Written by Imelda Cotton Thursday, 12 August 2010 14:37
MAKING science interesting and tangible to the general public is something world-renowned UK-based scientist, broadcaster and author Chris Smith hopes to achieve when he takes to the stage to present a series of talks during this month’s National Science Week Speaker Tour in Perth.
“Over the years, I have seen the tangible benefits that people derive from getting involved with the world of science,” says the man best known as the founder of the BBC radio program Naked Scientists, an award-winning weekly medicine and technology talk show downloaded more than 600,000 times a month worldwide.
“When young people allow themselves to get hooked on the allure of science, it can transform their mindset and hopefully give them a long-term deep-rooted interest in it.
“Most people find science absolutely addictive once they start to learn more about it at a level they can comprehend.”
Smith and global environmental scientist Tim Jarvis will lead presentations to primary and secondary students and the general public during this year’s tour, organised by Scitech from 17-20 August.
Smith hopes to use the tour as an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of science now and into the future in an interactive and informative way.
“The world needs scientists,” he says.
“The problems we are building for ourselves at a global level are going to need scientific answers and the people that will provide those answers will not just appear out of nowhere.
“We need to encourage the public to start adopting science as a mindset, regardless of age, gender or religion.
“Events like National Science Week certainly help to spread that message.”
Smith believes one of the biggest future problems that science will need to answer to is the global population boom.
“With 6.8 billion people, we are currently consuming the resources of two planet earths,” he says.
“If we keep adding people at the rate of 1% a year, by 2080, we will be using four planet earths’ worth of resources.
“The problem is going to become more and more acute and if you add to that issues such as climate change, pressure on water, land and animal habitats, we could be cruising for a really big bruising in terms of having enough food and other resources to survive.
“That is the bottom line really and what we are trying to do today is recruit the interests of our current population and get them thinking about the role that science can play in their lives today.”
Dr Chris Smith will be in Perth on the 19th and 20th of August as part of National Science Week. Click here to see where he will be talking in Perth and other cities around Australia.
