As some will be aware, last week was UK National Science Week (although there wasn't much evidence in the press to that effect). Anyway, I was lucky enough to take part in one of the so-called 'flagship' events. This comprised a reception in the House of Commons where 'Britain's Top Younger Scientists Engineers and Technologists' presented their work to an audience of parliamentarians. When I related to some of my friends at the uni that I was participating, they seemed to be rather surprised. The demographic nomenclature of the event was a bit misleading as neither do I consider myself to be 'top' in any real sense, nor am I 'younger', as my colleagues eruditely pointed out. However, to be honest I wasn't the oldest there (apart from the peers in attendance obviously), as there was at least one or two presenters who would have been pushing 50. A more accurate (although not very concise) title might have been 'A Selection of British Scientists etc. at Early Stages in Their Research Careers'.
One of the particularly beneficial aspects of this event was the massive diversity in subject areas addressed. I enjoyed embracing topics ranging from 'Underwater Cats' Eyes' through 'Alchemy' (the science, not the Dire Straits album), 'Assessing the Susceptibility of Aircraft and Munitions to Radio Frequencies', 'The Properties of Feathers Used in Combat' to more familiar territory in the form of 'Cows on the Move'. It was quite refreshing to speak to so many people who were resolutely passionate about their own areas of research.
I was also fortunate that some of the parliamentarians that I invited to view my presentation managed to squeeze the event into their busy schedules. First to appear was Lord Shutt of Greetland (Liberal Democrat Chief Whip in the House of Lords) who excited the official photographer by giving him the initial chance to snap a visiting politician (I'm still waiting to receive the photos). Later on, Mr Jim Murphy MP arrived and posed some very astute probing questions about the research. It was refreshing that he displayed a genuine interest and specifically commented on being able to appreciate the economic significance of the work undertaken. Mr Eric Joyce MP (a Stirling graduate) also impressed me with his intellect and candour, inquiring in depth about both the research project and the university itself while discussing the career structure in academia compared with other professions.
Over all, I found this event to be most worthwhile and it will certainly stick in the memory, not least because of the contrasts on display. While brushing shoulders with MPs such as William Hague & David Davies in the corridors of the Houses of Parliament differs somewhat from the starker passageways of the university's Pathfoot Building, the real distinction lay in the climate. Having left several inches of snow behind a couple of hours earlier in Scotland, I arrived at Westminster to find the groundsmen mowing the grass beside Big Ben. A different world!
