SEX, cannabis, food, sewage, disease corpses and gravestones are all
ingredients in the great pageant of life and death. And all are set to spice
up the vast menu of this year鈥檚 annual 鈥渟ciencefest鈥� 鈥� a long 鈥渨eek鈥� of wacky
science events, beginning 15 March and finishing on 25 March. How could such
tasty topics fail to intrigue you as science, engineering and technology are
catapulted out of the labs and onto the high streets, from the Orkneys to the
Scillies?
This year鈥檚 National Week of Science Engineering and Technology, or set96
for short, is the third such national event since former science minister
William Waldegrave conceived the idea in 1993. It was he who ordered
scientists to 鈥済et out of the ghetto鈥� and show the public what they do.
Three years on, the event powers from strength to strength, with 5000
events across the length and breadth of the land 鈥� five times as many as in
the first science week. One hundred companies have pledged their support,
compared with only a dozen for the first one. This year鈥檚 event will cost a
projected 拢3 million, seeded by just 拢150 000 of government
money.
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But is it all worth it? Are the evangelists of science, engineering and
technology winning new converts where it matters 鈥� in the inner cities of
Liverpool, in decaying housing estates on the fringes of Glasgow, in the
shopping malls of Milton Keynes in the rich stockbroker belts of the home
counties, in humdrum suburban semis, and in the London-based fortresses of the
British Establishment?
To be effective, the tendrils of set96 must infiltrate all pockets of
indifference to science, and communicate the huge impact it has on everyone鈥檚
way of birth, life and death, not to mention the prosperity of the nation. How
successful have the first two campaigns been, what lessons have we learnt, and
where are the organisers taking the battle this time?
While heartened by the explosive growth of the event and the increasing
participation of industry and the media, the programme coordinators at the
British Association for the Advancement of Science remain alarmed by the
apathy in Westminster and the City, the country鈥檚 most notorious blackspots of
scientific ignorance. Brian Gamble, the BA鈥檚 national coordinator of set96,
hopes to capture the enthusiasm of more MPs this year, persuading them to
visit a grand conference and exhibition not far from Parliament Square at the
Department of Trade and Industry.
鈥淭he idea is that MPs will wander over and have a look,鈥� says Gamble, who
regards the event as an important 鈥渂ridgehead鈥� into the consciousness of
parliamentarians. If you convince the opinion formers that science is
important, he says, the public will begin to accept the message too.
But the City remains obstinately aloof from set96. A quick scan through the
programme reveals not a single event in London鈥檚 Square Mile. At least the DTI
has weighed in, holding a seminar on the 鈥淐ity/science dialogue鈥� next Monday
evening at its headquarters. The City institutions鈥� general lack of interest
in set96 is scandalous, given the critical importance of science, engineering
and technology to industry, commerce and competitiveness.
As usual, only one bank 鈥� the National Westminster 鈥� is showing its face.
And there is no evidence of any participation from any of the pension houses
that hold the purse strings of so many of Britain鈥檚 industries and which
continue to exact unrealistically large dividends for shareholders from
companies that would prefer to reinvest their hard-earned profits in research
or training. Though disenchanted by the apathy of the fat cats and yuppies on
London鈥檚 Cheapside, Gamble and his colleagues at the BA are delighted at the
way that universities, museums, schools, and companies continue to make events
interesting to 鈥渢he great scientifically unwashed鈥�, as Gamble calls them.
More generally, organisers are learning fast from the failures of previous
years. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e realising the word `science鈥� is a turn-off, and that they
should avoid using it where possible when promoting events,鈥� says Gamble.
鈥淭hey are realising that instead, they must say `come and look at this, this
is interesting鈥�. Also, the more academic institutions, especially
universities, are realising that `the mountain will not come to them鈥�, and
that punters ignore prim-sounding invitations to `discourses鈥� on campus.鈥�
Last year, the University of Bristol sent 75 of its scientists into one of
the city鈥檚 busy shopping malls, ordering them to explain to passers-by what
they do. 鈥淭he scientists were surprised at just how interested the public were
in what they do, and how much they enjoyed communicating their work to a
different audience,鈥� says Sarah Goodall, publicity officer at the BA. 鈥淚t gave
them pride in what they do, raised morale and made them proud of their
耻苍颈惫别谤蝉颈迟测.鈥�
Goodall says that far from becoming bored and cynical with science week,
organisers are becoming more enthusiastic each time. 鈥淭hey are becoming more
and more ambitious, and more and more skilful at advertising their events and
capturing the public鈥檚 interest,鈥� she says.
The organisers are now preparing for next year鈥檚 event, which is already
guaranteed funding. And the Labour Party has promised to continue the
tradition should it become the next government. To make publicity and
administration easier, the BA divided the country into four regions this time
鈥� England-South, England-Central, Wales & West of England, and Scotland,
Northern Ireland and the North of England. Programmes for set96 are available
from major public libraries and museums, and events publicised in local media.
For more information, ring the BA鈥檚 Science Line on 0345 600444, or consult
the Internet on http://www.psyc.abdn.ac.uk/ba/.