Made by coiling a wire several times around an iron core, magnetic amplifiers worked using saturation. By passing a small direct current through it, the iron core could be forced in and out of saturation. In a saturated state, it would allow AC current to pass through, otherwise, it blocked it. Although central to Germany’s WW2 military hardware, like the V-2 rocket, magnetic amplifiers were largely too inefficient to use until the 1950s, when the Germans created a pure fifty/fifty nickel-iron alloy that made them more compact, efficient, and reliable. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here