Science: Unlocking Potential

Keeping you up to date with science and technology at PACA Dr Caroline Oprandi from New York

I’ve recently been up to the National STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) Centre in York and I heard a great talk from a CERN scientist. CERN are now looking at ways to transfer their knowledge, starting with the medical sciences. They showed an animation of basically a mini-medical CERN facility designed to provide localised particle therapy to treat a cancer patient. The whole place was massive but the solitary patient was just a tiny part of the whole elaborate affair. I had to question just how expensive and therefore applicable did they envisage the process to be and who were the lucky few to be able to access such treatment? However, putting the eye-watering costs aside, it was impressive and it does make one realise that our medical staff are not only going to need to know about wound dressing, they will have to be pretty good technologists and engineers too! There are already about thirty proton centres to treat cancer either in operation or in construction worldwide.

“There are already about thirty proton centres to treat cancer either in operation or in construction worldwide.”

Another talk was given on British Astronaut Tim Peake’s mission to the International Space Station in November. Tim Peake will be the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station, making him the first UK astronaut in space for over 20 years. Peake has been selected to live and work on the International Space Station for six months where he will carry out a comprehensive science programme. The UK Space Agency has increased its investment in Europe’s space programme to £240 million per year.

Back to something a little less expensive though: working in partnership with Mile Oak Primary School we are hoping to win a grant to revamp the Primary School Science Bus. It was great to see the Primary school children dressed up as little scientists in Einstein wigs going to school but here are some that really went to extremes!