A British university has developed the world's first gravity sensor that can detect terrorist tunnels, bombs and archaeological treasures hidden beneath the ground.
The sensor, which was commissioned for the Ministry of Defence, works by dropping a cloud of cooled atoms over an area and measuring the tiny changes in gravity that occur as the particles are pulled by their surroundings.
Objects hidden below ground, such as a weapon or an ancient Roman vase, can be identified.
Gareth Brown, joint project technical authority for quantum sensing and senior principal scientist at the ministry's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, says the sensor will open up new opportunities.
“For national defence and security, accurate and rapid measurements of variations in microgravity open up new opportunities to detect the otherwise undetectable and navigate more safely in challenging environments,” he said.
“As gravity-sensing technology matures, applications for underwater navigation and revealing the subterranean will become possible.”
Researchers from the University of Birmingham working at the UK National Quantum Technology Hub in Sensors and Timing have published their research in Nature.
The sensor has already discovered a tunnel in real-world conditions one metre below the surface of the ground.
Kai Bongs, head of cold atom physics at the University of Birmingham and principal investigator for the UK Quantum Technology Hub Sensors and Timing, described the technology as a major breakthrough.
“This is an ‘Edison moment’ in sensing that will transform society, human understanding and economies,” he said.
“With this breakthrough, we have the potential to end reliance on poor records and luck as we explore, build and repair.
“In addition, an underground map of what is currently invisible is now a significant step closer, ending a situation where we know more about Antarctica than what lies a few feet below our streets.”
The development will help reduce costs and delays for construction, rail and road projects, improve the predictions of natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, aid in the discovery of natural resources and unseen structures, and solve archaeological mysteries without damaging sites.
Current gravity sensors have been limited by a range of environmental factors, with a particular challenge being vibration.
Vibration had previously limited the measurement time of gravity sensors for survey applications.
With the new technology, surveys will be faster, more comprehensive and less expensive.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
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Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez(subject to fitness), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Junaid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain
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Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
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- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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65
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SPECS
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2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
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Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
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Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)