Science – Page 9 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Visitors flock to science centres

‘An interest in science at an early age can last a lifetime’ – Dr Stephen Breslin, Glasgow Science Centre

More than 3 million people have visited Scotland’s science centres in the last five years, Science Minister Alistair Allan announced yesterday as he committed £2.75 million for the coming year. Dr Allan made his announcement on the eve of the programme launch for this year’s Edinburgh International Science Festival.

The Minister announced increased funding in 2015-16 for all four Scottish centres – Satrosphere in Aberdeen, Dundee Science Centre, Glasgow Science Centre and Edinburgh’s Our Dynamic Earth.

More than 658,000 people visited the centres in 2014, an increase of 12.6% compared to 2010‘s visitor numbers.

Highlights in the past 12 months included the opening of Scotland’s Time Lords galleries at Our Dynamic Earth and the Ice Station Antarctica exhibition, which travelled to Dundee from the Natural History Museum in London.

Speaking after a visit to Glasgow Science Centre yesterday (above), Dr Allan said: “I am absolutely delighted that the many new activities, exhibits and revamped galleries have delivered a great year for our science centres and continued to build up visitor numbers.

“This increase is a tribute to the staff and their efforts to encourage more people of all ages to visit the centres. Our schools will always encourage children enjoy the science they are learning, but there is so much more that families and adults can experience at the science centres with engaging exhibitions and events that stimulate debate and discussion around science.

“This year Scotland has a key role to play in the international celebrations for Year of Light 2015 as one of our finest physicists James Clerk Maxwell is remembered. This means that there are even more events on offer and I would urge all parents, young people and everyone with a spark of curiosity to look and see what is taking place near them and get involved.”

New attractions planned this year include a major new exhibition Powering the Future that will open in Glasgow in the Autumn and an exhibition at Our Dynamic Earth on the work of CERN and its Large Hadron Collider.

Our Dynamic Earth’s Chief Executive, John Simpson, said: “We are thrilled to hear that funding for Scotland’s science centres has been confirmed by the Scottish Government for the year 2015-16. This will allow us to expand and deliver events which engage with local Community Groups and Schools across Scotland who would otherwise be unable to come to the Centre. In addition to our Charity Golden Ticket, which gives free access to Dynamic Earth for 25 Lothians based charities, the scheme has now been extended to include five local primary and secondary schools.

“Looking to the year ahead, Dynamic Earth will be bringing new films to Scotland’s only fully digital 360° planetarium cinema, hosting a dynamic exhibition on the work of scientists in Cern using the Large Hadron Collider, introducing visitors to new, as yet un-tamed, arrivals in our Rainforest, and allowing guests to race against our very own dinosaur to find out if they will become a winner or dinner!

“Our ability to make such investments and to be able to engage with young and old on the wonders of our Planet in such a way is only possible thanks to the ongoing support of Scottish Government.”

Dr Stephen Breslin, Chief Executive of Glasgow Science Centre, said: “An interest in science from an early age can last a lifetime, and this funding will help us to bring science to life in an interactive way through our education programme. We want to inspire our young people to be excited and stimulated by the opportunities that science offers and for them to study and achieve qualifications in science, technology, engineering and maths in the future.

“We are excited about the year ahead and the enhancements we will make to our visitors’ experience through redeveloping exhibition spaces in the Science Mall, creating new education and public programme and working with our partners from academia and industry. We are thankful to The Scottish Government for supporting our mission and helping us to promote science and technology through thought-provoking and exciting experiences.”

The funding package announced today includes revenue funding of £2,500,000 plus £250,000 to support school visits and community engagement. They will receive:

Satrosphere, Aberdeen £250,150 (up from £226,010 last year)

Dundee Science Centre £340,800 (up from £312,220 last year)

Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh £926,350 (up from £869,090 last year)

Glasgow Science Centre £982,700 (up from £922,680 last year)

Edinburgh’s Science Festival programme is launched today. Go to http://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/

Saltire Society awards for prominent Scots

Professor Sue Black, Sir Chris Hoy and Dr Ann Matheson honoured for their contribution to Scottish culture

Leading international scientist Professor Sue Black, Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and celebrated Academic Dr Ann Matheson have been named as this year’s winners of the Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award.

Established in 1988, the award forms part of the Saltire Society’s annual awards programme, which recognises and celebrates Scottish culture and heritage. It celebrates the legacy of Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun, often remembered as one of Scotland’s true patriots, by recognising significant contributions made to Scottish culture.

Previous recipients include Tom Fleming, Donald Dewar, George Davie, Dolinna MacLennan, Robin Jenkins, George Mackay Brown and in 2013, William McIlvanney.

Nominations for the award are made by the Saltire Society Council who this year decided to broaden the scope to now include three different categories and thus three awards so as to recognise a wider range of achievements and to engage wider public interest. These categories are: Arts and Humanities, Public Life and Science.

The categories for the 2014 Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award are:

Arts And Humanities – awarded to Dr Ann Matheson, member of the Board of the Scottish Poetry Library, for her lengthy and continued championing of Scotland’s literary and linguistic culture;

Public Life – awarded to Great Britain’s most successful Olympian and most successful Olympic cyclist of all time, Sir Chris Hoy;

Science – awarded to Professor Sue Black, Director of Dundee University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification.

The ceremony took place at a reception at Edinburgh’s City Chambers on Saturday afternoon where winners were presented with a bespoke award by Convenor of the Saltire Society, David Ward.

Commenting on the Saltire Society Council’s selection Mr Ward said: “As a Council, we are thrilled to have been able to award one of our most prestigious accolades to three undisputable Ambassadors of Scottish culture.

“This year in particular Scotland finds itself in a spotlight on the world’s stage and we felt it appropriate that we should honour as wide a range of achievements as possible in order to truly be able to reflect the rich and varied cultural heritage that Scotland has to offer and that we support.

“2014’s Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award recipients do that and more with their remarkable achievements highlighting some modern day examples of Scottish achievement.”

2014 award recipient Professor Sue Black of Dundee University said: “It is both an honour and a privilege to be selected as a recipient for this award, particularly when I see the calibre of fellow recipients past and present. “I would like to pass on my sincere thanks to the Saltire Society Council for electing to bestow this honour on me.”

Commenting on her award, Dr Ann Matheson said: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Fletcher of Saltoun Award from the Saltire Society. It has been a privilege to have had the opportunity to be associated with Scotland’s literary culture, past and present, and with all those who work so steadfastly on its behalf, during an inspiring period in the nation’s history.”

For more information about The Saltire Society go to:

http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk/

Westminster congratulations for Professor Peter Higgs

Mark Lazarowicz MP put down a Parliamentary motion, an ‘Early Day Motion’, last week to congratulate Edinburgh’s Professor Peter Higgs on the award of this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics. Among those supporting the North and Leith MP’s motion were fellow Edinburgh MPs Alistair Darling and Mike Crockart.

Professor Peter Higgs, who is now Emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh, was awarded the prize in recognition of his theoretical discovery of the origins of mass of the fundamental particles that make up the world. His theoretical work first published in 1964 was confirmed in July 2012 – almost half a century later – by the Hadron Collider based in Switzerland showing just how groundbreaking his work was.

A shy and modest man, Professor Higgs shares the prize with a Belgian physicist,François Englert, who also published on the same subject in the summer of 1964.

Mark Lazarowicz said: “Professor Higgs’ achievement has at last received the long awaited recognition of the award of the Nobel Prize, and as the MP for the constituency where Professor Higgs lives I wanted to make sure that achievement and award was marked by Parliament also.”

Professor Higgs has announced that he will formally retire next year, when he is 85.