Mercury #8

Communicating science How the BBC approaches science in Scotland

WOMEN IN SCIENCE

Challenging sterotypes and releasing potential

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ISSUE 8

Science education

We must rise to the science education challenge

VISION OF THE FUTURE

1 ISSUE 8 : SCIENCE & COMMUNICATION

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Welcome to the new-look Mercury These are exciting times for Glasgow, Scotland and for us here at Glasgow Science Centre.

Science and innovation are at the heart of what we do, and they are increasingly at the forefront of education policy and of everyday business in Scotland.

We are best known perhaps as a popular visitor attraction for all ages, and one which translates the meaning of science for young and old.

But we also have a broader mission, and that is to help people to discover the wonders and joys of science, and to understand its relevance to our everyday lives.

The theme of this Mercury is Science and Communication. It includes articles and interviews featuring: •

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, our chairman, on the challenges and opportunities Scotland faces in the science and education fields

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Ken MacDonald, BBC Scotland’s Science Correspondent, on the job of communicating complex issues via the media

We hope that through Mercury we can bring you up to date with news and events at Glasgow Science Centre, as well as talking about some of the science – and the people – that we get excited about.

Scotland’s future prosperity depends on our ability to innovate and to successfully exploit science and technology, not only as a driver of economic growth but in order to deal with some of the major challenges of our time.

These include climate change, global security and rising populations. We need a scientifically literate society that can engage with and contribute to the policy making debate, so that we can all make more informed choices.

Scotland also depends on a steady flow of talented scientists and engineers, at all levels. A key focus for us is to encourage young people to think about careers in science and engineering.

• Dr Susie Mitchell, the newly-appointed Project Director of Glasgow City of Science

At Glasgow Science Centre, the most effective way to do this is through our ‘Meet the Expert’ programme, where we invite young people to meet scientists and engineers from a variety of backgrounds and industries. Over the next few months we will be running intensive sessions covering the energy and life sciences industries and we will be featuring interviews with many of our industry experts in future editions.

• Angela Mathis, on her campaign to promote the importance of mathematics across schools and Scottish society

We hope you enjoy the new format and look forward to bringing you some exciting science in the coming editions!

• Heather Reid, physics graduate, weather forecaster and champion of girls and women in science

Dr Stephen Breslin Chief Executive Glasgow Science Centre

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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Ken MacDonald bubbles with enthusiasm when he talks about science.

Whether it’s the discovery of the Higgs Boson particle at CERN, or the development of a miniature satellite in Glasgow’s Maryhill, MacDonald approaches the subject with all of the excitement of a schoolboy on his first visit to the science lab.

BRINGING SCIENCE

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That is perhaps as it should be. For his job at the BBC is to explain sometimes quite complex scientific research and ideas to a general audience of all ages, backgrounds and levels of knowledge.

“And of course, the Higgs boson is not the final piece of a jigsaw. In fact it is more likely to be the start of new research into the concepts of dark matter, dark energy.

The universe isn’t slowing down, something is pushing it.”

Ken MacDonald is the layman’s guide to Scottish science, and it is a job he takes very seriously.

The broadcast medium lends itself well to the explanation of science. And as the BBC’s task here is generally to educate, inform and entertain, the journalist has the opportunity to take on a range of subjects.

His career at the BBC, where he has been long a respected senior journalist, was boosted further on his appointment as BBC Scotland Science Correspondent.

These days he is the only full-time science specialist in the Scottish media, and remarks: “I’m in a privileged position.”

The appointment came in the wake of an independent report to the BBC Trust about science coverage, compiled by the biologist Professor Steve Jones.

The BBC decided to improve and increase its range of coverage, and in Scotland that was represented in part by Ken MacDonald’s appointment.

Scotland has less than nine per cent of the UK population, yet it attracts 13 per cent of science research funding. “That’s because we are good at it here. There is a lot of great science going on, and it’s really a great time to be reporting stories,” believes MacDonald.

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“Coffee is all around us. It is a £1 billion industry.

But it is less well-known that in its purest form caffeine is a poison. So we set off to determine how dependent we can become on it, its good and bad points.

“I went without coffee for 24 hours, which is no mean feat, then had my brain scanned before having a delicious latte with a triple shot before a second scan.

It showed a 25 per cent difference in the blood flow to my brain, absolutely remarkable!”

25 per cent difference to the blood flow to my brain

His job is to tap into scientific developments and report them on radio, TV and online. This year his work has included a stand-alone programme featuring an interview with the celebrated Professor Peter Higgs, the man whose long-standing theory about the Boson particle was verified during experiments at the famous CERN particle accelerator near Lake Geneva last year.

Higgs, a theoretical physicist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in October this year. He said that this justified significant investment in 'blue sky' research, as his work dates back as far as the 1960s.

“Something of a mystique had built around Professor Higgs, even before the discoveries at the Large Hadron Collider development at CERN,” relates MacDonald.

“In truth, he is not a recluse. His name is on his front door. But he is more or less retired, and he just hasn’t been in the habit of being sought-after for interviews.

We were delighted when he agreed to talk to us.

“The whole question of particle physics and the work going on in Switzerland is absolutely fascinating.

Text books are being re-written, new theories will develop as a result of all this.

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The move was intended partly to balance the fact that much of the BBC’s UK coverage of science matters circulates within the 'golden triangle' of Oxford, Cambridge and London.

Recently MacDonald featured as his own guinea pig in an experiment for a documentary which set out to demonstrate the powerful effects of caffeine within the human body.

Law graduate MacDonald works hard to keep abreast of what’s going on within his science beat. He’s in constant touch with research teams and particularly at several Scottish universities who are attracting so much investment.

His conversation about Higgs Boson, caffeine addiction and Scottish science is interspersed with “did you know?” asides about this piece of space research or that interesting tale he is tracking about stem cells and bone repair. He is a naturally enthusiastic individual who has taken to the science beat with typical exuberance.

“I want to inspire people, and particularly young people, to think that they can do this. There is creativity in science. It is about the creative process.

“I grew up during the Gemini and Apollo space missions which happened while I was at primary school. It was absolutely enthralling. And today science is popular again. It’s almost fashionable to be a nerd.

“There are a lot of things going on, collaborations between research teams across Scotland, all sorts of things. We are terribly good at it in Scotland, and there are great alliances involving our universities and the private sector. There are a lot of Scottish scientists working at CERN too, and they will gain valuable knowledge that many will bring back home.

“Society tends to look at scientists as people in white coats off in a corner but not the same as other people.

It’s good that here at the BBC, we have a commitment to winkle out some of these stories and present them to a wider audience.”

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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I think today’s girls, and certainly women in scientific working environments, are hugely encouraged by the rising profile of women in science

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Heather Reid is a woman with a mission.

Twenty years after breaking through to become the country’s most celebrated TV “weather girl”, the physics graduate remains a leading campaigner to encourage the engagement of more young women in the sciences.

Reid, a trustee of Glasgow Science Centre who turned away from broadcasting to concentrate on her work in education, believes that we are still not doing enough to encourage more female participation in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics ('STEM') disciplines.

“There were only three girls out of 20 pupils in my Higher Physics class, and when I began studying physics at Edinburgh University I was one of four girls in a class of 25,” she recalls. “As girls, we had our circuits wired up for us in the lab, something that has mercifully changed these days!”

Educationists have long grappled with the conundrum that schoolgirls’ interest in these traditionally “male” subjects often fades as they travel through high school, or even after they have begun university studies.

Reid believes these represent steps in the right direction, of course. But she is determined to continue to campaign for heightened awareness of the issue and greater encouragement for female students.

“At primary school girls are just as enthused about science as boys. Something changes in secondary school, and we need to challenge that. We need to support teachers and schools, and do everything to make sure the opportunities are there.

There is no doubt that the situation has improved over the last two generations, but it remains the case that there are too few women in areas such as computer science and mathematics.

“Science and technology are going to underpin the economy and society. There are jobs there, and well paid jobs. For this country to maximise that we have to reach all of our talent. That is exactly what the emerging economies, such as India and China, are doing.

“There are promising signs in areas such as biology, which is much more prominent these days and more popular among young women,” notes Reid.

It is estimated that women account for just 12 per cent of all 'STEM' jobs – “and that includes nursing, where there are proportionally more women,” notes Reid.

“I think today’s girls, and certainly women in scientific working environments, are hugely encouraged by the rising profile of women in science. Notable people such as Professor Heather Couper (the astronomer) and Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (the astrophysicist) are joined by many more these days. And of course we have Muffy Calder as Chief Scientific Adviser to the Scottish Government.”

In her own case, having achieved an MSc in Satellite Image Processing after her physics degree, Heather moved into forecasting with the Met Office.

Her transition into broadcasting, taking over as BBC Scotland’s forecaster in 1994, came about almost by accident. It made her famous as the affectionately known “Heather the Weather”, and she spent 15 years in and around the TV studio.

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Latest forecast:

MORE WOMEN IN SCIENCE

The resulting personal profile has helped her to access opinion-formers and decision-makers, and that in turn means she has been able to influence thinking at a high level in Scotland.

Reid is a past President of the Association for Science Education (ASE) in Scotland, and Scottish Chair of the Institute of Physics, from whom she received the prestigious Kelvin Medal. She was awarded an OBE in 2006.

All in all, this makes her a strong role model for girls in science. Reid believes the world can be their oyster.

“A good degree in a ‘STEM’ subject can bring all sorts of opportunities to travel, whether in research or in science-based jobs. The girls who do these subjects tend to do them really well, and find themselves in really good jobs.

“People think of science being about heavy industry, or defence. But that is really outdated these days.

At Glasgow Science Centre it is most definitely not “science for boys”, but for everyone. We have a huge number of female scientists in the expert group that advises on our exhibitions, for example,” points out Reid.

“A lot of teachers are out there with the confidence to enthuse kids about science. And that has to be a step in the right direction.”

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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We have to think of mathematics more as a language, rather than a set of established techniques to be learned. Once we see it as a language, we may better understand how it can be effectively applied to every major problem that exists and needs to be solved today

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Angela Mathis heads the ground-breaking Scottishbased firm ThinkTank Maths, a highly-skilled group of mathematicians who are applying exceptional know-how to some of the most complex issues facing industry and society today.

ThinkTank Maths’ energetic pursuit of higher standards of education in mathematics and science is making waves and starting to win support amongst those it encounters at industrial and policy-making level.

Mrs Mathis describes a new approach that is rooted in the search for fluency in mathematics. “When we recruit people to our company, we want to determine their approach to problem solving, how they think. It is not their knowledge of mathematical (established) techniques, it’s about their mathematical fluency and their ability to combine it with other skills.”

ThinkTank Maths finds each new recruit only after an exhaustive process involving on average 400 candidates. “If we are only finding one in 400 there is clearly a problem. In this country we have to address that problem and find better ways of teaching people to tackle technological challenges using mathematics,” she adds.

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“New innovative mathematical modelling is fundamental as we go into the complexity of our environment.

Whatever Scotland’s modern portfolio of assets – bio-technology, genetics, ‘big data’ – they will depend on cutting-edge mathematics if we are to exploit them effectively and competitively.”

She cites the Russian School of Mathematics in the US, as an interesting direction, where young minds can be trained to use maths to think creatively and effectively.

ThinkTank Maths is working with a range of companies, notably the oil and gas sector which faces significant challenges and risks – as it attempts to extend the exploitation of reserves in the North Sea and does its best to improve the exploitation of fields elsewhere in the world in a highly competitive context.

ThinkTank Maths is also backing the case for a Peter Higgs Institute for Advanced Study to be created in Scotland. The institute – to be named after the celebrated Edinburgh University academic and recent Nobel Laureate who proposed the hypothesis of the existence of a particle today called the Higgs Boson – would provide Scotland with a physics and innovation centre to compete with those of Cambridge, Stanford and the Perimeter Institute in Canada.

Angela Mathis, a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, makes the point that they will not achieve this without a radically different mathematical approach.

The primary focus of the planned institute would be excellence in teaching mathematical theories, greater supportive training for the students and strong linkswith industry.

Similarly, some of the ground breaking research in areas such as life sciences, medicine, computer science, aerodynamics and space exploration rely greatly on the underlying mathematics and its appropriateness.

Angela Mathis is a former industry high-achiever who worked in the UK and European technology sector, before returning to Scotland. ThinkTank Maths’ client list – including the European Space Agency, ConocoPhillips, BAE Systems, RBS, Tesco Bank, Maersk Oil, Fairfield Energy and the UK Ministry of Defence – is indicative of the company’s success in areas that demand ground-breaking maths to solve modern challenges.

So what is to be done to improve our understanding of mathematics, and consequently its adoption as a crucial science for innovation?

ThinkTank Maths has been talking to both Scottish Government and the English education department about how maths can be made more attractive to young people.

“If you create maths thinkers rather than simply people who have memorised established techniques, it is a step in the right direction. But we can do much more.”

Her experience, combined with the skills housed within ThinkTank Maths, provides the basis to the belief that Scotland has much to gain by acknowledging mathematics as a powerful tool in our economic armament.

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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SCOTLAND'S

EDUCATION Forging links to boost education Professor Sir Jim McDonald, chairman of the Glasgow Science Centre Trust, is a busy man these days.

The vice-chancellor and Principal of the University of Strathclyde is playing a pivotal role in the development of science-based education, as well as in promoting collaboration between industry, government and academia.

As Chairman of the Glasgow Economic Leadership Board, Professor McDonald is to be found at the heart of the city, regional and national effort to improve the economy and lay the foundations for a prosperous future.

Mercury caught up with him to hear his views on the challenges we face, including the encouragement of great student participation in the 'STEM' subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

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10 Mercury: What is the role of Glasgow Science Centre and its partners in promoting the 'STEM' subjects to children and young people?

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People are attracted by people.

If we talk ourselves up about what STEM can do for us that makes it a big magnet, for young people in particular

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JMcD: We need to make sure that we excite young people and their families, employers and the public sector agencies about this, and to make sure that we work together and address the 'STE'M agenda in a 'Team Scotland' way.

Some of the basic challenges are well understood.

We need to be producing well educated and highly motivated teachers of science and mathematics.

Strathclyde and Glasgow universities both produce teachers and recently at Strathclyde we’ve set up partnerships between our science faculty and colleagues who were at Jordanhill but are now on our main campus.

Another issue is that we need to get connectivity with business and industry needs. A big challenge that I make to business is ‘stop looking through the gates of our schools or universities but come in and talk to us about your needs, about working together, co-funding and so on’.

It is more about a value proposition that we need to make.

We can take inspiration from Adam Smith who talked of the 'enlightened self interest' across lots of different actors, whether that is business, government or academia.

That enlightenment today will make the 'STEM' subjects attractive to young people and in a sustainable manner, in my view.

Mercury: There was a time when young people, or their parents, thought that science and engineering offered fewer opportunities after the decline of traditional manufacturing. Is that still a problem in Scotland?

JMcD: I don’t buy that any longer. If you look at the Scottish economic scene, we have world-class life sciences and a strong technology base here.

We have global names like GSK and Life Technologies in Scotland, the 'Bio-quarter' in Edinburgh, and in the west we now have what is being referred to as a 'Bio-corridor', from Bio City at Newhouse to the east of Glasgow, through the universities, West of Scotland Science Park, the new £1bn South Glasgow Hospitals project, and out to these companies in Renfrewshire and GSK in Ayrshire.

In energy, Scotland is occupying the renewables and low-carbon technology space very effectively. We are looking at a whole new generation industry in marine (wave and tidal), offshore wind, gas power and nuclear engineering. It was a Scotsman who conceived of the National Grid in 1926 in the Lord Weir report, and Scots will be at the forefront of the National Grid re-design.

Our oil and gas industry is absolutely resurgent, reserves are there to be exploited from exploration, high technology investigation, recovery, subsea technology, offshore servicing, advanced sensing and artificial intelligence to bring the operational data back.

I smile when I hear people sometimes talking about the relevance of technology, and I wonder from a sociological point of view if it is because we are surrounded by technology that perhaps we are starting not to notice it. This is about communications and being very positive about the future.

People are attracted by people. If we talk ourselves up about what 'STEM' can do for us that makes it a big magnet, for young people in particular.

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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Mercury: How can GSC support this?

JMcD: There is a new found confidence and focus in this place.

The Centre increasingly sees where it fits, perhaps as clearly as it did when it was first proposed. It means partnership and collaboration. Our dialogue and participation with Scottish Government and its agencies such as Scottish Enterprise and Skills Development Scotland is good. We can help them on a widening access agenda, a science agenda, and so on.

Our board has been strengthened recently by two people from the energy and pharmaceutical sectors. Our reputation has attracted them. The Centre’s role, its position and our ambitions have crystallised very significantly in the last couple of years and, because of that, others are realising the value that we can offer.

The production of major exhibits like BodyWorks, of national stature and international importance, is very significant too.

We are now planning towards a new exhibit on Powering the Future. That will be linked very closely to industry.

We’ve also now signed a partnership deal with Cineworld for our IMAX cinema. That has been a great example of drawing a partner towards our philosophy and raison d'être.

Elsewhere Scottish Enterprise have been enormously supportive, and the leader of Glasgow City Council and its executive have been stalwart in their support for the strategic re-alignment of our Centre.

We are also bringing ourselves closer to the Glasgow City of Science initiative, chaired by Sir Ken Calman. It will be based within the Centre, underlining our role as a catalyst for other like-minded people and organisations. All this helps bring science to the heart of the agenda.

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The feedback we get from partners is very good, at several levels. Business and industry use the centre for conferences and hospitality. But for business it is also about showing people what Glasgow is all about

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Mercury: As chairman, how do you measure success for the Centre?

JMcD: One very obvious measure is footfall – attracting more people into the Centre. But we have taken innovative approaches, with the City Council for example who have intervened to make sure they support more schoolchildren visits to us. Other authorities are planning to do that too. And of course children come back, bringing their families.

The feedback we get from partners is very good, at several levels. Business and industry use the Centre for conferences and hospitality. But for business it is also about showing people what Glasgow is all about. Most great cities have a high-profile and active Science Centre; just as there are centres in Boston, New York, London and Paris, so we have one here in Glasgow.

We also manage Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre for Scottish Power Renewables. We contributed to the design of Scottish & Southern Energy’s open access area in Glasgow, addressing power and energy.

Just as we have forged links with medical and life sciences companies, so we are doing so with the energy sector. We will be working with Wood Group, Oil & Gas UK, SSE, Scottish Power, a whole spectrum of industry partners.

Mercury: What about an ambition for the city? Taking this back to education, how will we know of the impact being made in terms of STEM education?

JMcD: On its own, Glasgow Science Centre cannot boil the ocean.

We do what we can do, which is to be an inspiring place to come for people young and old. But it is through partnerships that we get more young people into college and university courses studying these subjects.

It is about sitting alongside activities like the Glasgow Economic Leadership Board, the Sustainable Glasgow initiative, Glasgow City of Science and others. We cannot solve everything around the 'STEM' agenda but we can play a distinct role as an absolute exemplar in science education and as an attraction into the disciplines.

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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We need a better way…to select the right drug for the right patient at the right cost

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One of Scotland’s top medical figures is playing a leading role in an innovation centre project that is attracting international attention.

The £20m Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre has set up temporary home in Renfrewshire as it awaits the completion of its permanent home at the new South Glasgow Hospitals campus in 2015.

Professor Anna Dominiczak, currently Regius Professor of Medicine (Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences) at the University of Glasgow, is driving the development, alongside public and private sector partners including Life Technologies and Aridhia.

The ambitious project aims to bring together the skills and knowledge amassed by the National Health Service, universities and industry in pursuit of improved approaches to the treatment of chronic illnesses like diabetes and vascular disease, as well as common cancers.

The theory is that proper detailed analysis of the masses of data accumulated about public health can better identify suitable treatments for different patients.

“We have worked now for almost two years to bring together technological capability and health informatics, together with patients’ data from NHS, to revolutionise the way we prescribe medication” explains Prof Dominiczak.

“We need a better way to use biological information to select the right drug for the right patient at the right cost, and most importantly not to do futile prescribing where a drug might be too expensive, or cause side effects, and might be completely ineffective.”

Prof Dominiczak believes Scotland has particular assets that help it claim its place at the forefront of medical research and treatment. “We have four universities with top class medical schools at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen.

“We have great companies like Life Technologies and Aridhia Informatics. The new Innovation Centre will give us the means to make the most of these combinations, and there will even be space for SMEs and small companies who specialise in this kind of research work.”

Revo Ultimately, the prize in the field of stratified medicine will be quicker diagnosis, and cheaper more effective treatment. As people live longer, and the general population gets older, the cost of medical treatment – and the growth of chronic diseases like diabetes – are becoming major issues worldwide, and especially in the industrialised world.

Scotland’s poor health record is well-known.

But Prof Dominiczak points out that Scots are willing participants in medical research. “Generally speaking, people in Scotland like their doctors, and want to help them. We have a very good record of participation in this,” she adds. “We know that patients who volunteer for clinical trials do better than those who do not.”

Born in Gdansk, she studied in her native Poland but has spent a large part of her career in Scotland, working in Glasgow and Paisley hospitals before pursuing research in Michigan. She returned to Scotland in 1992 as Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Senior Registrar at Glasgow University’s medical school.

Prof Dominiczak was appointed Director of the Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Centre opened jointly by the university and the British Heart Foundation. The new Innovation Centre is a natural progression of the work she leads there.

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olutionary in Scotland's miDst

She pays tribute to the work of Professor Andrew Morris, co-Director of the Medical Research Institute at the University of Dundee, who was appointed Chief Scientist for Scotland last year.

“We have access to very good health informatics.

For example in Dundee they worked hard for a number of years to bring together the linkage of electronic health records with health data.

Prof Morris spent much of his time bringing this ‘cradle to grave’ approach,” explains Prof Dominiczak.

“The shorter-term aim is to do stratified clinical trials.

Rather than giving the drug to all patients and see how they respond on a trial and error basis, we would do simple DNA tests and try to select the right patients based on the error in their DNA make-up that suggest that one group of drugs would be better than others.

“Frequently, for instance with common cancers, this would be a cocktail of drugs.”

So the Innovation Centre will be a significant step towards quicker, cheaper and more effective treatment of diseases whose costs threaten to run away with national health budgets.

“We are not yet there. There are a few years of hard work ahead. This isn’t ivory tower research though. It is very real and it will bring results” says a determined Prof Dominiczak.

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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SETTING A

CITY'S SCIENCE AGENDA Glasgow is a dynamic and vibrant city, renowned for its architectural splendour, its strong cultural and arts scene, and its resurgent hospitality and retail sectors.

For all its advantages, Glasgow is perhaps less well known globally as a city of science and innovation.

Historically, the inventiveness and innovation for which the West of Scotland became famous was at the very centre of the industrial age.

Pioneers such as Watt, Kelvin, Lister and Logie Baird are world-renowned today. And Glasgow boasts a host of world class facilities in science, engineering, technology and medicine.

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Building on this deep-rooted scientific heritage, Glasgow continues to be a hotbed of innovation in developing industries including stratified medicine, nanotechnology, industrial biotechnology, digital fabrication, and sustainable technologies.

The Glasgow City of Science initiative signalled a commitment from more than 50 city partners to work “smarter”, combining to better exploit the region’s scientific potential as a major driver of sustainable economic development.

Now Dr Susie Mitchell has been appointed Programme Director for Glasgow City of Science.

“Glasgow City of Science is about government, industry, business, city marketing,and education communities working better together to exploit the city-region’s strengths in science and innovation at a regional and international level,” she explains.

“We define ‘Science’ broadly including Basic Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and design, Maths, Medicine and Social Sciences (or ‘STEAMMS’ for short). This definition crucially highlights the importance of the creative art and design (and especially product design) in driving forward innovation and new technologies. The role of the social sciences in translating complex science concepts to the wider public is also acknowledged.

Mitchell, who trained in cancer research, has also worked in research and innovation within the NHS, and in health and equality policy development.

She comes to Glasgow City of Science from her previous role as Accessibility Manager for Glasgow 2014, the organisation charged with delivering the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

“I am a science champion and I’m equally passionate about equality. Women, for example, currently represent a hugely valuable untapped talent pool in science and engineering. Whilst women constitute a fairly large proportion of undergraduate and postgraduate science and engineering students, many move on to work below their level of qualification, in a non-science field, or become unemployed or economically inactive. If we are to compete on a global scale, we cannot afford to make inefficient use of our intellectual resources.”

Dr Mitchell is looking forward to developing events with City of Science partners, such as the city’s 2015 James Watt-themed, Innovation Expo. This will mark the 250th anniversary of the great inventor’s vision of the separate steam condenser which many believe paved the way for the Industrial Revolution.

“I very much look forward to working with partners to unlock the city-region’s scientific potential and help make Glasgow become a recognised city of science.”

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

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Craig Steele runs CoderDojo Scotland, from his base at Glasgow Science Centre. CoderDojo Scotland promotes computer skills among school-age children, from seven to 17. Mercury caught up with Craig to find out more…

Digital

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Mercury What is CoderDojo?

CS CoderDojo was started in Ireland two years ago, to get more young people involved in developing apps, games and websites. A lot of people are digital consumers, but we need more of them to know how to create digital applications and content. It’s a free computer programming club for young people.

Mercury How did you get involved in Scotland?

CS I liked the idea, and started up a monthly club during summer 2012. In early 2013 we applied for funding from the Digital Makers Fund, which is supported by Nesta, Nominet and Mozilla, so that we could scale up from Glasgow to deliver CoderDojo across Scotland.

To date we have CoderDojo clubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, and at the West College Scotland in Inverclyde. There will be more too!

Mercury What age groups are CoderDojo aimed at, and what happens at the clubs?

CS It is aimed at seven to 17 year olds, and in Scotland to date it’s been a lot in the 12-15 years group.

We regularly get 30 young people a month in Glasgow, and the numbers are increasing across the board.

The groups work with mentors from local industry, as well as academics or others. Typically a mentor will

demonstrate an application or some code. Then we encourage people to try it out for themselves, or to start their own projects, such as pulling together a website or a mobile app.

We have had tutorials in cryptography techniques, including one in steganography (hiding text within images using complex algorithms), and also in website design from Alienation Digital.

We use PyGame to build video games in the Python application, and Leap Motion gifted us their matchboxsized device which tracks finger movements on a screen so that people can control things using hand gestures.

Google are supplying CoderDojo with a large set of Raspberry Pi units. These are very basic low-cost computers which mean they can be put to use on dedicated tasks or projects. So we are excited about the ways that young people might use that technology.

Mercury How did you get involved in this?

CS I studied Computing Science at University of Glasgow, and became fascinated with how we might encourage more interest in schools, and increase the profile of computer science within the curriculum. I worked for Hewlett Packard and then the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). I started CoderDojo as a volunteer, and when it became funded in May 2013 the Science Centre supported me and offered me space to run the project full time.

It’s a great way to engage young people in basic computer science. Already some of them are developing programmes and selling them on the app stores!

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Question of Science 2013 with Dara O Briain 3rd October 2013

Comic and science fan Dara O’Briain combined with Glasgow Science Centre’s own team to deliver a sparkling Question of Science dinner and event in October.

Proud winners of this year’s challenge trophy were the University of Glasgow in an exciting and nail-biting competition that saw teams racing neck-and-neck to the finish.

The event, now in its fourth year, has gone from strength to strength. Watch out for news of more events shortly!

DATES

FOR YOUR DIARY

BodyVision 3D - Available from 1st October 2013 Offered as part of GSC's school programme, BodyVision 3D takes S1-S3 pupils on a spectacular and immersive 3 dimensional journey through a virtual human body exploring topics of anatomy and physiology.

Royal Society of Chemistry "Top of the Bench" schools competition selection October to December 2013 First round of selection for this prestigious competition takes place before Christmas.

FREE Your Science Future: Energy - 29th & 30th October 2013 Students meet practising scientists from a variety of backgrounds in the energy sector in this free two day event held at the Science Centre supported by Skills Development Scotland. The range, variety and nature of careers in science in general and the Energy sector in particular will be explored.

The WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Awards 2013 14th November 2013 Held at the Science Museum in London on November 14th, these awards celebrate the achievements of women in science.

“Horizon 2020”- Scottish Development International Opportunities for Scotland in Lifesciences - 19th-21st November 2013 This session will examine the opportunities which Horizon 2020's First Call for Proposals will offer Scotland in the area of Life Sciences.

Teacher Free Open Event - 4pm-6pm 21st November 2013 Teachers and educationalists are invited come along to the Science Centre and find out about our Curriculum for Excellence aligned programme, see live science and planetarium shows and meet our CEO Stephen Breslin over a cup of tea and scones. Free but ticketed.

Sustainable Science - 29th November 2013 The four Scottish science centres have collaborated to celebrate Sustainable Science as part of Year of Natural Scotland. At GSC the public and school groups can build their own wind turbine, follow the journey of water from raindrops to our taps and meet experts working in the field.

Scottish Enterprise Scottish Lifesciences Awards 2014 - 6th February 2014 Keynote speaker this year is Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Adviser to the European Commission, and the dinner takes place at the EICC in Edinburgh.

National Science & Engineering Week (NSEW) - 14th-23rd March 2014 A ten-day national programme of science, technology, engineering and maths events and activities across the UK aimed at people of all ages.

For more information www.glasgowsciencecentre.org/blog

ABOUT mercury Mercury is a print and online publication produced by Glasgow Science Centre to promote science issues in Scotland, to examine the factors facing scientists and engineers, and to profile leading thinkers in industry, government and academia.

thanks Glasgow Science Centre would like to thank everyone who contributed to this edition, and especially our guests Ken MacDonald, Heather Reid OBE, Angela Mathis, Dr Susie Mitchell, Craig Steele and Prof Anna Dominiczak.

If you would like to contribute to future editions of Mercury, please contact us at

mercury@glasgowsciencecentre.org

BLOG Find out more information about some of the topics covered in Mercury and keep up to date with all the latest from Glasgow Science Centre, by visiting our website and subscribing to our regularly-updated blog:

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