Ben Pilkington

Feature Writer

B.A. (Hons) English Language and Literature, M.St. English Language and Literature

Ben Pilkington is a freelance writer who is interested in society and technology. He enjoys learning how the latest scientific developments can affect us and imagining what will be possible in the future.

Since completing graduate studies at Oxford University in 2016, Ben has reported on developments in computer software, the UK technology industry, digital rights and privacy, industrial automation, IoT, AI, additive manufacturing, sustainability, and clean technology.

Ben is happiest on a bicycle, loves sleeping in a tent or under the stars, and can’t function properly without coffee.

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Articles from Ben

Detecting Coronavirus Particles with “Slow Light”

A new technique has been developed using “slow light” that enables simple detection and quantification of virus particles using a basic optical microscope and readily available antibody proteins.

19 May 2022

How Has Microscopy Revolutionized Food Science?

Food science draws from – and contributes to – numerous sciences, technology disciplines, and industrial approaches. A relatively new field, food science matured alongside advanced microscopy methods such as atomic force and scanning electron microscopy. Microscope technology progress has led to a food science revolution in the last few decades.

17 May 2022

Annealing Methods for Advanced Alloys in Optical Components

In cutting-edge research, a method for annealing gold with silver drives progress in studying and developing advanced alloys for optical components.

13 May 2022

Thermal Imaging for Wildlife Monitoring and Conservation

Thermal imaging technology has dramatically reduced in cost since the mid-2000s, enabling its use in a wide variety of settings. A critical area that cheaper thermal imaging has impacted is wildlife conservation. Here, it can enable wide-reaching, impactful surveys and ongoing, passive monitoring at a fraction of the cost of other methods.

27 Apr 2022

SEM vs TEM for Polymer Analysis

Techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) enable materials scientists to study individual atoms in polymers, observe dynamic surface phenomena on the nanoscale, and explore intricate patterns in polymer samples’ nanostructured surfaces.

31 Mar 2022

How Will Fiber Optics Accelerate Avionics?

The aerospace industry is increasingly turning to fiber optics to bear data and communications in the avionics systems of next-generation aircraft. This is due to the technology’s clear size, weight and power (SWaP) advantages.

30 Mar 2022

Recent Advances in Sustainable Photonics Materials

For technology to continue to progress and benefit people worldwide, we need to find and develop sustainable materials to build the devices we are using daily. Photonics – devices employing the technical applications of light in electrical systems – is by no means an outlier in this problem, and sustainable materials for photonics are needed now more than ever.

28 Mar 2022

What is Lensless Holographic Microscopy?

A new lensless holographic microscopy technique promises high-quality imaging and analysis of biological samples without the need for lenses and could transform access to healthcare worldwide.

25 Feb 2022

How Does an Optical Telescope Function?

Optical telescopes concentrate light in the visible spectrum so that astronomers can look at objects millions of light-years away. This article looks at how optical telescopes work and their development over time.

20 Jan 2022

What are Dark-Field Microscopes?

Dark-field microscopy has been used since the early 20th century to observe living, unstained cells and microorganisms. Specimens are brightly lit against a dark background to provide the contrast needed to study samples in solutions or natural aquatic environments such as pond water. This article looks at what dark-field microscopy is and its applications.

20 Jan 2022