We have a rather ambivalent attitude to science at present.
We have come to expect a steady increase in the standard of living
that science and technology have brought
but people distrust science
because they don't understand it
or feel they can't control it.
The popularity of science fiction like Star Trek
is because it is a form of science with which people feel safe.
But an understanding of science fact would lay their fears to rest much better.
what can be done to harness this fascination with science
and give people the background they need
to make informed decisions on subjects like the greenhouse effect,
nuclear weapons or genetic engineering.
The basis must be what is taught in schools.
But school science is often presented in a dry and uninteresting manner.
When I wrote "A Brief History"
I was advised that each equation I included would halve the sales
I Included one, Einstein's famous equation E equals MC squared.
Perhaps I would have sold twice as many copies without it.
Scientists and engineers tend to express their ideas by equations
because they need to know the precise value of quantities.
But for most people
a qualitative rather than quantitative understanding is sufficient.
This can be conveyed by words and diagrams
without the need for complicated equations.
School science can provide the basic framework
but the rate of progress is now so rapid
that there are always new developments
that have occurred since one was at school or university.
Popular science books and articles can help to put across these new developments
But only a small proportion of the population reads even the most successful books.
Television is one way to reach a truly mass audience
but television is communication one way only.
Now with the internet people can answer back and interact
In a way the internet connects us all together like the neurons in a giant brain
with such an IQ what won't we be capable of.
So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet
Try to make sense of what you see
and wonder about what makes the universe exist
Be curious
And however difficult life may seem
there is always something you can do and succeed at
It matter that you don't just give up
Thank you for listening
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