Prof Kel
Fidler FREng, Chairman, Discovery Associates
The Discovery Associates – a Strategic direction for future activities?
1.
Introduction
In the week following Christmas, and in accordance with my personal
tradition, I watched the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures on
Television.
These annual lectures are presented in the lecture theatre
once used by Michael Faraday to an audience of young people.
This year the lecturer was Professor Chris Bishop, Chief Research
Scientist at Microsoft Research, Cambridge, and his subject was “Hi-tech Trek - The Quest for the Ultimate Computer”.
The lectures were very good, and just the thing for young
people.
During the course of one of them, I threw my hands in the air and
cheered loudly.
You might have heard me!
Why?
Because, holding an example of a microprocessor chip in his
hand, he described it as a ‘triumph of engineering’.
Of Engineering.
Not of Science, although the advances in Semiconductor Physics
that enable such a device to be constructed can clearly be described
using superlatives.
Or of Technology (a much misunderstood term).
Wikipedia states, amongst a number of attempts to define the
term, that “Technology refers to tools and machines that
may be used to solve real-world problems”.
And what tools they are, in the field of microelectronics –
able to construct devices with feature sizes of the order of 45 nm
(45x10-9 metres) these days.
So, not a triumph of Science, not a triumph of Technology, but a
triumph of Engineering.
How seldom one hears that word used in its correct context
these days.
The word ‘triumph’?
No – the word Engineering!
On the 10th September 2008, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider,
located on the French Swiss border near Geneva, was ‘switched on’.
The media made quite a fuss, and I listened to Radio 4 with
great interest as Adam Hart-Davies and others extolled the virtues of
this wonder of Science.
Occasionally, mention was made of Engineers, but it was easy
to get the impression that these were the people who had guided huge
superconducting magnets down shafts, and bolted them in place at the
bottom.
Great Science will no doubt be carried out with the collider, but I
suggest that it was great Engineering that brought the machine into
reality. (Incidentally, on the
19th September 2008, a serious fault with a superconducting
magnet prevented further research being carried out using the collider,
which is not expected to resume operation until summer 2009. One wonders to whom this fault is attributable – Scientist or
Engineer?)
Later that day, an interesting programme on Women in Engineering was
broadcast.
In it, a young woman described a life-changing experience she
had during her gap year before University.
She had worked with a Chemical Engineering company, and the
experience was so good that she decided to change her proposed course at
university to Engineering.
“How did your parents feel”, asked the interviewer, “when you
told them that you were changing to a career in Science?”....
In making the above remarks, I have skated around the edges of the
points that I want to make.
I celebrated Chris Bishop’s comment on the microprocessor
being a “triumph of engineering”, because it is so rare these days that
one hears the word ‘Engineering’ used so specifically.
On the other hand, the word ‘Science’ receives much exposure.
Note that the Government has a Chief Scientist, a Science
Minister (but no Chief Engineer or Engineering Minister), and a Science
Budget.
As a nation, we have five ‘Science Cities’ (of which Newcastle is
one), and Regional Development Agencies have ‘Science and Industry
Councils’.
So it goes on.
The word ‘Science’ seems to be everywhere, but not so with the
word ‘Engineering’.
And yet, you can have all the Science in the
world, but
it will not make one jot of an economic contribution without the
Engineering to bring it to market.
It is frequently the case that people who should know better
believe that the words ‘Science’ and ‘Engineering’ can be used
interchangeably, or that Engineering is just ‘Applied’ Science; or that
Science subsumes Engineering; whilst others (if not most of the UK
population) believe that engineers are people that mend televisions,
washing machines and the like. Those who understand engineering, on the other
hand, know that it is a multi-disciplined area, and that in each of
those disciplines, scientific and technical understanding, knowledge,
skill and know-how are used by engineers in the production of artefacts,
systems, or products; all this in the context of an understanding of
areas such as finance, quality, marketing, social impact, and Design. Yes, Design.
Another misunderstood word, thought by some to
relate solely to ‘fashion’, to others as something offered at school
(Design & Technology) as an alternative to ‘academic’ subjects.
Yet, just about everything is ‘designed’ (not
always well!) – fashion garments, cars, consumer goods, systems,
services, products in general – everything.
And how are they brought to market?
They are engineered!
Indeed, in engineering we talk of Design for
function, for form, for manufacture, for testing, for maintenance, and
for obsolescence.
Design and Engineering are inextricably linked.
An obvious example is the iPod – generally
regarded as a Design Icon, yet clearly a product of engineering.
Indeed, Jonathon Ive who led the team at Apple
that designed and developed the iPod is a graduate from the Design
School of Northumbria University, and has been honoured for his work by
the Royal Academy of Engineering.
What, then are my points?
Well, it is not Rocket Science (and certainly
not Rocket Engineering) to summarise as follows:
Engineering does not enjoy the exposure that it should
Engineering disciplines are generally misunderstood
The close relationship between Design and Engineering is not
appreciated.
So what?
Well, the ‘so what?’ is that too few young
people are studying subjects at school, college and university that
could lead to careers in engineering because they don’t know about
engineering, or are misinformed; yet (as recognised by our RDA, One
North East) the economic recovery of the UK, and specifically the
economic recovery and development of the North East needs more young
people to enter the engineering profession – at all levels, and
particularly at the Technician level where there is the greatest
shortage.
What can the Associates of the Discovery Museum do?
I believe that we can play a significant part in
raising the profile of Engineering to Schools and Colleges, to the
Public, and to the Media.
We can take on the role of evangelising, indeed
proselytising in the name of
Engineering! The poor communication between employers, universities,
schools, and parents needs to be improved. Surely a fabulous resource
like the Discovery Museum and its Associates can play some part in
improving these communication paths?
How do we
do this? First, it is instructive to look at how we describe ourselves
on our website:
Associates
The Associates of the Discovery Museum is
a voluntary organization funded by members’ subscriptions.
Objectives:
To promote the lifelong education of the
public by the promotion of, and assistance to Discovery Museum.
To promote enthusiasm for science and
technology in young people in the North by creative exploitation of the
Discovery collections and facilities.
This is achieved by:-
Organizing hands-on science workshops for
young people.
Presenting popular science shows aimed at
family audiences
Providing assistance to the Museum where
required
Some updating is required here!
However, for the time being, we would no doubt
want to further our activities in:
Organising hands-on science,
engineering
and technology workshops for young people.
Presenting popular shows, aimed at family
audiences, on subjects in the areas of science,
engineering
and technology
To this,
we could add:
Supporting and developing the ‘Northumberland Young Designer and
Technologist Competition’
Together
with the following additional activities:
Development
of an ‘Engineering Heritage Trail’ in and around Newcastle
Development of new exhibits on Engineering and
Technology at the Museum including those relating to new engineering
developments in the region
Holding an Engineering and Technology Exhibition
in the Great Hall at the Museum
.....to
name just a few!
Some
explanation is needed of these last three:
Engineering Heritage Trail
Historical evidence of engineering activity abounds in the North
East, and the area in and around and about Newcastle is no exception.
Taking the lead from the Institution of
Engineers Australia, I propose the development of an
Engineering Heritage Trail that would encourage School parties,
clubs, societies, individuals, and indeed tourists to learn something of
the history of engineering in and around Newcastle.
This link will show the sort of thing:
www.engineersaustralia.org.au/shadomx/apps/fms/fmsdownload.cfm?file_uuid=C4405489-B1E9-7C7C-93BF-41C418615763&siteName=ieaust
or, if this doesn’t
work, go to the following URL and select the Darwin Engineering Heritage
Walk/Drive Brochure pdf document:
www.engineersaustralia.org.au/divisions/northern-division/division-groups/engineering-heritage-australia/engineering-heritage-australia.cfm
New
Exhibits on Engineering and Technology
The
prospect new exhibits dedicated to Engineering and Technology is an
exciting one. I envisage exhibits that not only reflect upon the
engineering heritage of the region, but also provide a showcase for
recent and current engineering developments and achievements in our
companies, universities, colleges and schools in the region.
Engineering and Technology Exhibition
An exhibition – possibly to coincide with the launch of new
exhibits – held in the Discovery Museum Great Hall would provide a shop
window for engineering employers, educators and professional
institutions in the region.
The possibility exists of linking this to the
North East Economic Forum (NEEF) annual conference.
Financial Support,
Sponsorship, etc.
“The Associates of the Discovery Museum is a voluntary organization
funded by members’ subscriptions”.
Clearly, the activities listed above will require an additional
degree of financial support, sponsorship, etc.
The idea of this strategic direction of the Associates is to
raise the profile of Engineering in the region with a view to improving
the region’s economy through activities associated with the Discovery
Museum.
Possible funding streams might be available from the Museum, from
employers, One North East (ONE), Newcastle/Gateshead initiative (NGi),
the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF), local Universities and
Colleges, the Professional Institutions, the Engineering and Technology
Board, and so on.
Who does the work?
I am aware that ambitious activities along the lines above will
need more manpower than the current committee or wider members of the
Associates can provide!
I therefore propose that a number of Task Forces
are assembled, with membership from employers, educators and others
across the region (or our bit of it).
Concluding
remarks.
The Discovery Associates can be proud of their achievements over the
past decade in supporting the work of the Discovery Museum, and I
believe that what I am now proposing follows the spirit of those
achievements.
None of this will be easy, but with the support and dedication
of committed colleagues, I believe that the Associates and the Museum
can make a very real contribution to the economic prosperity of the
North East.
Kel Fidler February 2009
