Long gone are the days when scientists were allowed to quietly get on with their experiments without the need to engage with the wider public. And today, when all budgets are threatened with big cuts, it is of course essential for the research community to ensure public support for science research funding.
Presumably with this in mind, the largest UK science research funding council, the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Science Research Council), has just launched a new campaign about the impact science has on our lives.
The campaign, named IMPACT, will show how UK scientists and engineers are making an impact in many areas. It will highlight over 30 science and engineering projects through a series of events, projects, activities and publications.
– This campaign shows what science is doing for us now and how it is going to result in a better future for us all with new technologies to stimulate economic growth, improve our quality of life and help us to meet the challenges of the 21st century, Chief Executive of EPSRC Dave Delpy said, at the campaign launch during the Cheltenham Science Festival.
One of the launch events also had a strong policy and economic perspective to it. In a dialogue format, the science minister Paul Drayson joined young technology entrepreneurs to discuss how science can help improve prosperity for Britain, and whether the government should be investing heavily in science, technology and engineering in these financially challenging times.
Another launch event reflected more on the public engagement aspect – an interactive science discovery zone for all ages to explore the different types of impact that science has on our everyday lives, from medicine to music and design, people and skills, and creating business and jobs.
Examples of the projects to be highlighted, all described as “transforming our experience of the world”, include:
- The £2 light bulb that lasts 60 years. Installed in every home and office, this could cut the proportion of UK electricity used for lights from 20 to 5 per cent.
- Downloadable software for your mobile phone could help doctors monitor asthma, diabetes, and other chronic conditions remotely.
- The world’s first fully sustainable racing car, which is paving the way for ‘green motorsport’ and showcasing cutting-edge materials technologies.
- Cutting edge spectroscopy technology helping conservationists preserve our heritage buildings and pinpoint many of the problems facing irreplaceable collections and artefacts.
- Sheets of carbon just a single atom thick that could herald a new generation of microelectronics.
Esther Crooks
