From the first pacemakers of the 1950s to cutting-edge brain and spinal cord stimulation, implantable medical devices have come a long way – but the real breakthroughs might still be ahead. In this episode of Off The Page, E&T’s Tim Fryer and Jack Loughran speak with Professor Nick Donaldson of University College London about the science, engineering, and ethics behind modern implants.

We explore how bioelectronic medicine could transform treatment for spinal injuries, chronic pain, mental illness, and inflammatory diseases – and why regulation, cost, and complexity still stand in the way. From restoring lost movement to the possibility of “programmable” implants for a range of conditions, we discuss what’s real, what’s next, and what it will take to bring these innovations to patients.

The pace of gaming innovation between the years 1990 and 2010 saw a drastic shift from 2d sprites moving linearly across flat landscapes to fully-realised 3D worlds presenting an almost limitless array of gameplay options.

But as development costs skyrocket and physical hardware reaches its limits, the question becomes: where does gaming go from here? Have we now entered an era of diminishing returns where AAA games cost more than your average Hollywood film only to deliver a set of experiences that are long familiar to seasoned gamers? Or do promising technologies like AI, virtual reality, 5G and ray tracing offer a glimpse into a future of possibilities that gamers can only imagine?

These are the topics discussed in this podcast with our special guest, Dr Mariza Dima. If you want to hear more from Mariza, she has her own podcast, Mixed Reality in Culture, that can be found here:

https://open.spotify.com/show/7m4PtmI26UaeabUUMLh8ph

The Smart City movement began when the enabling digital technology allowed a level of communication that made lives better for those living in the urban environment. But some of the impetus was lost as the technology was taken for granted. However, recent developments appear to be allowing more tangible progress now - our cities could be getting smarter again!

While most of us agree that it is not, there are issues causing increasing concern.

Rocket launches, space debris and obsolete space equipment burning up on re-entry all have environmental consequences down here as well as up there. Should we be more careful with our space endeavours?

In this episode of E+T: Off the Page, the team explores the growing landmine crisis in Ukraine, now the most heavily mined country in the world after three years of war with Russia. Host Tim Fryerspeaks with Michael Nevard, director of capability at the Halo Trust, about the devastating impact of landmines on civilians and the long-term challenges of de-mining.

The discussion focuses on how Halo employs local Ukrainians to safely clearmines to help communities reclaim their land. Nevard also explains how land mine technology has evolved, which can make detection and removal increasingly complex.

The conversation also highlights the broader, global issue of landmine contamination, referencing Cambodia, Syria,and Afghanistan, where decades-old mines still maim civilians. In addition, the team explores the financial and logistical hurdles of de-mining, while stressing its humanitarian and economic benefits.

Hosted by: Tim Fryer and Tanya Weaver

Special Guest: Stephanie Metzger, Policy Advisor at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances - better known as PFAS or Forever Chemicals, are incredibly useful. They are so good at repelling water, oil and heat that they are used in a multitude of everyday applications. However, there is evidence linking them to serious health issues including cancers and, as the name Forever Chemicals suggests, they are very difficult to get rid of. So how are we going to engineer our way out of this problem?

Regulars Tim Fryer and Tanya Weaver are joined by guest Stephanie Metzger, Policy Advisor at the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Hosted by: Tim Fryer, Jack Loughran and Tanya Weaver

Special Guest: Simon Swales, Senior Consultant, Mindset Practice

Engineers don’t have it easy. Barely manageable workloads, zero tolerance towards making mistakes, frequently morphing into roles that go beyond their engineering roots - like management, finances, logistics etc - excessive travel and yet solitary nature of the task - all are contributorary factors in making engineering a mentally tough occupation. It is no surprise then that engineer burnout is not just a recognisable condition, but a growing problem. In this podcast we discuss why it is problem that can no longer be ignored.

Regulars Tim Fryer, Jack Loughran and Tanya Weaver are joined by guest Simon Swales, Senior Consultant, Mindset Practice

While Artificial Intelligence is on everyone's lips as the key to the development of just about everything, more practical issues are resulting in a re-evaluation of where the technology might take us. Public uptake and trepidation on the user side are added to by energy consumption, LLM limitations and profitability on the technology development side. All this and more is discussed in the latest E+T Off The Page podcast.

Regulars Jack Loughran and Tanya Weaver are joined by guest Julie Wall, Professor of AI & Advanced Computing, University of West London.