Latest news with #Semple
Press and Journal
7 days ago
- Business
- Press and Journal
Aberdeen floating wind specialist acquired by growing Inverness energy firm
Inverness-headquartered Aurora Energy Services has acquired Aberdeen firm Encomara, a specialist in floating wind deployment systems and subsea engineering. Industry stalwarts Ian Cobban, Malcolm Bowie, Ian Donald and Raymond Semple, founded Encomara in 2022. The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, includes Encomara's innovative Squid system. The technology integrates pre-installed mooring and electrical connections in one modular subsea unit. This reduces the cost, time and risk associated with the deployment, recovery and reconnection of turbines. Aurora chief executive Doug Duguid has described the system as a 'true game changer'. Encomara's team of six will move to Aurora House in Dyce, keeping its brand and identity while continuing to offers specialist advice on floating wind, mooring systems, and subsea field development. Mr Duguid said: 'Encomara's Squid system is a step-change in floating wind development and this acquisition aligns perfectly with our technical strategy. 'Squid allows operators to modularise and industrialise offshore construction and combined with our fabrication and engineering capability, it gives Aurora a unique position in the market. 'We are committed to providing key investment in the Squid system to develop prototypes, in extensive offshore testing and roll-out to market, as we believe this is a true game-changer and it supports our ambition to lead in the energy transition.' Each member of the innovative foursome boasts decades of energy sector experience, including in wave, tidal, fixed and floating offshore wind. Mr Semple previously led regional offshore and subsea divisions for Technip in Brazil and North America, and then global subsea businesses owned by DOF Subsea and Baker Hughes. Before joining Encomara, Mr Cobban was chief operations officer for Inverness-based Global Energy Group. Mr Bowie has been an independent consultant and advisor in design and offshore construction for more than 35 years. Meanwhile, Mr Donald – who won an outstanding achievement gong at subsea industry awards in 2017 – joined Encomara after more than 40 years in executive, technical and project management roles. Mr Donald said: 'Aurora's ambition and capability give Encomara the ideal platform to accelerate our roadmap and bring the Squid system to more markets, more quickly. 'Together, we can industrialise floating wind deployment while staying focused on innovation, safety, and engineering quality.' Mr Semple will take on the role of chief operating officer, while chief technology officer, Mr Bowie, will continue in the same role in Aurora. Current Aurora chief operating officer, Tom Smith, will take on a new role as regional director for EAME (Europe Africa and Middle East). Aurora Energy Services was set up in 2022 by Doug Duguid and Michael Buchan to help drive the energy transition and now employs more than 275 people. The firm has invested £750,000 into its new Aberdeen property, Ury House in Howe Moss Crescent. It has also renamed the building, which is home to its integrated services division, Aurora House. Aurora is part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) consortium after joining last year. It has a large training and competency academy in the capital of the Highlands and also has its own in-house design and fabrication facility at Huntly. The company's global presence includes operations in North and South America as well as Australia.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Waverley: 50 years of the paddle steamer bought for £1
Douglas McGowan thought it was a wind-up when he was offered the Waverley paddle steamer for £1. He was one of a group of young enthusiasts who enjoyed a jaunt out on a paddle steamer in the 70s. But they never thought they would actually own one. However that is exactly what happened back in 1973 and Scotland's beloved Waverley, the world's last seagoing paddle steamer, is still going strong. She is marking a special milestone of fifty years since the ship ran its first passenger sailings after being taken over as a heritage attraction. The steamer was first launched on the Clyde in 1946, intended for cruises up Loch Loch and Loch Goil - and she became a familiar sight for generations going "doon the watter" for their holidays. Now something of a national treasure, Waverley was triumphantly returned to service in 1975 by a very determined group two years after the very cheap purchase. "I thought it was a wind up at first," said Mr McGowan from the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society (PSPS) on the offer from Caledonian MacBrayne. The company had briefly operated the ship before making the £1 offer to the society. Mr McGowan had to persuade his committee in London that it was a genuine offer and then, he said, "the fun and games started". They did not have a really clear idea of what to do with the ship as the offer had been totally unexpected. But an inspection of the hull showed that it was in decent condition and a public appeal raised £100,000 - a huge sum for the time. Fifty years on, the Waverley's 2025 sailing season is now underway. This year she will visit 74 ports and piers around the UK. "Waverley has witnessed so much change in her lifetime," said Paul Semple, general manager at Waverley Excursions. "The river area and the riverside has transformed, yet Waverley has remained". Like many involved with the ship, Mr Semple sailed on her as a child. He started work with her as a student summer job in the mid 90s and has never really left. He said keeping a heritage steam ship running was not easy. And over the years there have been challenges like repairs, maintenance, new boilers, incidents where she has gone into a pier and Covid. "Money is a challenge," Mr Semple said. "But also the people to work the ship to learn the skills of a paddle steamer to ensure that she's here for many years to come". On the first public sailing of the new season, there is a real air of excitement. One young boy is celebrating his birthday, and others have childhood memories. "As a kid it was magic," said Alistair Quinlan, who was born and brought up in Helensburgh. He remembers family and Sunday school trips on the Waverley. "The fact that the engines are open," he added. "Just the sound of it - it is a living playground for young children". Another passenger, Diane MacKinnon, explains that her husband was born very nearby. "He remembers when the river was full of ships like this and everything was really busy on the Clyde," she said. The enthusiasts who took over the Waverley more than 50 years ago said they could never have imagined it would be still going strong today. "The nice thing about Waverley is that she's not stuffed or mounted in a museum somewhere," said Douglas McGowan of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society. "She's alive and well and in very good condition". The enduring allure of The Waverley paddle steamer Moment The Waverley steams under London's Tower Bridge Waverley finally sets sail after two years
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
British artist claims he has created paint in the 'new' colour announced by scientists - and he's selling 150ml bottles for £10,000
Scientists shocked the world last week when they announced they'd been able to manipulate the human eye into seeing a new colour. The experts at University of California, Berkeley managed the impressive feat by firing lasers at a specific cones inside the retina of the human eye. Now, a British artist claims he has created a paint of the new shade – described as a 'profoundly saturated peacock green'. Stuart Semple from Dorset – already known for creating paints of the blackest black and the pinkest pink – is selling 150ml bottles of 'Yolo'. Semple wants to 'bridge science with art' by making the colour available to fellow painters to create profound new artworks. However, unless you're an artist, you're going to have to pay an outrageous price for it. Semple said in an Instagram post: 'Scientists have discovered a brand new colour! I've been up all night liberating it for you. 'This is Yolo and it's strictly for artists only.' The scientists have called their new colour olo, but Semple has used the name 'yolo' with the added 'y' standing for 'you'. The 150ml bottle of Yolo is for sale on Semple's website Culture Hustle at a whopping price of £10,000 ($13,300). However, presumably as part of a publicity stunt, the cost is reduced to just £29.99 if you say you are an artist by using the checkout code 'YOLO'. It's unclear if people will need to provide any credentials to prove that they really are an artist and get the substantial discount. However, the terms and conditions state: 'By using the code YOLO in the cart, you confirm that you are an artist and that you will be using this material for artistic applications only. 'To the best of your knowledge, information and belief, this YOLO material will not make its way into the hands of a non-artist.' The high frequency acrylic paint is currently 'being created' and is due to start shipping in three weeks. The artist said people can't properly see the colour on-screen, so it has to be witnessed in person. An image of a turquoise square has been shared by the researched to provide a sense of the colour, which they named 'olo' How did scientists create the new colour? Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley found a way to manipulate the human eye into seeing a brand-new colour. Their technique uses tiny doses of laser light to individually control up to 1,000 photoreceptors in the eye at one time. The laser is just one color (the same as a green laser pointer) but by primarily activating M cone cells in the eye, it can show people the new color, 'olo'. However, Yolo is essentially a physical approximation of the colour that a select group of researchers were exposed to in their lab experiments. As Semple admits, it is 'as close to this experience that we're ever going to get in physical form'. 'Whilst Yolo isn't exactly the same as firing a laser into your eyeball, the experience of the colour is as close as you'll ever get with a paint,' the product description says. 'This mix's specific blend of high-frequency pigments and brighteners is designed to stimulate specific wavelengths of visual experience. 'It's impossible to photograph the experience or to show it on a screen, so until you have this colour in your hands, you'll need to imagine it.' In the experiments detailed in a paper last week in Science Advances, five researchers had green laser light fired into their eyes to stimulate cells in the retina, called M cones. By stimulating individual M cones, the researchers were able to perceive the light as a 'a blue-green colour of unparalleled saturation'. 'It was like a profoundly saturated teal … the most saturated natural colour was just pale by comparison,' said Austin Roorda, a professor of optometry at UC Berkeley. Austin Roorda, a professor of optometry and vision science at UC Berkeley, demonstrates what it looks like to be part of the experiments As the researchers point out, their technique means subjects 'can be made to perceive different colors of the rainbow, unprecedented colours beyond the natural human gamut'. Semple admits 'the eye-popping laser technology' might remain within the confines of the lab, but Yolo 'brings the essence of this discovery to artists everywhere'. It's been created with 'a special blend of high-frequency pigments and brighteners' in order to 'evoke specific visual wavelengths'. Painting with Yolo gives 'a near-transcendent experience that echoes the original' creation, the product description adds. ANIMALS SEE USING COMPLEX STRUCTURES IN THEIR EYES Animals, including humans, have a variety of complex structures in their eyes which allow them to see. The pupil contracts to limit how much light is allowed in, much like a camera lens. Most animals have both cones and rods in their eyes, which are called photoreceptors and are found in the retina. Cones allow people to see colour and rods are sensitive to low-light levels which allows for a grey scale between black and white. Humans, and many other animals, have three types of cones which each absorbs different wavelength of lights. With short, medium and long wavelength cones, the range of cones allows for a range of vision which incorporates the visible light spectrum. This includes colours between red and blue - wavelengths ranging between 390 an 700 nm. Other species, including many birds, have four cones instead of three in a mutation known as tertrachromacy. This allows for animals to see light of an unusually short wavelength, which is normally considered to be UV light. These photoreceptors are triggered by light and then this produces an electrical signal as they change shape. Electrical signals are then carried to the brain via the optic nerve. Signals from both optic nerves are then brought together by the brain at a point called the optic chiasm where the brain compares the two images.
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
British artist claims he has created paint in ‘new' colour announced by scientists
A British artist claims to have replicated in paint a colour that scientists say they discovered by having laser pulses fired into their eyes. Stuart Semple created his own version of the blue-green colour based on the US research published in Science Advances, which he is selling on his website for £10,000 per 150ml jar – or £29.99 if you state you are an artist. In the experiment conducted at University of California, Berkeley, a laser was used to stimulate individual cells in the retinas of five researchers, pushing their perception of colour beyond its natural limits. Semple, who has previously made what he claims to be the world's blackest and pinkest paints, synthesised his version of the colour in a more low-tech manner. The artist mixed pigments, adding fluorescent optical brighteners that absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it as visible blue light, making materials appear whiter or brighter. Using a spectrometer, which separates light into its constituent colours, he then analysed their intensity to best match his paint samples to the target hue. 'I've always thought that colour should be available to everybody,' said the artist, who also produced his own version of Yves Klein's famous ultramarine blue paint. 'I've fought for years to liberate these colours that are either corporately owned or scientists have staked a claim to, or have been licensed to an individual person.' The scientists named the colour olo. Semple, who called his version yolo, has form for irreverently reproducing colours only available to an exclusive few. When the artist Anish Kapoor bought the exclusive rights to the world's blackest paint, Semple made what he said was a blacker one and banned the Turner prizewinner from using it. Humans perceive the colours of the world when light falls on colour-sensitive cells called cones in the retina. There are three types of cones that are sensitive to long (L), medium (M) and short (S) wavelengths of light. Red light primarily stimulates L cones, while blue light chiefly activates S cones. But M cones sit in the middle and there is no natural light that excites these alone. The Berkley experiment produced a colour beyond the natural range of the naked eye because the M cones are stimulated almost exclusively. Its name olo comes from the binary 010, indicating that of the L, M and S cones, only the M cones are switched on. Semple said: 'I think they've triggered an experience in people that they're approximating to a colour. What I've done is tried to make an actual colour of that experience.' Austin Roorda, a vision scientist on the Berkley team, said he would buy a bottle of the paint, but not for £10,000. 'I might even commission my cousin who's an artist to do some work with this paint,' he said. 'It's impossible to recreate a colour that matches olo,' he added. 'Any colour that you can reproduce would just pale by comparison. It doesn't matter whether it's a paint or a swatch of colour or something or even a monochromatic laser, which generate the most saturated natural human colour experiences.' The scientist said he had also tried to recreate the colour by meticulously mixing two liqueurs: the slightly sweet melon-flavoured Midori and Blue Curacau, made from the dried peel of the bitter orange. 'It's a bit foul, Roorda said of the concoction's taste. 'But the more I drink, the more it looks like olo.'
