reports.(Cooling Technology)
September 10, 2004... FROM PCS TO LAPTOPS to mobile phones, the electronic devices we take for granted are fast approaching meltdown. Our voracious appetite for speedier performance and flash functionality is currently sated by designers cramming more and more chips...

Turning on the heat: design flaws believed to be at the root of the 2003 Columbia space shuttle disaster are being addressed by a new NASA concept. Jon Excell reports.(Mechanical Components)
September 10, 2004... A REDESIGNED COMPONENT for connecting the space shuttle to its external fuel tank during launch has been given the 'green light' by a board of NASA experts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The announcement, heralded as a big step towards...

Big cat: a Canadian ferry, whose engine design integrates key technologies, is cutting journey times and getting commuters to give up the roads in favour of water. Christopher Sell reports.(High-Speed Ferries)
September 10, 2004... A HIGH-SPEED DIESEL CATAMARAN, said to be the most powerful of its kind in the world, recently began ferrying passengers between Rochester. New York, and Toronto in Canada. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Developed by US boat-builder Austal,...

It's a steel! To help combat steel distortion in vehicle gearboxes, Corus has developed an alternative. Jon Excell reports.(Materials)
September 10, 2004... ENGINEERS at metal specialist Corus have developed a new type of steel that offers big advantages for designers of vehicle gearboxes. One of the problems frequently encountered by gear manufacturers is the unpredictable level of distortion...

Mixed motives: Autodesk's latest CAD release, AIS 9, talks the language of the engineer as well as the professional modeller by providing a risk-free path from 2D to 3D. Charles Clarke tested it out.(Software)
September 10, 2004... AUTODESK has removed the need to choose between 2D and 3D. With version 9 of its Autodesk Inventor Series, a suite of software aimed at the mid-range mechanical CAD market, the company provides 3D functionality via 2D. AIS 9 is a watershed...

Drives & controls: technology has transformed electronic speed control. But where will future developments come from and what impact will regulation of the sector have? Asks Geoff Brown of Gambica and ABB.(Overview)
September 10, 2004... VARIABLE SPEED electric motors have been around for as long as the electric motor itself, but these days we tend only to consider electronic speed control. This business started about 40 years ago, with thyristor DC converters. But it was...

A driver of improvements: regulation is not just a challenge foisted on manufacturers--it encourages better products, standards and industry practices.(Overview)
September 10, 2004... GEOFF BROWN raised the prospect of the regulatory environment in areas such as EMC becoming increasingly restrictive. What is the industry's track record in this respect, and how well is it prepared to meet any future challenges? Leading...

Update.
September 10, 2004... For more information on any of the products listed below, go to www.theengineer.co.uk/info and enter the enquiry number SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Temperature Labfacility has launched...

Brain Teaser.(ProblemPage)
September 10, 2004... Following last issue's Brain Teaser (see below) and given the same parameters, (a) what is the maximum distance that could be travelled prior to sinking using the same number of people required to allow the boat to travel 1,500m? And (b), how...

You could win a wartime weekend.(ProblemPage)
September 10, 2004... The impact of two world wars on the capital's transport and workers is the theme of an open weekend at the Acton Depot, part of London's Transport Museum, on 9 and 10 October. An exhibition of photographs and artefacts will tell personal...

Sulphur solution.(Teach Need Challenge)
September 10, 2004... A north American company is looking for a method of sensing and measuring sulphur concentrations in diesel and petrol at ambient temperatures and pressures. The technology needs to be adaptable for use on board vehicles. ...

Powder and shot.(Teach Need Challenge)
September 10, 2004... This US company is looking for a way to produce a homogeneous metal-powder mix of tungsten and tin powder for manufacturing practice bullets for security guards and police. The technology is required to eliminate the use of toxic lead powder in...

Medical team-up.(Teach Need Challenge)
September 10, 2004... A north American company wants to form alliances with technology providers, innovative researchers and early-stage companies working on hospital hygiene products. Methods for sample collection, preparation analysis and characterisation of...

Image problem.(Teach Need Challenge)
September 10, 2004... This US company is looking for technologies to provide better performance for MOS or CMOS image sensors used in cameras MOS image sensors have the potential to provide better image capturing than is possible with the CCD technology used in...

Motors' dry run.(Teach Need Challenge)
September 10, 2004... This north American organisation is looking for a way to run sliding-vane air motors without lubrication. Vane air motors, powered by compressed air, are found throughout industry in grinders, drivers and assembly tools. Compressed air from the...

Braced for action.(Patent of the Week)
September 10, 2004... Orthodontic appliances, retainers, braces, train tracks. Call them what you will, those seemingly innocuous strips of metal glued to the unfortunate's top and bottom row of teeth have introduced more misery to teenagers' lives than the works of...

Buying Uncle Sam.(ThisWeek)
September 24, 2004... 'THE BRITISH are coming! The British are coming!' There are faint echoes of the legendary cry that launched the American War of Independence in the news that two of our most significant technology companies are building their positions across...

Walking on water: robot mimics insects that skim the surface of liquids.(The Big Picture)
September 24, 2004... A RESEARCHER at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania has built a tiny robot that can walk back and forth on water, much like insects known as water skimmers. Rather than floating, the device supports itself on top of the liquid as it...

Project gives air play to mobiles.(The Big Picture)
September 24, 2004... A TWO-YEAR investigation by Airbus has revealed that mobile phones can be used on aircraft without interfering with the planes' systems. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a result the company plans to install in-flight mobile phone technology...

Making waves against bombers.(The Big Picture)
September 24, 2004... A RADIO-WAVE INTERCEPTOR could protect military convoys and soldiers from remotely detonated explosives, its developers claim. A team from the University of Missouri-Rolla is building a device that spots and blocks the low-level radio waves...

Diagnostic test for infections and contaminants within half an hour.(In Brief)
September 24, 2004... A SPIN-OUT from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has developed a mini-lab capable of diagnosing human infections, the presence of GM and contaminants in foods, and veterinary diseases--in around 30 minutes. Enigma...

Taser stun 'gun' goes national.(In Brief)
September 24, 2004... The Home Office has announced that use of the Taser device will be extended to police forces across the country, following a 12-month trial. The M26 Taser delivers an electrical current that interferes with the body's neuromuscular system,...

London to Manchester in two hours with tilting trains.(In Brief)
September 24, 2004... Tilting trains were relaunched on the UK's railways this week after an absence of 20 years. The first train, tilting up to eight degrees for the majority of the 183-mile journey between London and Manchester, completed the journey in a record...

Ammonia avenue to hydrogen highway: US claims biggest breakthrough yet towards the mass production of fuel cell-powered vehicles.(News)
September 24, 2004... TWO US ENGINEERING firms claim to have made the most significant step yet towards the mass production of fuel cell-powered cars following the modification of an alkaline propulsion technology widely used in the space industry. ...

Magnetic attraction: generator system to improve performance of hybrid cars.(News)
September 24, 2004... AN ELECTRICAL generator and control system that could improve the fuel efficiency and performance of hybrid cars has been developed by UK engineers. Electrical power-generation specialist Newage International developed the small,...

Space for improvement: Japan makes solar--laser beams more efficient.(News)
September 24, 2004... JAPANESE RESEARCHERS have developed a system that is claimed to convert solar energy into laser beams almost 20 times more efficiently than has previously been achieved. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The system, a joint development by teams...

Leaving paper on the shelf: retailers look set to benefit from electronic displays, the first step towards introduction of e-paper.(News)
September 24, 2004... FLEXIBLE ELECTRONIC displays that can be rolled up and put into the pocket came a step closer to commercial reality this week with the news that BASF is to join forces with Taiwanese company SiPix to help get the technology ready for launch....

Stirling effort: NASA funds engine powered by soundwaves to provide electricity on deep space probes.(News)
September 24, 2004... A NASA-funded team including engineers at Northrop Grumman has built an engine powered by sound waves for generating electricity on-board deep space probes. The engine is claimed to be three times more efficient than NASA's existing...

Baby 'scramjet tester' to launch Down Under.(News)
September 24, 2004... AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS will next month launch a baby rocket to test control systems for vehicles travelling at hypersonic speeds, ahead of full scramjet tests next year. Scramjets use oxygen from the air as a propellant, and could...

Earth works: military could benefit from construction techniques that mimic the complexities of termite mounds.(News)
September 24, 2004... RAPID MANUFACTURING technologies could make it possible to produce self-sufficient and self-building structures for military and space use, according to UK researchers. A team led by Loughborough University is developing the next...

A different concept in vehicle design.(News)
September 24, 2004... A CONCEPT CAR project launched this month is using public opinion to provide an insight into how people believe cars should look in 10 years' time. SPRINT Car (Short Production Run Innovative Technology Car) is in the first of three steps,...

Super power: joint UK-US research team develops improved superconductor using simple method.(News)
September 24, 2004... A UK-US TEAM has created a 'super' superconductor, claimed to be capable of carrying five times more electrical current than traditional high-capacity materials, using a simple, low-cost method. Superconducting wires and tapes carry...

Sensor to censor pollutants more efficiently.(News)
September 24, 2004... A MORE accurate and cheaper exhaust gas sensor to control engine and power plant emissions and optimise their performance has been developed by US researchers. The electrochemical sensor, which can survive temperatures greater than 1,000F,...

Safe as sunshine? Far from being a knock to the nanotechnology industry, recommendations that nanoparticles be safety tested could give the UK an edge if we establish a uniform toxicology screening system. Julia Pierce reports.(Focus)
September 24, 2004... THE SUGGESTION that imposing stricter controls over a fledgling field such as nanotechnology could help the UK steal a march on its competitors may seem laughable. But some researchers now believe the country could gain a vital lead in the...

Qinetiq in US buying spree ... first for UK technology group as it splashes out [pounds sterling]160m on two companies.(Business)
September 24, 2004... UK TECHNOLOGY giant Qinetiq has crossed the Atlantic for the first time to buy two US companies with strong links to the defence and security industries. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Qinetiq swooped twice within a week, snapping up...

... as Alphamosaic goes to States for [pounds sterling]69m.(Business)
September 24, 2004... ALPHAMOSAIC, the Cambridge specialist in multimedia processing technology for mobile phones, has been bought by a US microchip giant. Broadcom will pay about [pounds sterling]69m for Alphamosaic, which has seen its microprocessor technology...

On the right wavelength: boost for UK's Transense as Michelin extends agreement.(Business)
September 24, 2004... TRANSENSE TECHNOLOGIES, developer of a new tyre pressure monitoring system, received a boost when industry giant Michelin extended its licensing agreement with the UK company. Michelin--which already has a licence to use Transense's system...

Rolls-Royce wins contracts to service Trent engines on ANZ fleet.(The Week in Business)
September 24, 2004... Air New Zealand has handed Rolls-Royce contracts worth $500m to maintain the Trent engines on its fleet of Boeing 7E7 and 777 aircraft. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The airline was the first to choose the Trent 1000 for the new 7E7, and...

Ricardo 'cautiously optimistic' for future following [pounds sterling]10m saving.(The Week in Business)
September 24, 2004... UK automotive consultant Ricardo, said it was 'cautiously optimistic' that its prospects were improving after a turbulent 12 months. Ricardo suffered a series of project cancellations and other setbacks in the first half of its financial...

Oxford Instruments acquires Metorex in [pounds sterling]3m purchase.(The Week in Business)
September 24, 2004... Oxford Instruments will pay [pounds sterling]3.3m for Finnish X-ray specialist Metorex. The UK advanced instrumentation group said the acquisition of Metorex, which has subsidiaries in the US and Germany, would strengthen its position in...

STS confident of winning new orders after rocky patch.(The Week in Business)
September 24, 2004... Surface Technology Systems, the South Wales supplier of specialist technology to the semiconductor industry, told its shareholders that it is confident of winning new orders later this year and in early 2005 STS has been through a rocky...

Sharp rise in global steel prices helps Corus back into the black.(The Week in Business)
September 24, 2004... Corus has surged into the black thanks to a sharp rise in global steel prices. The Anglo-Dutch group made a profit for the first time in five years as booming consumption around the world, particularly in China, turned the supply and demand...

The sunny side of solar power: though inclined to find fault with the concept of using the sun as a source of electricity, William Nuttall is coming round to thinking it has a lot of potential compared with other renewables.(Comment)
September 24, 2004... WHEN I DISCUSS renewable energy with friends the conversation nearly always turns to solar power. Often I find myself saying that its prospects in the UK are poor. I can see the disappointment on their faces and I quickly realise that I have...

Opting for a winner.(Talking Point)
September 24, 2004... The articles 'Winding up for the challenge' (This Week, 10 September) and 'Buoyant future' (News, the same issue) generated some debate in our design office, but you starved us of some key facts. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While the...

Lobby correspondence.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 24, 2004... The arguments about the speed of development of renewable energy sources rumble on. But it was ever thus. The one thing we have learned over the years is that you don't dive headfirst into rapid development of the environmental lobby's...

Good news, bad news.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 24, 2004... In answer to your editorial 'An eye on the long view' (This Week, 6 August), it is indeed good news for Rolls Royce. It is impressive how long aircraft are kept airworthy, especially the airframes. But it is not so good for the environment...

Chuting stars.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 24, 2004... Reading your articles 'Exit Strategy' (Feature, 23 July) on fire escape, and 'The key to saving lives'--which highlighted the panic and confusion inside the 1985 plane on fire (This Week, the same issue)--I feel the public is badly in need of...

Watering holes.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 24, 2004... Rather than finding ways of producing more water via desalination plants (This Week and Focus, 27 August)--which would no doubt be lost due to leaking water mains--perhaps our utility companies would do better spending their money ensuring that...