UK Science in the Balance? Slide 2 Slide 3 UK Science is in the
Balance Slide 4 Slide 5 The 3 Main Facets of Science Slide 6 J x J
y J y J x = iJ z Slide 7 Chemistry all of it - in 30 seconds as
easy as 0, 1, 2, 3 Slide 8 Research Strategy Slide 9 Slide 10 We
have had the three Es Slide 11 Now we have the three Cs Slide 12 3
Crises Slide 13 Crisis 1 The desperate need to help the public, who
do appreciate what science has done for them in the past, Slide 14
Crisis 1 The desperate need to help the public, who do appreciate
what science has done for them in the past, to appreciate what it
can do in the future Slide 15 Crisis 1 They must feel that wise
decisions are being made at the SET/society interface Slide 16
Artists and Science Urania William Blake Slide 17 Science and the
Media Slide 18 NN & Nanoscience Nanotechnology Slide 19
Nitrosethane Microwave Spectrum Slide 20 Nitrosoethane Me and my
molecules Slide 21 My Dog II Slide 22 Molecular Machines Slide 23
1.00nm What is a nanometer? Hares Ratio Slide 24 Ray Whitby and
Kuang Wen Hsu Sussex NNC Insulated conducting wire Slide 25
Molecular Shock Absorbers Slide 26 The Carbon Construction Kit
Slide 27 21 st Century Perspective of Chemistry Slide 28 vega
presentation.ppt Slide 29 Monsieur Jourdain Slide 30 Crisis,
Crisis, Crisis Crisis 2 Are we on the verge of losing 50%(?) of our
university science departments Slide 31 The NSF report that
highlighted the relatively good level of well qualified 26-30 year
old scientists must not be taken as an argument for complacency
because A-level Chem UG Chem In 1994 40,000 4000 In 200240,000 3000
Slide 32 Lott Slide 33 The combination of the Research Assessment
Exercise and the inadequate unit of resource allocation for science
undergraduate teaching means that numerous science departments face
closure The consequences for the Nation need to be considered Slide
34 The cost of educating a scientist is much higher than twice that
of an arts student The unit of resource factor of 2x is much too
low Some of the factors that contribute are: much greater teaching
time ( (ca 5x), the need for well equipped labs, major direct and
indirect costs eg space charges, greater need for heating, power
utilities etc Slide 35 1.Science education needs experiment Slide
36 2.Scientific method is not taught Slide 37 1.Science education
needs experiment 2.Scientific method is not taught 3.It is absorbed
osmotically from the atmosphere of a research environment Slide 38
1.Science education needs experiment 2.Scientific method is not
taught 3.It is absorbed osmotically from the atmosphere of a
research environment 4.Teaching only institutions cannot provide
this and will not be accredited Slide 39 1.Science education needs
experiment 2.Scientific method is not taught 3.It is absorbed
osmotically from the atmosphere of a research environment
4.Teaching only institutions cannot provide this and will not be
accredited 5.This is related to the notion of what a University is
Slide 40 1.The focusing of research into a few top heavy
battleships will damage the science base Slide 41 2.Varied research
environments are vital for science teaching Slide 42 1.The focusing
of research into a few top heavy battleships will damage the
science base 2.Varied research environments are vital for science
teaching 3.Smaller universities are needed to provide the fluidity,
range of environment and nurture young scientists who may in time
gravitate to the larger institutions Slide 43 1.The focusing of
research into a few top heavy battleships will damage the science
base 2.Varied research environments are vital for science teaching
3.Smaller universities are needed to provide the fluidity, range of
environment and nurture young scientists who may in time gravitate
to the larger institutions 4.Outstanding research groups have
historically flourished in the smaller institutions Slide 44
EXAMPLES HULL First Liquid Crystal Displays LEICESTER Genetic
Fingerprinting NOTTINGHAMNMR whole body imaging* KINGSDNA
structure* SUSSEXBuckminsterfullerene* *Nobel Prizewinning
Discoveries Slide 45 Two more worrying factors The increase in
National Insurance contribution University salary inflation rate
has for some time been running at about 3% whereas allowance for
only 2 has been made Slide 46 Crisis 3 The crisis in science
education in particular of the 11-15 age group Slide 47 Teachers
teaching Science to pre 16s Slide 48 In a particular LEA, the ratio
of teachers with a degree in the subject was
Physics/Chemistry/Biology is 1/2/4 In one study sample of 30 PGCE
science graduates in 1992 only 2 are still in teaching Slide 49
Language Slide 50 The Vega Science Trust To insert your company
logo on this slide From the Insert Menu Select Picture Locate your
logo file Click OK To resize the logo Click anywhere inside the
logo. The boxes that appear outside the logo are known as resize
handles. Use these to resize the object. If you hold down the shift
key before using the resize handles, you will maintain the
proportions of the object you wish to resize. www.vega.org.uk Slide
51 TV (or www) Dinner Approach to the Provision of Teaching
Material Slide 52 1.Vega working to create an Internet teachers
resource Slide 53 TV (or www) Dinner Approach to the Provision of
Teaching Material 1.Vega working to create an Internet teachers
resource 2.Accessible free worldwide Slide 54 TV (or www) Dinner
Approach to the Provision of Teaching Material 1.Vega working to
create an Internet teachers resource 2.Accessible free worldwide
3.Providing the best possible audio-visual teaching material Slide
55 TV (or www) Dinner Approach to the Provision of Teaching
Material 1.Vega working to create an Internet teachers resource
2.Accessible free worldwide 3.Providing the best possible
audio-visual teaching material 4. Especially helpful for new
teachers with limited specific experience Slide 56 Where do you
come from? Slide 57 Slide 58 Algebra Its as easy as a, b, c Slide
59 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Slide 60 Slide 61 Buckyball Workshop for
Young Children with Manchester United Slide 62 Sustainability Slide
63 dx dy = a Slide 64 Medical Notes Senior Nurses discussed
problems stemming from nurses inability to do simple maths Slide 65
Medical Notes Senior Nurses discussed problems stemming from nurses
inability to do simple maths they put decimal points in the wrong
place so patients might receive 10 times more or times less
medication than intended Slide 66 If theyre lucky! Slide 67 Medical
Notes Senior Nurses discussed problems stemming from nurses
inability to do simple maths they put decimal points in the wrong
place so patients might receive 10 times more or times less
medication than intended they could not work out dose-to-bodyweight
ratios which were particularly important for giving drugs to
children Slide 68 No kid should leave school without being able to
expand or reduce an image in one go using a photocopier Slide 69 3
4 By measuring and determining the ratio 4/3 = 1.33 = 133% 3/4 =
0.75 = 75% Slide 70 School Arts/Science project Slide 71 Slide 72
Slide 73 Slide 74 MU RS.CMMU The Dalton Buckyball Workshop Slide 75
Slide 76 Slide 77 Senior Nurses discussed problems stemming from
nurses inability to do simple maths they put decimal points in the
wrong place so patients might receive 10 times more or times less
medication than intended they could not work out dose-to-bodyweight
ratios which were particularly important for giving drugs to
children Slide 78 Medical Notes Senior Nurses discussed problems
stemming from nurses inability to do simple maths they put decimal
points in the wrong place so patients might receive 10 times more
or times less medication than intended Slide 79 EXAMPLES 35% of the
GDP tied to Catalysis in some way or other Slide 80 TV (or www)
Dinner Approach to the Provision of Teaching Material Slide 81 E
=mc 2 Slide 82 TV (or www) Dinner Approach to the Provision of
Teaching Material E =mc 2 DNA Slide 83 TV (or www) Dinner Approach
to the Provision of Teaching Material E =mc 2 H2OH2O DNA Slide 84
Slide 85 Language At a Faraday discussion meeting in Birmingham in
1954 on The study of fast reactions, the German scientist Manfred
Eigen asked the Oxford don Ronnie Bell how the English language
would describe reactions which were faster than fast. Ronnie Bell
replied Damn fast reactions Manfred and if they get faster than
that, the English language will not fail you, you can call them
damn fast reactions indeed!. Slide 86 Final proficiency in English
non-English speaking immigrants to USA 280 240 5 10 20 30 Age of
arrival 200 Slide 87 According to the Economist 80% of teaching A
leveldo Physics do ot The crisis in science education The crisis in
the decimation of science at UK Universities The crisis in the
level of ignorance of the public over science Engineering and
Technolgy Slide 88 C3C3 Slide 89 Molires Bourgeois Gentilhomme MJ
Monsieur Jourdain PM - Philosophy Master MJI wish to write
something to my lady PMThen without doubt, it is verse you will
need MJNo - not verse PM Do you want only prose then? MJ No neither
PMIt must be one or the other MJWhy? Slide 90 PMThere is no other
way to express oneself other than in prose or verse MJ There is
nothing but prose and verse? PMNo sir - everything that is not
prose is verse and everything that is not verse is prose JMAnd when
one speaks - what is that then? PMProse JM Well by my faith! For
more than forty years I have been speaking prose without knowing
anything about it. I am much obliged to you for having taught me
that Slide 91 Monsieur Jourdain Philosophy Master MJ - I agree we
have to have SET for the good of society PM - Then it is
nanotechnology we need MJ - Non not N&N aaghhhh PM Do you want
only High Energy Physics then? MJ No neither PM - It must be one or
the other high energy particle physics or low energy which is
(atons stuck together in molecule) schemistry molecule biology and
moleculr physics moleules which are Why? Slide 92 Because that is
all there is There is nothing but High and low energy No sir -
everything that is not High Energy Physics involves low energy and
thus molecule which are nanometer in size and everythinh that is
not |N&N is high energy science And when we do Well by my faith
for more than forty years I have been using th fruits of N&N
withiout knowing anything about it I am much obliged sir Slide 93
Science deals with matter either at HIGH (nuclear) energies eg
particle physics and cosmological events such as the Big Bang etc
or our understanding of how atoms stick together in chemical bonds
at LOW energies around room temperature - what happens when ice
freezes we boil water or an egg, take an aspirin etc Indeed
anything that happens at nanoscale dimensions is nanoscience and
nanotechnolgy (N&N) - so it encompasses all of chemistry - all
of molecular physics and all of - molecular biology Is there
anything left? Not much Slide 94 Molires Bourgeois Gentilhomme MJ
Monsieur Jourdain PM - Philosophy Master MJI wish to write
something to my lady PMThen without doubt, it is verse you will
need MJNo - not verse PM Do you want only prose then? MJ No neither
PMIt must be one or the other MJWhy? Slide 95 PMEverything that is
not prose is verse and everything that is not verse is prose JMAnd
when one speaks - what is that then? PMProse JM Well by my faith!
For more than forty years I have been speaking prose without
knowing anything about it. Slide 96 HIGH ENERGY MATTER particle
physics and cosmological events such as the Big Bang etc LOW ENERGY
MATTER Matter at low energies implicitly depends on chemical bonds
nanoscale science Today N&N is arguable all of chemistry
together with molecular biology and molecular physics Is there
anything left? Not much Slide 97 I have woken up in the 21 st
Century to discover that I have been doing nanotechnology all my
life
