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Science & Technology Celebrate the Wonder of Science! The UK with just one percent of the world's population has a strong scientific record. Since 1970, British scientists have won 28 scientific Nobel prizes a record second only to the United States, and have ensured that the UK remains at the forefront of world science. Most people can at least recall the names of great scientists of the past, like Newton. They can name great engineers from the past too, from Brunel to Barnes Wallace. But those still living deserve wider acclaim including people like John Sulston, who led the UK's contribution to the Human Genome Project, or Alec Jeffreys, who invented DNA fingerprinting, now a major tool in fighting crime. With 4% of the world's wealth and 5% of its investment in research and development, the UK produces 10% of all scientific papers and 12% of citations. The UK's success today builds on the achievements of the past. British scientists helped to decipher the structure of DNA, and were the first to successfully clone a mammal. Today, Britain's biotechnology sector is second only to the USA world-wide, accounting for more than 40% of the products in late-stage clinical trials in Europe. Fifteen of the world's top 75 medicines were discovered and developed in Britain. Today the UK leads the world in developing new ones - as in work on microbicides, which have the potential to revolutionise the global fight against AIDS by empowering women to protect themselves against infection.
The UK has achieved this through strong investment, effective regulation, and a culture of innovation. It is a combination which is vital to making Britain the world's leading location for industries based on research, science and knowledge. To engage in work on today's global challenges; to learn from the best of what is happening elsewhere; and to attract researchers and investors to the UK, the country needs a strong programme of action abroad. Today's young people, whatever career they choose, will live in a world empowered by ever more elaborate technology - but also more vulnerable to its failures and misuses. There will be ever more political and ethical choices with scientific dimensions from nuclear power, to the environment and bioethics. The UK believes that science education is vital for everyone - not just for tomorrow's scientists, medics, and engineers. Schools are being encouraged to make science studies more appealing to the vital minority of talented youngsters who will be the future of science in the UK. Long-term global issues tend to get sidelined in favour of parochial but immediate ones. Nonetheless, global warming has risen high on the political agenda - thanks substantially to the efforts of the UK government. This great challenge should stimulate a whole raft of benign innovations -- for conserving energy and generating it by novel 'clean' means such as biofuels, innovative renewables, carbon sequestration, and nuclear fusion. Other global challenges include controlling infectious diseases; and preserving biodiversity. In science, each advance brings into focus a new set of questions. Many of the questions scientists are addressing today couldn't even have been posed 20 years ago. The UK has many excellent higher education and research institutes and is a favoured place for investors in science. The UK Government aims to continue the long history of UK scientific excellence and make the UK the partner of choice for international science. Weblinks: About the British Science Association About The Science [So What? So Everything] campaign About the Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) About DIUS Also: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ Note: Inclusion in this list of weblinks does not indicate an endorsement by the British High Commission, if you have any concerns about the content in any of our links please Contact Us so we can remove it from our list. |
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The UK
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You & Me ~ About Britain ~ News ~ Interaction ~ Sports ~ Things To Do ~ Bizarre Bits ~ Gallery ~ Home ~ Top |
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Britons were pioneers on everything from the jet engine to computing, the Internet, to radio and television. Today, British engineers are making the wings and engines for the world's largest passenger airliner, and British companies are global leaders in communications. 
