Bryan Lawrence : The Future of Physics and Science

Bryan Lawrence

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The Future of Physics and Science

  • A few days ago the BBC carried a news item: science students have to work (much) harder (in terms of time) than arts students at university.

  • Student fees are starting to bite.

  • Not many jobs in the paper have "Physicist" in the title, even though many employers may well hire physicists in preference to other graduates to fill posts.

  • Yesterday I discovered that the University of Reading is closing its physics department - not enough students enrolling.

These things are not unconnected! Deja vu. As a former physics academic, I've seen it all before ... (in another country :-).

But it's not just physics that suffers: who's going to do all the hard environmental science then?

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Comments (2)

anon on Monday 06 November, 2006:

Saw the same thing in the states -- every so often there's screeching that "not enough engineers & computer geeks!" what they mean is not enough who want to work their butt off and make "fast-food-specialist" wages.

If environental sciences WERE paid as much as the right-wing skeptics claim ("they're only in it for da money"), then perhaps there would be no problem in recruitment!

Alan on Monday 20 November, 2006:

Reading physics dept closure now confirmed http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6159106.stm
:-(

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This page last modified Tuesday 07 November, 2006
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