Welcome to The Blueprint, our monthly roundup of science and technology. Written and edited by Dr Mann Virdee.
Thoughts from your correspondent on recent developments in science and tech in the United Kingdom (UK)
Governance is as much an art as it is a science. One thing which characterises good government is knowing which battles to pick and when. More importantly, good governance is about standing for something – and having a hill to die on.
That is a balancing act, and one which changes with the passage of time over the lifetime of a Parliament. At the start, there is the so-called ‘honeymoon period’, where there is some good will and more political capital to spend. As time passes, however, this is generally eroded – and it can become harder to do the difficult things.
It appears that the current iteration of His Majesty’s (HM) Government has not got this balance right. Their first six months or so were squandered; it seemed they were not ready for office, or faced unexpected institutional barriers despite having ample time to prepare.
Now they have been in office for over a year, their priorities seem odd, sometimes disconnected. The myriad plans, strategies, speeches and rhetoric are commendable (‘I’m backing the builders, not the blockers’) and suggest coherence and focus – but the reality often does not match up.
Let’s take the example of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Britain’s planning system is one of the primary barriers to building the infrastructure which the country needs. Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister, has acknowledged this, writing: ‘Why does it take so long to build anything in the UK? You can blame our outdated planning system that’s slowing us down.’
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill contained some strong provisions to address these. It was the start of an answer to a seemingly intractable problem. And yet, as the Bill has progressed through Parliament, HM Government has made concessions – a ‘tactical retreat’ – in order to expedite the passage of this flagship legislation.
I have no doubt they would argue that this is a perfect example of a government ‘knowing which battles to pick’, and make the case of the merits of a slightly watered down Bill sooner rather than a stronger Bill later.
Perhaps. But here’s the risk: now that HM Government has made concessions, campaign groups will know they can keep pushing. These concessions will not be enough. HM Government has not shown the fortitude or willingness to take on the blockers.
I was pleased to see Lord Hunt of Kings Heath table an amendment to the Bill based on recommendations from my recent Primer. But if HM Government has already conceded, then such provisions to strengthen the Bill are unlikely to succeed when it is debated in Committee stage.
You do not have to be a time traveller to know what will happen: the Bill will need to be watered down further to expedite its passage, and the resulting final Bill will be so diluted that it will not be fit for the scale of the infrastructure challenge facing Britain – meaning further legislation will have to be introduced at a later stage. And so we begin the cycle again.
Technological innovations, developments and stories you might have missed
Hydrogen-based steel railway track laid in Austria
Austria’s national railway company ÖBB has laid the world’s first track made from hydrogen-based steel at Linz Central Station.
Personalised CRISPR therapy given to baby with genetic disease
In a first of its kind, a baby with a severe genetic disease has received bespoke CRISPR therapy designed to correct the specific disease-causing mutation. The treatment appears to have been effective.
Photonic AI processor installed in supercomputing facility
A German supercomputing centre has deployed the world’s first photonic Artificial Intelligence (AI) processor. Developed by Q.ANT, a deep-tech company based in Stuttgart, the new native processing server brings analogue photonic computing into a live high-performance computing environment for the first time.
Brain implant translates thought to speech in real time
A man with a significant speech impediment can now speak expressively and sing with the help of a brain implant. A world first, the device translates his neural activity into words almost instantly. It conveys changes in intonation when he asks questions, emphasises words and allows him to hum a series of notes in three different pitches.
Your reading list on science and technology
How not to fix an AI institute
Alex Chalmers
If you’re not aware of the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of the Alan Turing Institute, read Alex’s article. See also: ‘Reforming the Alan Turing Institute’ by Ben Johnson and Julia Willemyns, who call for a full replacement of the board of trustees, with priority given to AI, defence and startup leaders.
HS2 was doomed to be a mess, say insiders – because of a ‘problem in this country’
Kate Lamble
This article argues that HS2 was doomed by a combination of ambitious engineering goals, complex planning negotiations with communities and a cumbersome planning system.
Revealing quotes
‘If you want to overturn the Online Safety Act you are on the side of predators. It is as simple as that.’ – Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The new Online Safety Act is designed to protect children from harmful online content. However, civil liberties groups have said the Act – though well intentioned – is misguided, endangers privacy and free speech, and creates security risks. That’s why many view this statement as overly simplistic and controversial.
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