Newcastle youngsters given an insight into a high-tech future
Budding scientists from across Newcastle explored how future technology could change their lives and even affect the way their brains perceive the outside world thanks to a visit from one of the UK’s top scientists.
At the John Coulson Memorial Lecture at Newcastle University, dozens of teenagers aged 14-18 from schools across the city heard about the challenges and opportunities technology like stem cell research and nanotechnology posed to the society of the future from Baroness Susan Greenfield, a highly regarded scientist, writer and broadcaster.
She said: “We’re living in unprecedented times when science and technology has a huge impact on all aspects of our lives – at work, home, in society and even in terms of our identity and morality. We really don’t know what the consequences of living in such a high-tech world could be, and we need to introduce these issues to children now.
“Today’s youngsters are much more comfortable with science and technology than previous generations, but we still need to explore how technology will change the society of the future – after all it will be them who will live with the science being developed now.”
She added that people could adapt very quickly to changing situations and she believed a technology-based world would change the way our brains comprehended the world around us.
Baroness Greenfield’s visit was supported by Newcastle Science City, which helps promotes science and technology based careers to children across the region, and by the North East Process Industries Cluster (NEPiC) and the Centre for Process Innovation.
Peter Arnold, chief executive of Newcastle Science City, said having speakers like Baroness Greenfield helped bring an extra dimension to learning about science.
“Above all, science is incredibly exciting and is going to play an increasing role in young people’s lives and that came through really strongly in the Baroness’s presentation. As well as opportunities, science presents challenges and it was excellent to see those challenges arouse the audience’s natural curiosity.
“It was brilliant to see so many youngsters getting to grips not just with the technology, but the impact it could have on our lives and the relationship with people around us,” he added.
Stan Higgins, Chief Executive of NEPiC, said; “NEPiC have sponsored the John Coulson Memorial Lecture for several years now and hope to continue to do so. It is a fantastic opportunity to bring world-class scientists to the region to talk to young people, showing them how science works and how it impacts on our daily lives.”
Baroness Greenfield is Director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, which fosters greater public understanding of science. She was invited to Newcastle to give the John Coulson Memorial Lecture, an annual Newcastle University presentation especially aimed at youngsters.
