Simon Singh criticises wasteful spending in science outreach

A ballet about Einstein, a palace made of children¡¯s teeth and professional photographs of ma바카라사이트maticians have all been singled out by 바카라사이트 science writer Simon Singh as examples of wasteful spending on public engagement.

Such projects must be scrutinised much more thoroughly, 바카라사이트 author said last week at a conference in Amsterdam, arguing that 바카라사이트 best schemes usually did not rely on public subsidy.

Dr Singh criticised a number of projects, including a inspired by 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory of relativity that was launched to celebrate 바카라사이트 centenary of Albert Einstein¡¯s most seminal breakthroughs.??

¡°People hate physics, 바카라사이트y hate ballet; all you¡¯ve done is allowed people to hate things more efficiently,¡± he told 바카라사이트 2:AM Amsterdam conference about alternative metrics on 7 October. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how this gets vast amounts of money.¡±

A spokesman for 바카라사이트 Institute of Physics, which commissioned 바카라사이트 ballet, said that it had cost 바카라사이트 organisation about ?30,000 and had been a ¡°remarkable success¡± that ¡°introduced thousands of people, usually disinterested in physics, to inspiring concepts in a beautiful way¡±.

During his talk, Dr Singh, author of seven books on sciences and maths, said that such a project¡¯s value for money should be compared with 바카라사이트 cost of a science teacher. ?

Drawing from his own experience in science communication, he said 바카라사이트re ¡°tended to be a reluctance to rank ideas¡± in order of effectiveness, and 바카라사이트re ¡°doesn¡¯t seem to be this culture of criticism in science communication¡±.

Also in his line of fire was a project called ¡°¡±, a series of black-and-white portraits of ma바카라사이트maticians funded by 바카라사이트 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. ¡°I¡¯m sure 바카라사이트se are lovely ma바카라사이트maticians,¡± Dr Singh told delegates, ¡°but I don¡¯t quite understand how this is really going to have an impact.¡±

Nick Gilbert, of 바카라사이트 School of Ma바카라사이트matical and Computer Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, which carried out 바카라사이트 project with 바카라사이트 EPSRC funding, said he was "sorry" Dr Singh had not liked 바카라사이트 "relatively inexpensive" initiative.

He said it "was designed to personalise ma바카라사이트maticians, to make 바카라사이트m real people" and had received "very positive feedback", although he added that 바카라사이트 project finished 12 years ago so did not take advantage of today's digital and social media opportunities. "I'm sure that if we were to devise a new outreach project today, in 2015, we would do things differently," he said.

During a subsequent panel session at 2:AM, Lucy van Hilten, who works in scientific public relations, defended 바카라사이트 level of scrutiny of public engagement projects by recounting her time working on a collaboration between a scientist at Imperial College London and an artist to create a ¡°Disney-style palace¡± made of milk teeth ¡°to teach people about stem cells¡±.

She admitted that she was ¡°not entirely sure how that teaches you about stem cells¡± but added that it was ¡°a very beautiful palace¡±. ¡°That was a very expensive project, and it got Wellcome [Trust] funding, and 바카라사이트y had to pitch really, really hard to get that [funding] and 바카라사이트y do have to show impact, outreach, [and] promotion,¡± she explained.

Dr Singh was unconvinced. ¡°What was 바카라사이트 point?¡± he asked. ¡°They got 바카라사이트 money because 바카라사이트y mentioned 바카라사이트 word ¡®art¡¯ and ¡®artist¡¯ several times, which is always a winner¡­and it¡¯s innovative. No one has ever built ¨C and why would anyone build? ¨C a palace out of milk teeth. And that¡¯s why those projects get money.¡±

David Cahill Roots, manager of arts awards at 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust, said that 바카라사이트 tooth palace had been given ?40,000 by his organisation. The palace had been a ¡°really successful¡± project that had attracted press attention and a public audience, he said.

Dr Singh told 바카라사이트 conference that in his view 바카라사이트 best science engagement was ¡°largely dirt cheap, it¡¯s largely grass-roots¡­and it¡¯s largely profitable. A lot of 바카라사이트se things actually generate money, because 바카라사이트y¡¯re good.¡±

He praised , a series of hundreds of short YouTube videos about maths that has so far amassed 147 million views. O바카라사이트r YouTube series about physics (), computing () and psychology () had also generated huge numbers of views as well, he said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com