• Question: If you could change one thing about science, what would it be and why?

    Asked by Mitzi to Lisa, Mark, Rachel, Sammie, Stephen, Tim on 9 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Sammie Buzzard

      Sammie Buzzard answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      Definitely I’d make more money available for research, the more senior you get the more time you generally spend thinking about how to win your next piece of research funding and the less time you get to spend actually doing science so our most experienced people are writing research proposals rather than using their science skills. It’s ok that research money is competitive, it means that the best and most thought out projects get money but there’s still lots of really good ideas that just don’t get funded.

    • Photo: Rachel Dewhurst

      Rachel Dewhurst answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      I would ask that it isn’t badged as something “geeky”, but equally as cool as singing or being on TV. Science is everywhere, it is gardening, cooking, craft, art, hairdressing, and furniture making. There is not really an occupation where science is not applied so why be so dismissive of it

    • Photo: Lisa Baddeley

      Lisa Baddeley answered on 9 Mar 2018:

      I agree with both Sammie and Rachel on this one. The amount of money that the government gives to research is very small but science has an impact on our lives everyday. I’d also like to add that I’d like to see more girls take up science at A-level and University. I think it is still seen as something that is mainly for the boys whereas actually it can be a career for anyone.

    • Photo: Tim Duckenfield

      Tim Duckenfield answered on 12 Mar 2018:

      I would change it so women get the scientific recognition they deserve for their work! Hopefully nowadays woman are appreciated (but of course still more to do), but if you go back in history so many brilliant scientists are ignored because of their gender. How many female physicists or mathematicians can you name? Further, how many had to use a male friend or a man’s name just to get to university etc?!

      My favourite mathematician of all time was a German called Emmy Noether. Her work has got to be the most stunning, beautiful and profound thing I have ever seen!

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