Turnaround for British Physics
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The newspaper of the physics community February 2006 CONTENTS Turnaround for British physics 2 News Young Physicists Conference ● Science without words Ayala Ochert reports the views of an international panel on UK physics and astronomy. ● Debate with a difference ● IOP in Reading ● Report on The state of physics and astronomy women in physics research in the UK has markedly improved in the last five years, thanks 5 People to substantial increases in investment, Tony Sherborne says that according to an international panel of science teachers could learn world-renowned scientists. But the from film and television panel warns that increased levels of funding must continue, otherwise this improvement may not be sustained. Last October the 14-strong panel, which includes two Nobel prize-win- ners, visited the UK at the invitation of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Particle Physics and Astronomy 6 Letters Research Council (PPARC), the The joys of mentoring ● AWE Institute of Physics and the Royal ● The retreat of physics Astronomical Society. They were ● Physicists have soul asked to assess the quality of UK physics and astronomy research and 7 Event horizon to compare it to that in other leading What’s on at the Insitute scientific nations. This was the second visit of its kind; the first was in 2000. 8 Antimatters The panel took in 12 university Einstein vs. Newton physics and astronomy departments and the CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and spoke to staff, post- docs and PhD students. It published Diamond Light Source its findings in the report International Construction of the Diamond Light Source – the panel praised investment in the science infrastructure. Perceptions of UK Research in Physics and Astronomy 2005. Career prospects for postdocs had according to their report. The panel “Compared to what I saw five years “The overall mood not improved since 2000, and the also felt that interdisciplinary research ago, my impression was much better. environment for nurturing young aca- in general was not sufficiently valued. “Teaching can be The overall mood was much more in physics demic talent is “not ideal”, the panel A significant amount of research positive. The difference was really said. And while it noted that the num- council money is tied up with specific incredibly creative.” striking,” said Jürgen Mlynek of the departments is ber of women professors in physics initiatives, and the panel expressed Tony Sherborne, p5 Helmholtz Association, Germany, departments had increased from 1% concern that this could be a “creeping chair of the international panel and much more positive to 4% since 2000, in some there were trend that would undermine the one of five panel members who took than five years no female faculty at all, which it called opportunities of physicists and “If only I’d done part in the 2000 review. a “sorry state of affairs”. astronomers to follow their instincts”. projects like this at The report puts this more positive ago.” The panel also encouraged EPSRC to atmosphere down to the substantial World-class research award more rolling grants. school, I would increases in investment in infrastruc- The international scientists also Some of the investment in infra- ture. The budget for science in the UK looked in detail at each of the sub- structure of recent years has gone probably have more than doubled between 1997 and fields of physics and astronomy. The towards the development of the UK’s 2005, including £1 bn for the Science UK has an outstanding international central laboratories, and the panel studied physics.” Research Infrastructure Fund. reputation in astrophysics and solar was impressed by the major expan- Journalist Adrian Short on Hunting The panel also praised the increase system physics, which is “poised for a sion of the ISIS neutron source, as well for Asteroids, p5 in stipends for PhD students to an very productive decade”, they said. as the construction of the Diamond “acceptable level”. But it expressed Nuclear physics and particle physics synchrotron light source. “We appealed to concern over the training of PhD stu- in the UK are also world class. Sir John Enderby, president of the dents because of the short duration of But they found room for improve- Institute, welcomed the report. “The them on the grounds the UK PhD. This was undermining ment in other areas – atomic physics panel’s finding of improved morale the ability of graduates to compete needs to recover its leadership posi- within departments is most encour- that Einstein had with their international counterparts, tion; there needs to be more experi- aging for the future of UK physics and said the panel, which recommended mental work in quantum information astronomy,” he said. But he added: great hair and didn’t an in-depth review of graduate-level and computing; nanoscience research “The perennial concerns that the die a virgin.” education. lacks coherence and surface science is panel raised – short-term contracts Jim Al-Khalili on a debate to decide The high morale noted by the inter- patchy, the report said. While soft for postdocs, the lack of female aca- the greatest-ever scientist, p8 national scientists may come as a sur- matter research in the UK is “vibrant”, demics and dwindling provision for prise to those reading headlines about the panel was disappointed to find undergraduate physics – are worry- the closure of physics departments, that few physics students get exposed ing. The Institute, in consultation with but the panel was not complacent on to research in this important field. the physics community and the FREE CAREER this issue. It was “deeply concerned” Biophysics has been rejuvenated in research councils, will explore solu- GUIDANCE AT and said that a continuation of the the last five years, but much of that tions to these problems.” trend would threaten the UK’s ability research is being conducted in biol- http://policy.iop.org/ careers.iop.org to produce enough physics graduates. ogy rather than physics departments, International_Review Interactions February 2006 2 news HIGHLIGHTS Schools hit by lack of specialists Special relativity website wins award An Einstein Year website, www.thegreatrelativityshow.com, has won By Heather Pinnell in physics were aged over 50 (31%) ble reason why physicists are choos- an award in the Pirelli Relativity Challenge, an international The crisis in physics education in Eng- than aged 30 or under (17%). ing to teach maths instead. competition to find the best multimedia explanation of special land and Wales is deepening, accord- To replace those retiring, and to Nevertheless, the government’s relativity. The site is an interactive journey featuring a humorous ing to a report published in November. ensure that at least one quarter of response to the Smithers report Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson every school’s physics teachers is emphasised that it was meeting its dialogue between an animated Einstein character and his of the University of Buckingham’s qualified in the subject, physics own targets for a general increase in glamorous assistant, Mimi. The characters first appeared in four Centre for Education and Employ- teacher training output would have to PGCE science entrants. This showed short films produced by Fulcrum TV, which aired on Channel 4 last ment Research found that 24% of rise from 450 to 750 teachers per year, that it was “in denial”, according to the year. The website was a collaboration between the Institute of 11–16 comprehensive schools do not said the report. However, while gov- Institute’s director of education and Physics and the film’s producers, and won a have a single teacher who has studied ernment incentives have gone some science, Peter Main. Some see a return special prize for the Most Humorous physics to any level at university. way to attract more graduates into to separate sciences at Key Stage 4 as Presentation. The report also showed a correla- teaching science, most of these have the only solution, but the Institute is tion between a teacher’s level of qual- been graduates in biology or com- focusing its efforts on securing sepa- The Pirelli Foundation launched the ification in physics and their pupils’ bined science. The intake of physics rate government targets for physics, Relativity Challenge to mark World Year of achievement in exams, which helps to graduates onto PGCE courses has chemistry and biology specialists in Physics 2005. It runs alongside their annual explain the 38% drop in entries to actually fallen since the early 1980s. teacher training, he said. Internetional Award for science A-level physics since 1990. In addition, one quarter of trainee Meanwhile, support for non-spe- communication using multimedia technology. The study, which looked at 10% of teachers with a degree in physics were cialist physics teachers must be English and Welsh secondary schools, training to teach maths rather than stepped up, said Main. “The number Famelab seeks talent in science communication further education and sixth form col- science. In most state schools, physics of trained physicists entering teaching Famelab – a competition to find the country’s most talented science leges, revealed that only 38% of those graduates working in the science will not be large enough to repair the teaching physics to 14–18-year-olds department are required to teach damage for the foreseeable future. communicators – is now into its second year, and regional auditions had physics as their main subject of some biology and chemistry up to Professional development for non- are due to start in March. Organised by the Cheltenham Science qualification. More teachers qualified GCSE. The report cites this as a possi- specialists must be seen as a priority.” Festival and NESTA, with backing from Channel 4, Famelab aims to identify the most promising talent in science communication as part of its drive to improve the public understanding of science.