Possible bad news for Science funding...

Afternoon,

Just read this article on the New Scientist website,

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/11/uk-research-spending-decisions.html,

The article reveals that the job of the head of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and in turn the person in charge of allocation of the UK's science spending, could be for the first time in over 25 year be going to a civil servant and not someone who is from the outside, with background with scientific research. Nor will someone from scientific community be involved in the recruitment of the post. Therefore no checks of scientific creditability with be done.

In my view this could have am negative impact on how the money is allocated to different areas in science. For example a less important scientific project might get more funding than project of greater importance due to the lack of understanding from the new head.

This will remove some of the autonomy that science has from the government and Whitehall in terms on where the research budget is spent.

The new scientist article above does a better job at explaining the details.

Until next time.

Random Sketch

I have not being blogging, (is that the correct term?) much recently.

Quick recap, got my key to my new flat in Aber, awesome place. Looking forward to living, working and generally being a student within it.

On a cynical note, everything the Tory government seem to make no logical sense... health reform, schools and education, the "big" society. The list is goes on and on.

Also the US with BP and Libya. They seem to think that the UK government must as it is told and if we don't do as told, we go to the headteachers office and get told off.

Then they investigate another country's decision of the release of a prisoner, as if the UK is the 51st State of America...

After looking at the work of Ralph Steadman, I quickly sketched this...

Past week...

The past week has progressed at some rapid speed...still not sure how in ended up being Friday so soon.

This week has been fairly quiet, and strangely productive in away... after last weekend at Brands with my camera, I decide to spent some time using Photoshop Elements 8 to created some digitally manipulated images, which can be found on Flickr, link is on the side.

After watching a film on the life the America writer Hunter S Thompson (famous for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.) This re-engage my interest in the work of artist Ralph Steadman, who's work I studied during my art A level. So hopefully over the next week, I will make a start on some Steadman style pieces.

Also this week, certain things the Tories are cutting concerned me one is the planned rebuilding of secondary school, this seems short sighted from the government, I feel that need to be proper investment within children of this country to ensure a strong future. It worries me that this is just the privatisation of the state education system in this country, but labelled as a cut. Also could a multi-million pound school not just benefit the children, but also the local community, ie sports and art facilities.

On a positive note about the new government is the science David Willetts who speech at the RI, seemed positive for the future of science research in this country. "Willetts said that science can help to boost growth in an age of austerity"

See http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/thesword/2010/07/uk-science-minister-research-m.html for more info the speech, as I feel I have written enough for today...

PS Good news, I passed my this year at University with a First.

An evening at the Royal Institute...

Yesterday evening I went to the Royal Institute of Great Britain for a join event between the Royal Institute (RI), Institute of Physics (IOP)and the TDA.
The event was aimed at people thinking of becoming a physics teacher as a possibly career. (This was partly the reason for me attending the event, but more I just wanted to have a look around the RI.)

The RI is located in one the most exclusive parts of London, Mayfair. The impressive building is surrounded by some of the most expensive designer shops known to the Capitalist World.



The evening was made up of two parts, formal talks from the IOP, TDA and RI. I apologise for all the acronyms. The lecture theatre was more like a theatre that would be found it the West End of London. Then there was a "networking" session ie meeting teachers, people who run PGCE course etc, however this took place in what was the labs for Michael Faraday and alike. As a physics geek, I found this very interesting being surrounded with so much scientific history, maybe even more than the talks about teaching.

This event confirmed my feeling and thought about teaching after I completed my school placement.

Now for a bit of Art?

Once I got to London I decided to venture to the Tate Britain, a galley with a good mix of modern and classical art. Now, I did an A level in Art and Photography and they nearly went to Uni to study one.

Well in the main galley I was welcomed by a Harrier fighter jet hanging from the roof.