QTC - Making the Most of a Novel Material
A Catalyst article about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, a material discovered in 1997 and whose resistance decreases dramatically under pressure. How does it work and what uses will it have? The material has been carefully characterised (to understand its composition and how it works), and its first applications have emerged. In this…
Science and Engineering Apprenticeships
A Catalyst article about training as a technician after GCSEs. With an apprenticeship scheme it is possible to start a career at 16, keep learning to acquire qualifications – and get paid. It is quite possible to obtain a permanent job at the end of the apprenticeship. Many different companies up and down the country offer…
Money, Mistakes and the Birth of a Science
This Catalyst article looks at how the laying of telegraph cables across the ocean bed led to the science of oceanography. Over two thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered in sea which can reach depths of 11 000 metres. The article looks at the challenge of laying cables in this environment and the history of the industry. This…