Scientists in the Midlands have launched a push to make their subject more accessible in an effort to rekindle waning interest in the area. The drive will be spearheaded by a series of free public lectures every fortnight that aim to show how relevant science is to our lives. Scientists will also target schoolchildren in a bid to encourage them to pursue careers in the field. The campaign is being spearheaded by Birmingham's Thinktank science museum at Millennium Point. The universities of Birmingham, Aston, Warwick and the University of Central England have all committed scientists to the programme. Dr Kenny Webster, who is co-ordinating the push, said it was vital that science was presented to people in a way that they could relate to. "The whole idea is that we want to make it relevant to people," he said. "We put the science into context so it is not just science for science's sake. The critical thing is to try and make people see science as interesting. "It is very relevant to all our lives and we all have a say in what happens." The push comes at a time of increased concern over the state of science in Britain. Last year, Exeter University confirmed plans to close its chemistry department. Other university science departments are earmarked for closure at Keele and Newcastle. In the last decade, ten university chemistry courses have closed with chemistry student numbers falling from 7,490 to 5,735 since 1997. Last December it was revealed that Birmingham's Aston University is to close its civil engineering department due to declining interest. Professor Jon Preece from Birmingham University said science was suffering an image problem in the UK. "I have been to the States a couple of times this year and when I talk to people who are not scientists they are interested, whereas here it is a bit of a conversation-stopper," he said. Prof Preece claimed the chemical industry in Britain was facing a crisis due to a lack of qualified workers. "They are having to start looking outside Britain for chemists," he added. Scientists involved in the Midland drive hope to redefine the way the public view the subject. The hour-long fortnightly lectures will take place at Thinktank every other Thursday, from January 20 and start at 6pm. "All the subjects we have chosen for the lectures are of topical interest," said Dr Webster. "For example, we have one on computer viruses. All these subjects will have been read about in the media. "But we suspect there are not that many people in the lay public who actually have an understanding of them. "They may have heard the phrases but they don't know what the issues are. We will explain the basics and how it relates to everyday people." Dr Webster added: "Hopefully people will be able to then take what they hear on the news or read in a paper and understand it and be able to make their own judgements." The first lecture is entitled Safer Computing in a Virus Filled World. Other lectures lined up include Sex, Lies and Nanotechnology; Alternatives to Lab Animals; Stem Cells; Virtual Reality and Our Future in the Cosmos. On alternate Thursdays scientists will gather at Thinktank during the day to give free demonstrations of experiments to schoolchildren. A leaflet explaining an "experiment of the month" is also being sent out to schools to stimulate interest in science among pupils. Dr Yvonne Perrie, a pharmaceutical lecturer from Aston University who is involved in the programme, said: "We want to break down the stereotype of the fuddyduddy scientist with a beard." | 
