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

How Liquid Nitrogen Helps Boost Cryo-Electron Microscopy Clarity

A new technique makes sample preparation for cryo-EM safer and simpler using liquid nitrogen.

19 Nov 2021

Spectroscopy, Artificial Intelligence and the Fight for Improved Waste-to-Energy Production

Lehigh University researchers have received a $3.5 million grant to develop rapid waste sorting using advanced spectroscopy and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The aim of this research is to make waste-to-energy plants more cost-effective, therefore increasing capacity in the waste-to-energy industry as investment rises to meet demand.

12 Nov 2021

The Future of In Vivo Brain Imaging with Two-Phase Microscopy

Neuroscientists can now watch neuron activity deep inside a living human brain thanks to a pioneering new optical technique. A team from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), based in Heidelberg, Germany, described the two-phase microscopy method for in vivo brain imaging in Nature Methods in September 2021.

4 Nov 2021

The Western Australian Optical Ground Station: Introducing Next-Generation Space Communication

To help solve space communication issues, the University of Western Australia has installed a half-ton telescope that shoots giant laser beams into space on the roof of its physics building.

27 Oct 2021

Identifying Traffic Signs and the Future of Smarter Autonomous Vehicles

Researchers in Spain recently presented a low-cost prototype for image capture and traffic sign identification in future autonomous vehicles.

27 Oct 2021

Making Recycling More Sustainable with Photonic Technology

Optical technologies, including photonics, can be introduced to recycling to improve its efficiency and ultimately make it more sustainable, according to new research.

26 Oct 2021

The World's Largest Robotic Telescope and the Future of Space Exploration

Institutions in the UK, Spain, and the Canary Islands are ready to break ground on an ambitious project to build the world’s largest robotic telescope on the island of La Palma in the Canaries. The enormous automated mechanical structure will enable astronomers worldwide to watch dynamic events in space such as supernovae and cosmic rays as they are unfolding in real-time.

26 Oct 2021

Using Machine Vision to Advance Welding Porosity Identification

Global agricultural, construction and forestry machinery manufacturer John Deere recently announced a partnership with historic technology firm Intel that will develop a fresh crop of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for a key challenge in industrial welding: porosity.

25 Oct 2021

Studying Extreme Plasmas and the Relationship Between Energy and Matter with the Most Powerful Lasers in the World

The most powerful lasers in the world can reach up to 10 petawatts (10 quadrillion, or 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 watts) of emitted light. They are used to study extreme plasmas and other rare phenomena in the universe. Scientists are also planning to build a 100 petawatt laser that will be used to tear energy from matter in empty space.

20 Oct 2021

Introducing the Quantum-Enabled Gas Imaging Camera for Methane Leak Detection

The impact of methane on the environment and human health is often overlooked. A quantum-enabled gas imaging system that Bristol, UK-based QLM Technology, has developed could aid accurate monitoring of this greenhouse gas.

21 Sep 2021