Deep-sea diving could soon become a lot safer thanks to a new valve being
developed in Britain. The valve in divers’ mouthpieces often freezes open. This
can happen when a change in the airflow through the piping leads to a sudden
drop in pressure and temperature. Moisture freezes in the valve, jamming it open
and wasting air, leaving the diver little time to surface before running out of
air. British engineer Francis Kay is about to test a new valve, developed with a
grant from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, that
should solve the problem. The…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
4
The best new science-fiction novels published in July 2026
5
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
6
A type of fibre that stimulates GLP-1 release approved for use in food
7
The weirdness of neutrinos could completely rewrite particle physics
8
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
9
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
10
Slowdown of AMOC ocean current may be gradual and reversible



