Author Gareth Mitchell

Gareth Mitchell

Recent articles by Gareth Mitchell

Once deleted, can text messages be retrieved?

Clearing or deleting your messages on your devices doesn't mean the data is permanently gone, it's just been filed away differently.
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How is curved glass made?

Making curved glass is a complicated and time-consuming process, but why is it such a 'pane' to manufacture?
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Can taking digital photos damage art?

Galleries would have you believe that a camera flash damages paintings.
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What's the highest voltage ever produced?

The highest voltage ever was produced by a tandem at a laboratory in Tennessee, USA, but how many volts did they reach?
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Why do our eyes come in different colours?

The colour of your eyes' irises is determined by pigmentation.
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Why does glass shatter so violently?

It's stressful for everyone when you break a glass, but that's nothing compared to how the glass feels.
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Can the government track you if you have a GPS-enabled mobile phone?

Big Brother is watching you!
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Does storing data on the 'cloud' help the environment?

Green issues are important considerations as tech evolves and living on a 'cloud' may contribute to sustainable computing.
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Are electric cars any more energy efficient than conventional ones?

Power to the wheels is one thing, to the battery is another.
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Can multiple people play on one computer?

Snuggle up – PC gaming gets cozy.
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Can a computer be self-aware?

In Terminator 2, the moment the robots became self-aware marked the beginning of the end for humanity - should we be that worried?
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Why do live events transmit faster to my digital radio than my TV?

Are you trying in vain to get the radio commentary in sync with the TV video?
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Can you have a heart attack in your sleep?

Bad dreams and nightmares can wake you up with a start, but could that be because of your heart?
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Is there air conditioning on the ISS?

The International Space Station is exposed to temperatures of -157°C to 121°C - let's hope someone brought a coat...
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Can facial recognition software differentiate between identical twins?

Computers are pretty adept at recognising your face these days, but is it double trouble when it comes to twins?
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What is the function of the golden foil that covers space probes?

Without its shimmering sheath, the probe would boil – or is that freeze…?
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Why can’t computers complete CAPTCHAs?

Common CAPTCHAs have been around since 1997, but computers are a long way behind the human brain at cracking them.
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What's the difference between a scramjet and a ramjet engine?

These experimental engines both work in different ways to achieve supersonic speeds.
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Can computers make mistakes?

"Computer says no..."
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Could robots be programmed to evolve?

The Terminator might be the the eventual outcome from evolving robots, but we're still some way off from an army of Arnies just yet.
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How long is a jiffy?

Whether you're looking at light or electrical current, we'll let you know what it is in a jiffy...
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What is the world’s smallest camera?

Take stock on this one because you're going to have to zoom right in to find out.
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How can we make cars more energy efficient?

If you are looking for the most economical car, this streamlined number is looking to travel from Amsterdam to Moscow on just 1 litre of petrol!
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Is it really possible to control a robot with your mind?

Yes! You will be my friend, Mr Robot! And it's not just government-funded projects that have this technology.
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