Written evidence submitted by Margaret Bevan (COM0108)

     Do you have any role models who work in science or are scientists?

• If so who are they?
• Baronness Greenfield, Tim Peake, The human zoo people, the infinite monkey cage people.

o   Do you feel that these role models are diverse? No they are mainly men, mainly middle class and all white.

·         What do you think of the way the media portrays science? It needs to include more woman in the coverage/debate/reporting and more ethnicities. It needs to widen out science to applied science – to drugs, to facecreams, to cooking methods, to making fireworks, etc

• What could the media could do to make science more understandable? The journalists themselves often do not fully understand and therefore their reporting can be misleading or incorrect. They are looking for the bizarre or extreme in order to grab a headline – then often this misleads as the detail of the research gives different results. Further in order to be able to give a clear and concise description (of anything) you need to be able to understand it. Non understanding of the basics can lead to very over engineered explanations which in turn lead to non understanding or boredom. On TV programmes, by contrast, the opposite is often true – the programme often does not move along quicky enough. The trailer and opening scenes often promise us that we will find out, using science what is hidden (for example) within the walls of The Treasury in Petra. Then this is repeated at every start and finish of each segment before and after the commercial breaks – only to be revealed as not very much right at the end of the programme.

Another thing that TV progs do is they restate the same thing over and over again – they do not move on quickly enough.

Another thing that is sham science is the stupid equations that work out say – what is the best way to ake someone fall in love with you. People are gobsmacked by the knowledge that someone has been paid money in a research grant for something so trivial. Then the equation itself is written as a normal equation but is really a set of statements.  Putting it as an algebraic equation (assuming that there was a  genuine wish to pass on this rather stupid advice) turns a lot of people off, even with such a frivolous subject.

• Do you think that the media could make science more accessible?

Yes definitely.

·         Have you seen any campaigns to encourage a diverse range of people to study or work in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects?

No

o   If so where did you see or hear about this?

o   Did you think that this was effective?

o   How would you make it more effective?

·         Have you seen any adverts raising awareness of science? This could be from the Government or private organisations

Thinking hard -if I have seen them then I have forgotten.

o   Do you think that the advertising of the sciences could be more effective?

o   If so, what would you suggest?

o   Does this advertising encourage you to engage with science?

·         Do you take part in science based activities in your spare time? E.g. making rockets or astronomy?

• How did you get involved with this?

I replied some years ago to a campaign (probably on Twittter or Facebook) to get more involved in and learn more about Parliament.

o   Do you think that there is enough awareness about these leisure activities?

·         Do you go to science museums or exhibitions?

Yes love the Science Museum in London and have been to the Paris one and the Las Vegas one. The floors that have freely available experiments and equipment – e.g Archimedes screw are so wonderful for children. Also love the Natural History Museum but their exhibits are not so impressive or interactive – just button pressing mainly.

• If you do, do you think that these are engaging?

Definitely some of them are.

• Do you think science museums or exhibitions are a good way to encourage people to study or work in science?
• Maybe. It’s possibly a small part of the answer to develop a wish to explore and find out, improve, develop and just generally mess around.

o   Is there anything stopping you going to museums or exhibitions about science?

June 2016