The current Governor, Sir Mervyn King, fell out with the previous government over his refusal to supply liquidity to the banking system at the height of the 2008 crisis until cornered by a coalition of BOE and Treasury officials.

WSJ: Some of the Carney Gloss Is Coming Off

But the efficiency of such a system is proportional to the height of the chimney, notes Mr Michaud, which is limited by practical considerations.

ECONOMIST: Harnessing artificial tornadoes as an energy source

With device volumetric efficiency a key concern for system makers, WD began shipping 7 mm height hard drives for thin-profile notebooks earlier this year (historically, standard notebook hard drives have been 9.5 mm).

ENGADGET: Western Digital builds 5mm-thick hybrid hard drive, Ultrabook makers sign on early