Spring miscellany

Spring is in the air. A time of new beginnings. I took the opportunity offered by the Easter holidays to catch up on reading and want to share with you some of the facts and ideas I encountered. Before listing the positive items, I will start by raising a concern.

I often find myself frustrated by technology (that I am competent to use!): there is not a link for the action I want to take; despite inputting requirements, it tells me an item is unsuitable but does not state what is suitable; it provides contrary pieces of information and I have to gamble on which piece applies. I am not so naive that I am unaware of the various ruses that commercial organisations use to pull us in, obtain our data and sell us something, but I am complaining about the fact that the software developers seem unable or unwilling to envisage users’ scenarios. If this happens with logic-based software, the implications are greater for artificial intelligence (AI)-based software implementation. The use of AI in non-destructive testing (NDT) is still nascent and it remains possible to put in place processes and procedures to ensure proper validation before it is used in safety applications.

We are all guilty, at some time or other, of not putting ourselves in other people’s shoes and seeing things from their perspective. This is why diversity is important. In a novel about various scientists involved in the development of quantum theory, it was said that the mathematician Alexander Grothendiek’s brilliance was to see that every algebraic equation or individual solution was just one part of a wider scheme. The analogy of a lighthouse picking out parts of a rocky coast was given. I found this analogy particularly useful in my understanding of the complexity of Grothendiek’s work, despite not having a grasp of the detail. If you pardon the pun, it was also a lightbulb moment about the limitations of individual perceptions. I was reminded of the Indian parable of The Blind Men and the Elephant. Like the blind men in the story, our perceptions provide a limited version of the truth. Only through collective wisdom can we move towards the full truth.

In an article on the quantum mind, the theory behind birds’ ability to navigate was described. A chemical bond ruptures to create radicals with unpaired electrons. The electrons are sensitive to the Earth’s magnetic field through the quantum property of spin and the birds are able to sense north and south when the radicals react. Robert MacFarlane wrote an article in The Telegraph expounding the amazing sensory abilities of various animals. As with birds, sea turtles navigate by reading the Earth’s geomagnetic field. Owls have fantastic eyesight for seeing in the dark, but they also have acute hearing with asymmetrical ears to improve accuracy of location. Robert refers to research that found the owls’ hearing nerve also connects to the optical centre.

Bio-inspired sensors are finding increasing application. Although the above sensory examples do not have an immediate relevance to NDT, apart from being fascinating, they can expand our perceptions and thought processes and maybe inspire innovation. After all, the application of advanced ultrasonic systems already combines the visual with the acoustic to allow us to better see the interaction of the sound with the component.

Over Easter I visited Manchester’s Central Library. It is a magnificent old building with a large dome over the main room. Many years ago, I would revise for my exams there. Obviously, it has changed in the interim, with fewer book stacks and more computers, but the long tables populated with many students were the same. I subsequently came across a phenomenon known as the ‘cathedral effect’. Evidently, it has been shown that higher ceilings promote abstract thought and creativity, whilst lower ceilings promote more detailed and concrete thinking. In NDT human factors studies, the environment is a large factor, but the focus has been on noise and heat, not the height or volume of the workplace. Maybe it is something to consider going forward?

I am just glad I covered both bases by also revising in my lower-ceilinged bedroom!

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author’s own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within NDT News. They do not represent the views of Jacobs or BINDT.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org or email Bernard McGrath direct at bernard.mcgrath1@jacobs.com