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UTILITY WEEK | 11TH - 17TH NOVEMBER 2016 | 31 Community Moving up the pecking order This issue of Utility Week is being put together before the result of the US election is known, so either Hillary Rod- ham Clinton has been sworn in as the first female president of the US of A, or the world's stock markets are in freefall, the dollar is worth less than a Turkish lira and Vladimir Putin is dusting down the war room. But even assuming readers are not packing their bags and running for the hills, the long- term prognosis for the human race is pretty scary regardless. There are unintended conse- quences for all our actions, such as shooting birds. Let Disconnector explain. For centuries people have been hunting birds, but the only difference over recent decades is the scale. In America, more than 200 million birds are esti- mated to be killed every year. Scientists led by Dr Anders Moller from the University of South Paris, France, have examined whether there is any correlation between the size of a bird's brain and its chances of being shot by a hunter, and they have concluded that there is. So we're having a direct evolutionary impact on the development of birdkind, to wit, making them smarter. If there's one thing we don't need as the life gets warmer and harder, it's intelligent birds. As anyone who lives in a town plagued by seagulls knows, they are already plenty smart enough. Masticate! Masticate! Of course, evolution works on a long time scale. Of more immediate danger is our deter- mination to develop machine intelligence regardless of the warnings of science fiction. The latest in a long list of ideas compiled under the heading "Hmm" is the one by UK robotics experts to build a robot capable of consuming organic material for energy. The ambition is to build a scavenging bot that can mop up contaminated water or algal blooms. According to New Scientist, a team at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory has already developed a prototype. Using a polymer membrane "mouth", the machine filters its aquatic surroundings using a microbial fuel cell packed with bacteria to break down organic matter into energy. So, the plan is to design a self-sustaining robot than eats organic matter and launch it into the world's oceans… What could possibly go wrong? On the wrong side of the law With the sky full of malevolently intelligent birds and the seas full of robots that eat organic life, it may be time to start looking beyond the confines of planet Earth. According to reports in the press last week, that dream came a step closer with the discovery of a "leaked" paper from Nasa revealing that it has successfully tested an "EM drive". Whereas traditional rocket drives work by burning fuel and ejecting it into space, the EM drive has no fuel. It generates thrust by harnessing particles of light and bouncing microwaves around inside a closed cone-shaped chamber. The movement generates thrust at the slim end of the cone. Astute readers will have noticed that this is, in effect, a perpetual motion machine, and the paper concedes that "according to the laws of phys- ics, it should not work". Disconnector would like to point out to the journalists concerned that obeying the laws of physics is not optional like the laws of decency or even the actual law. The great man therefore declares that mankind will not be travelling to Mars using an EM drive any time soon. Disconnector Editor, Utility Week, and content director, Utilities: Ellen Bennett, t: 01342 332084, e: ellenbennett@fav-house.com; Acting editor: Jane Gray, t: 01342 332087, e: janegray@ fav-house.com; Insights editor: Mathew Beech, t: 01342 332082, e: mathewbeech@fav-house. com; News editor: Lois Vallely, t: 01342 332080, e: loisvallely@fav-house.com; Networks correspondent: Lucinda Dann, t: 01342 332083, e: lucindadann@fav-house.com; Reporters: Saffron Johnson, t: 01342 332050, e: saffronjohnson@fav-house.com and Tom Grimwood, t: 01342 332061, e: tomgrimwood@fav-house.com; Business development manager: Richard Powell, t: 01342 332062, e: richardpowell@fav-house.com; Business development executive: Nigel Searle, t: 01342 332009, e: nigelsearle@fav-house.com; Publisher: Amanda Barnes, e: amandabarnes@ fav-house.com. General enquiries: 01342 332000; Membership enquiries: Peter Bissell, t: 01342 332507, e: peterbissell@fav-house.com. ISSN: 1356-5532. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office. Printed by: Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 6AE. Published by: Faversham House Ltd, Windsor Court, Wood Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 1UZ 3,580 Average circulation Jan–Dec 2015 Membership subscriptions: UK £637 per year. Overseas £749 per year. Contact Peter Bissell on: 01342 332507 Utility Week is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK's magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors' Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint please contact the editor, Ellen Bennett, at ellenbennett@fav-house.com. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors' Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk OVO Energy @OVOEnergy It's 50 days til Christmas, so we're making sure #YuleBePrepared this year. Goodbye to festive procrastination. Hello to GETTING IT DONE. CCWater @WaterWatchdog When people search for advice on saving wa- ter, 52% told us their water company website was the first port of call. #watersavingchat Good Energy @GoodEnergy From old to new – solar panels are being installed on a 1,000-year-old Gloucester Cathedral! What a face lift! Ann Robinson @AnnRobinson8 Great government putting funds towards development of mini nuclear reactors. Rolls-Royce should benefit. Good for jobs and potential exports. Friends of the Earth @foeeurope Signatures and goodwill are not enough #ParisAgreement #COP22 we need to go #FossilFree now! Tom Biegler @BieglerTom In mood to stick neck out: IMPOSSIBLE to run advanced economy on wind + sun + storage. Period. Proof elusive, just watch nations try and fail. Waterwise @Waterwise Saucers 2 ways. Use saucers under pot plants; right way up in the summer to catch #water, upside down in winter to protect from frost. William Marchant @richonlyinname The new Liverpool City Council-backed energy supplier will be called Leccy. Kinda hoping it will be run by a bloke called Gaz. Chris Jenkins @chris2jenkins Having smart meters fitted and PANIC the kettle's stopped working. #tea Top Tweets