Scientists gain currency in UK
The Ig Nobel prizes were awarded last week to “improbable yet genuine” work in science, including resea-rch on psychology with a full bladder, beetle sex with beer caps, wasabi firealarms for the deaf and productive procrastination. The satirical take on the Nobel Prize honours imaginative scientists for their refreshing originality at a ceremony in Harvard, followed by lectures at MIT. The format and seriousness is similar to that of the original Nobel, except for the roaring humour and much less cash prize. This time’s peace prize went to the mayor of the Lithunian capital for his work “demonstrating that the problem of illegally parked luxury cars can be solved by running them over with an armoured tank.” The goal of Improbable Research, an organisation that conducts the prizes, reads: “to make people laugh, then make them think”.
Geo-engineering test stalled
The technology test for a possible climate-engineering project, originally scheduled for this month has been delayed for six months due to social acceptability fears of the funders. These fears were raised by the opposition from the experiment’s critics, who point out the prematurity of the plan and express concerns over social reactions to geo-engineering that may derail the much-needed green industry. The preliminary test involving pumping water particles only 1 km into the atmosphere, is part of the more serious SPICE project (Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering) that prepares premise for a possible 60 km long hose held by a large atmospheric balloon to inject climate cooling sulphates.
High-value science
Introduced by the Bank of England, two new £50 notes to enter circulation will have faces of eminent British scientists Matthew Boulton and James Watt printed on them. Both Fellows of the Royal Society, one entrepreneur and the other an engineer, join the list of scientists immortalised by English currency that includes Charles Darwin, Christopher Wren, Isaac Newton and Michael Faraday. Sir Paul Nurse, present president of the Royal Society said: “It is wonderful to see two Fellows of the Royal Society celebrated in this way. Science and engineering have long driven improvements in our knowledge and in our day to day lives. At a time when the UK is trying to rebalance its economy, Watt and Boulton are also a reminder of how science and engineering can be the basis of economic growth for the UK.”
China launches ‘heavenly palace’
The first part of China’s space station, Tiangong-1 or Heavenly Palace, lifted off from the Gobi Desert in a much-celebrated proud moment for the nation last Thursday. The module is currently unmanned but Chinese astronauts or yuhangy-uans are hoping to occupy it by next year.
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