Did your hear that £900 million was allocated to funding groundbreaking new AI research during yesterday’s Budget announcement?
As Jeremy Hunt outlined his first Budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the first Budget of 2023, to MPs in the House of Commons yesterday, he revealed that the UK will launch a so-called “AI sandbox”, which will aim to encourage groundbreaking research into artificial intelligence as part of the early stages of the UK government‘s new Quantum Strategy.
The new £2.5 billion 10-year quantum research and innovation programme is said to show the government’s ambition for the country to become a “science and technology superpower”.
A new national #AI award called the Manchester Prize is named after our invention of the Baby – the world's first stored program computer.
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) March 15, 2023
This means that by 2033, with the help of the £900 million funding, the UK is expected to become one of only a handful of countries across the globe to he home to an exascale computer – which is significantly more powerful than a conventional computer, and allows quantum physics to store data and perform calculations that are both key to AI.
On top of this, the Chancellor also revealed in his Budget that millions of pounds in prize money will be up for grabs every year over the next decade – and that prize, just so happens, to be named after Manchester.
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The annual £1 million prize is to be named ‘The Manchester Prize’.
The original ‘Manchester Baby’ completed its first successful run on 21 June 1948 / Credit: University of Manchester
Obviously, us Mancs know that our city is a special one, and we’ve gifted the world so many important things over the years, but why exactly is a new AI research funding prize to be named in Manchester’s honour? Well, it’s all because Manchester has earned its place in computing history and continues to be a pioneer in computer science today.
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In case you didn’t know, on 21 June 1948, the world’s-first stored program computer – named the Manchester Small-Scale Experimental Machine, and later nicknamed the ‘Manchester Baby’ – completed its first successful run at the University of Manchester (UoM), taking just 52 minutes and running through 3.5 million calculations before it got to the correct answer.
And it’s safe to say, this went on the change the world.
“75 years on, the Baby has grown up, so I will call this new national AI award the Manchester Prize in its honour,” Mr Hunt announced in his Budget speech yesterday.
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The ‘Manchester Baby’ replica at the Science and Industry Museum / Credit: Science Museum Group
The original ‘Manchester Baby’ computer was built using technology developed for World War II radar and communications equipment, and sadly no longer exists – but the Science and Industry Museum in the heart of the city centre is home to a full-scale replica that was built in 1998 with the guidance of the original designers using 1940s vintage parts.
The replica was built to mark the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking invention, and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the museum to see it every year – with a talented team of volunteers regularly running programs on it live in the gallery.
It really does demonstrate just how far computing has come since 1948.
To this day, the ‘Manchester Baby’ still proves to be the basic blueprint used in billions of computers, and the scientists and engineers that call Manchester home continue put the city at the forefront of a global technological revolution.
A new national prize for AI has been named in the University's honour after the invention of the Baby – the world’s first stored program computer. #Budget2023pic.twitter.com/71OBglCqHE
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) March 15, 2023
Artificial intelligence research has also gone from strength to strength at UoM since then, and today, teams of scientists, professors, and experts at the University working work on fundamental AI, robotics and autonomous systems, advanced manufacturing systems, and neuroscience daily.
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So, is it really any wonder why the new £1 million annual AI funding prize has been named after Manchester? We certainly can’t think of a better city for its namesake.
You can find out more about visiting the ‘Manchester Baby’ replica on the Science and Industry Museum website here.
The museum also has a packed programme of events happening this Spring to occupy the kids during the school holidays, including a massive “gaming extravaganza” and the chance to check out the popular immersive Power UP exhibition, and you can find out more and grab tickets here.
Oasis finally confirm ‘private ballot’ ticket information for reunion tour
Daisy Jackson
Oasis have just announced more information about how tickets will be sold through a ‘private ballot’ for their extra reunion tour dates.
The group added two additional shows at Wembley Stadium after their initial 17 gigs across London, Manchester, Dublin, Edinburgh and Cardiff generated huge demand and sold out in a day.
Oasis and Ticketmaster came under fire though for the use of dynamic pricing, which saw ticket prices shoot up by hundreds of pounds by the time people made it through the online queues.
For these additional reunion tour dates at Wembley, ticket sales will look a little different.
They’ll be using a ‘private ballot’, which will give first dibs to those who missed out on the first ticket sale.
You’ll only be invited to register for the sale if you signed into your Ticketmaster account on Saturday 31 August, and joined a queue for a specific show.
And you’ll only receive an invitation if you DIDN’T manage to bag tickets the first time round.
THEN you’ll be able to register for the actual ballot, which still doesn’t guarantee you a ticket but does at least get you into a (hopefully less lengthy) queue.
“Invitations to enter the private ballot will be sent overnight tonight (Saturday) to eligible fans we have been able to identify.
“If you signed into your Ticketmaster UK account on Saturday, 31st August, and were able to join a queue for a specific show, but didn’t get a ticket-then you may be eligible to take part and will receive an email on how to register for the ballot.
“Keep an eye on the inbox associated with your Ticketmaster account, and don’t forget to check your junkmail.
“Once successfully registered, you will be entered into the ballot for a code for access to the final Wembley on sale.
“Due to the demand for the shows and to avoid last week’s long queues, codes will be strictly limited. Entry to the ballot does not guarantee you will receive a code.
“The ballot is only open to invited fans. You must register with the email to which your invitation was sent and which is registered with your Ticketmaster account.
“All other entries will be discounted. If you do not receive an email then unfortunately you will not be eligible for the ballot.
“You will be automatically discounted from the ballot, even if you go through the registration process.”
Featured image: Simon Emmett
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Manchester Airport named UK’s worst in annual Which? survey for third year running
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has officially been declared the worst airport in the UK, according to a new survey by Which?… yet again.
The summer travel season may be drawing to a close now, with hundreds of flights having taken off and landed in our region over the last couple of months, but for any Greater Manchester holidaymakers who are still yet to jet off, an annual ranking by consumer choice group Which? has proved to be pretty grim reading.
That’s because several terminals at the UK’s third largest airport have found themselves at the bottom of the list in Which? latest findings.
Manchester Airport has hit back at the survey and defended itself, saying its own passenger surveys suggest people are “much more positive” about the airport, adding that it was “proud to give people in all parts of the North easy and affordable access to nearly 200 different destinations across the world”.
For its annual survey, Which? spoke to nearly 7,000 passengers to gather feedback about their experiences of flying from UK airports over the last 12 months, and asked them to score the airports across 11 categories.
Manchester Airport has been named the worst in the UK for the third year running / Credit: The Manc Group
Some of these categories including seating, staff, toilets, and of course, the queues we all dread at check in, bag drop, passport control, and security.
And just like in both 2022 and again in 2023, it was Manchester Airport Terminal 3 that ranked right at the bottom, receiving the lowest customer satisfaction score of 37%.
Manchester Terminal 1 ranked one place above that with a score of 40%, while Manchester Terminal 2 was a little further up the the list with a score of 51%, and just saw Luton Airport, London Stansted, and Belfast International Airport sandwiched in between it.
According to Which?, some of the complaints it received about Manchester Airport from passengers who responded to the survey this year was that older people struggled with long walks due to travelators being broken since 2021, difficulties with finding a seat, and “horrendous” queues with people apparently being “corralled like cattle”.
As mentioned though, Manchester Airport has slammed Which?’s findings in a formal statement.
The UK’s third largest airport has hit back at the survey results and defended itself / Credit:
Describing the survey as “disappointing to see”, Manchester Airport’s statement reads: “We understand not every experience is perfect and want all passengers to feel able to raise their concerns directly with us. That is why we speak to them on a daily basis, surveying hundreds of people a month to get in-the-moment feedback from a full range of perspectives.
“That is in stark contrast to Which?, which conducted a tiny and unrepresentative survey of its members six months ago, asking them to recollect airport experiences that could have been as far back in time as April 2023.
“Which? fully understands that its readers form a narrow group of passengers whose views cannot in any way be taken to represent those of the travelling public at large, but chooses to promote its survey findings as if they do.”
Manchester Airport says it’s disappointing see Which? “chase cheap headlines” with its “sensational and over-simplified characterisation of airports” and the different roles they play, adding: “To make matters worse, it has printed inaccurate statements about our facilities and security waiting times that paint a more negative picture than reality.