Journal the Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology
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fst journal The Journal of the Foundation for Science and Technology Volume 20, Number 2, December 2009 Higher Education Higher Ambitions for education Sir Alan Langlands: The future of Higher Education in England Professor Michael Arthur: Maintaining our position in the world Sir John Chisholm: A business viewpoint Transport emissions Professor Brian Collins: Understanding the full picture Professor Dan Sperling: The three-legged stool of transportation reform Professor Neville Jackson: Reducing carbon emissions from transport Biodiversity Professor Bob Watson: Can a value be put on biodiversity? Pavan Sukhdev: Safeguarding the treasury of the poor Lord May: The ethical dimension in valuing diversity Medical research Sir Leszek Borysiewicz: From bench to bedside – strategic aims of the MRC Sir John Bell: Supporting and coordinating medical research Sir David Cooksey: Economic challenges in drug discovery Cities and science Boris Johnson: Can city managers make better use of science? Sir Alan Wilson: Social sciences in the city – think big! Professor Tim Allen: Science and technology in local government Financial models Professor John Kay: The role of models in directing economic activity Paul Sharma: The problems of mathematical modelling Professor David Hand: Did over-reliance on mathematics create the financial crisis? Lord Lloyd of Kilgerran Lecture Lighting up the brain T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O R S C I E N C E A N D fs t TE C H N O L O G Y THE FOUNDATION The Foundation for Science and Technology FOR SCIENCE AND 10 Carlton House Terrace TECHNOLOGY London fst SW1Y 5AH Telephone THE FOUNDATION FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 020 7321 2220 Registered Charity No: 274727. A Company Limited by Guarantee No: 1327814 Fax PRESIDENT 020 7321 2221 The Rt Hon the Lord Jenkin of Roding Email VICE PRESIDENTS [email protected] The Earl of Shannon The Lord Flowers FRS Editor Sir Brian Jenkins GBE Professor Sir John Enderby CBE FRS COUNCIL Production Editor CHAIRMAN Simon Napper The Earl of Selborne KBE FRS Sub-editors Wendy Barnaby, Judy McBride, The President of the Royal Society The Lord Rees of Ludlow OM PRS HonFREng The President, The Royal Academy of Engineering The Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS Charles Wenz The President, The British Academy Sir Adam Roberts KCMG PBA Design and layout The President, The Royal Society of Edinburgh The Lord Wilson of Tillyorn KT GCMG PRSE James McQuat The President, The Academy of Medical Sciences Sir John Bell FRS PMedSci HonFREng The President, The Science Council Sir Tom McKillop FRS FRSE FMedSci Chairman, EngineeringUK Sir Anthony Cleaver www.foundation.org.uk Chairman, The Arts and Humanities Research Council Sir Alan Wilson FBA FRS Chairman, The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Sir Tom Blundell FRS FMedSci Chairman, The Economic and Social Research Council Dr Alan Gillespie CBE Chairman, The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Mr John Armitt CBE FREng Chairman, The Medical Research Council Sir John Chisholm FREng FIEE Chairman, The Natural Environment Research Council Mr Edmund Wallis FREng Chairman, The Science and Technology Facilities Council Professor Michael Sterling FREng Chairman, The Technology Strategy Board Dr Graham Spittle CBE Professor Polina Bayvel FREng The Lord Broers FRS FREng Sir Geoffrey Chipperfield KCB Sir Graeme Davies FRSE FREng The Lord Haskel Dr Geraldine Kenney-Wallace FRSC Sir David King KB ScD FRS The Lord Krebs Kt FRS FMedSci Sir Rob Margetts CBE FREng The Lord May of Oxford OM AC Kt FRS FMedSci The Rt Hon Sir Brian Neill The Baroness O’Neill of Bengarve CBE FBA HonFRS FMedSci The Lord Oxburgh KBE FRS HonFREng Dr Peter Ringrose The Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior FMedSci The Lord Sutherland of Houndwood KT FBA FRSE Sir Mark Walport FMedSci The Baroness Wilcox Sir Peter Williams CBE FRS FREng Dr Robert Hawley CBE DSc FRSE FREng (Deputy Chairman) Mr Patrick McHugh (Honorary Secretary) Mr Tony Quigley (Honorary Treasurer) CHIEF EXECUTIVE Dr Dougal Goodman FREng Neither the Foundation nor the Editor is responsible for the opinions of contributors to FST journal. © 2009 The Foundation for Science and Technology. ISSN 1475-1704 fst journal Volume 20, Number 2, December 2009 contents UPDATE fst Scientific advice to Government; Higher Education review; Engineering a climate resilient journal Britain; UK’s continuing research excellence; 8,500 graduate internships available .... 2 The Journal of the Foundation for Science and T e chnology EDITORIAL Volume 20, Number 2, December 2009 A climate where curiosity can flourish Higher Education Higher Ambitions for education Sir Alan Langlands: The future of Higher Education in England Professor Michael Arthur: Maintaining our position in the world Sir John Enderby ........................................................3 Sir John Chisholm: A business viewpoint T r ansport emissions Professor Brian Collins: Understanding the full picture Professor Dan Sperling: The three-legged stool of transportation reform HIGHER EDUCATION Professor Neville Jackson: Reducing carbon emissions from transport Biodiversity Professor Bob W a tson: Can a value be put on biodiversity? Higher Ambitions for education ......................................................4 P a van Sukhdev: Safeguarding the treasury of the poor Lord May: The ethical dimension in valuing diversity Medical research The future of Higher Education in England Sir Leszek Borysiewicz: From bench to bedside – stra tegic aims of the MRC Sir John Bell: Supporting and coordinating medical research Sir David Cooksey: Economic challenges in drug discovery Sir Alan Langlands ......................................................5 Cities and science Boris Johnson: Can city managers make better use of science? Sir Alan Wilson: Social sciences in the city – think big! Maintaining our position in the world Professor T i m Allen: Science and technology in local government Financial models Professor John Kay: The role of models in directing economic activity Professor Michael Arthur .................................................6 P a ul Sharma: The problems of mathematical modelling Professor David Hand: Did over-reliance on mathematics create the financial crisis? Higher Education – a business viewpoint Lord Lloyd of Kilgerra n Lecture Lighting up the brain Sir John Chisholm .......................................................8 T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O R S C I E N C E A N D fs t TE C H N O L O G Y TRANSPORT EMISSIONS Understanding the full picture Professor Brian Collins ...................................................9 The three-legged stool of transportation reform Professor Dan Sperling ................................................. 10 Reducing carbon emissions from transport Professor Neville Jackson ............................................... 12 BIODIVERSITY Can a value be put on biodiversity? Professor Bob Watson ...................................................13 Safeguarding the treasury of the poor Pavan Sukhdev ....................................................... 14 The ethical dimension in valuing biodiversity Lord May .............................................................16 MEDICAL RESEARCH From bench to bedside: strategic aims of the MRC Sir Leszek Borysiewicz ................................................. 17 Supporting and coordinating medical research Sir John Bell ...........................................................18 Economic challenges in drug discovery Sir David Cooksey ......................................................20 CITIES AND SCIENCE Can city managers make better use of science? Boris Johnson. 21 Social sciences in the city: think big! Sir Alan Wilson ........................................................22 Science and technology in local government Professor Tim Allen .....................................................24 FINANCIAL MODELS The role of models in directing economic activity Professor John Kay .................................................... 26 The problems of mathematical modelling Paul Sharma ......................................................... 27 Did over-reliance on mathematics create the financial crisis? Professor David Hand. 28 LORD LLOYD OF KILGERRAN LECTURE Lighting up the brain ...............................................................30 COMMENT Reasoned advice for policy makers Archimedes .......................................................... 31 EVENTS ................................................................ 31 FST JOURNAL >> DECEMBER 2009 >> VOL.20 (2) update UK’s continuing Scientific advice to Government research excellence The fifth annual Science and Innovation Guidelines to ensure robust scientific tists, science journalists and Government Investment Framework 2004-2014 report and engineering advice to Government colleagues over the coming weeks to out- for 2009, published by the Department for are the subject of a consultation line principles for independent scientific Business, Innovations and Skills (BIS) at launched by the Government Office for advice which will underpin the relation- the end of November, shows that the UK Science. The Government says this is ship between Government and scientists. remains second only to USA in worldwide a long-planned consultation and runs These will be published before the end of scientific excellence, despite increasing in parallel with the exercise Science the year and will feed into the guidelines competition from other countries. It is Minister Lord Drayson will