From boffins in Banff to brainiacs in Bathgate, Scotland’s scientific community is celebrating British Science Week in style. This ten-day festival of science, technology, engineering and maths kicked off on March 8, with events scheduled across the country in schools, colleges and universities, museums, libraries, galleries and even shopping centres.
Coordinated by the British Science Association – and funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – the campaign is not just for professionals from lecture halls and laboratories. It attracts science fans from all walks of life, including school kids, parents, teachers, students and armchair enthusiasts who love astronomy, chemistry, physics and more.
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Young people, in particular, are being encouraged to think about the discoveries that impact our daily lives by exploring science at work in the world all around us.
That’s why fun, family-friendly events are taking place across Scotland. In the Western Isles, Stornoway Library is screening classic sci-fi movies, while Stornoway Astronomical Society hosts a talk on ‘Planets, Moons, Comets and Things’. Visitors can also experience the wonders of Virtual Reality and 3D printing, while Pairc Trust and Carloway Community Association will be putting on Show & Tech open days.
Weather watchers can also get involved with members of the public being asked to help digitalise weather records – by entering historical weather information into a database – to better predict the future of the planet’s climate.
However, if this year’s Science Week simply isn’t enough to satisfy your passion for progress, there are exciting scientific sectors to work in and enjoy every day. It’s not surprising space exploration is top of the list for many. After all, Scotland has become a docking station for many major players in the industry. More than 7000 jobs – including many engineering roles – exist in a sector now estimated to be worth £130 million to our nation’s economy.
Continually pushing the boundaries is paramount, from the scientists at the University of Stirling unlocking the secrets of Mars by assessing data beamed back from the InSight probe to the team at the University of Strathclyde preparing to use the micro-gravity environment of the International Space Station to create everything from alloys to medicines.
Orbex, meanwhile, a company with a mission to launch a 3D-printed rocket engine to propel cargo into space, has just opened an HQ in Forres in Moray, with the possibility of creating 130 jobs.
Health is another area where science is moving beyond what have long been considered ‘final frontiers’. That’s why Healthcare Science Week, a yearly initiative to raise awareness of careers in medical science, is taking place right now alongside British Science Week.
The prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a vast range of conditions rests in the able hands of medical scientists and the aim this week is to highlight these professions. With promotional events planned for hospitals, schools and colleges, it’s hoped more will be inspired to become part of the scientific workforce of the future. If you’d like to join what’s without doubt the most challenging and rewarding area of the NHS, there are laboratory-based roles that explore genetics, vaccines and new treatments.
From an engineering background? Many health scientists seek to improve medical equipment or create new technology to help rehabilitate patients. Of course, like nurses and doctors on the frontline of care, you could also choose to work directly with patients. In audiology, for example, you would be measuring, diagnosing and treating hearing and balance.
As with healthcare, engineering is at the forefront of scientific progress in many sectors – and there are many roles to choose from that will see you play a vital part in shaping the future. From the civil engineers creating our transport infrastructure, including record-breaking roads, bridges and tunnels, to the automotive engineers designing next-generation electric vehicles – many that will drive themselves – the scientific highway is fast-forwarding Scotland into the future.
Protecting the environment is another important element of science at work in Scotland. Civil engineers and construction workers are needed to bring innovation to the design of dams and ensure nations have access to water or protection from flooding.
Planet-saving projects that utilise natural powers, such as wind and tidal turbines, need professionals who can bring hard science into the civil, mechanical and software sectors and ensure a healthier planet.
Last, but not least, are the IT crowd and tech wizards. Computer scientists build, develop and revolutionise those invisible forces that help advance our everyday lives. As we become ever more integrated with the digital world, we’re going to need ever more complex software to make seamless interaction with online systems possible. That makes software developers and engineers, in particular, increasingly in demand to make this magic happen.
Throughout British Science Week the message will be clear: science is what makes the world go round. If you’d like to turn your own science fiction into fact, you can boldly go with innovative new roles from s1jobs.