The Evolution of Colour in 19th Century Visual Arts and Literature

The 19th century witnessed a growing interest in the visual arts, particularly in the relationships between pictures and text. During this period, two significant debates emerged: the truthful representation of nature and the interplay of line and colour. Scientific advancements in colour pigmentation and dyes revolutionised artistic practices, challenging traditional notions of colour usage and meaning. My research explores the impact of these developments on the works of renowned artists such as J.M.W. Turner and John Ruskin, as well as their integration into the literary landscape through the writings of Thomas Hardy.

Jailbreak – Preventing Metastatic Cancer

Punishing fluorescent lights cast a synthetic glow across the corridors of the high-security facility. Armed guards shuffle nervously at their posts. The eerie quiet is broken intermittently by muffled orders on crackly walkie-talkies. Suddenly, a piercing siren fills the silence. Panicked guards march hurriedly to join the search team. But it’s too late. The prisoner is gone. The guards are terrified – this inmate was bad news.

Title: Directing Radio Waves – From the Staff of Ra to Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

Picture the map room scene from Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The titular hero, armed with the recently liberated headpiece of the Staff of Ra, fixes it to long stick and places it within a broad beam of diffuse sunlight penetrating into the underground chamber – revealing a map holding the location of the Well of Souls. The burnished ruby jewel held within the headpiece acts to focus the sunlight into a narrow beam of electromagnetic energy that Indy steers over the map until the white light phase-shifts to red and reveals the location of the Ark of the Covenant.

Battling the Tech Giants: Addressing Abuse of Power in Digital Markets

In 2019, a tech journalist from the US conducted a six-week experiment wherein she lived without using the services of major tech giants – Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Apple. She summarized her experience as nothing less than ‘hellish.’ Such detox means no more ‘how to’ videos from YouTube, missing out on your friends’ stories and events posted on your Facebook groups, and being unable to participate in conferences hosted on Teams. And forget the convenience of ordering last-minute gifts from Amazon (if you are lucky enough to hear about the occasion in the first place without the built-in channels of these tech giants).

Where does it always go wrong?

A subway extension is delayed 18 months. The Olympic Games run 800 million over budget. A hydroelectric dam burst causes 100,000 acres of environmental damage.

What does it say that such headlines are greeted with sarcastic shrugs? ‘Wow, what a surprise,’ we muse.

Even with a wealth of historical data, modern technology, and the brightest minds at our disposal, major programmes always seem to run over time, over budget, and underdeliver on their promises. But why?