UK ready for ‘Lab Swap’
The UK television station Channel 4 has this week announced plans for a new programme aimed at making science the talking point at office coffee breaks and in university common rooms.
‘Lab Swap’ is about to start filming and is set to revolutionise science as we know it. “We aim to make science as popular as Big Brother, by fitting labs with cameras, swapping over staff and following them around for six weeks,” said Claire Chandler, director of new programmes for the channel. Davina McCall was said to be excited by the announcement and will no doubt be called in to host the new show.
The scientific community as a whole, however, does not share the excitement and the controversial programme is not without its critics. It's clear to see why, according to Dr. Simon Bateman, chief scientist at the Royal Society.
“It’s a ludicrous suggestion,” he commented.
“The very idea of a particle physics professor being uprooted from his lab and shoved unceremoniously into a organic chemistry lab is nothing short of insanity. We can’t possibly have statisticians running chemistry labs, ecologists in charge of nuclear physics or computer scientists in charge of avionics.”
Dr. Bateman likened the possible scenarios to a fish being “grabbed from a river and chucked into a sandpit”. He continued, “Important scientific research that has taken years to progress may well all be ruined for the sake of a few extra TV viewing figures”.
The first programme is scheduled to have Professor Gareth Bent, an organic chemist from Oxford University swap labs with Dr. Archibald Meacher, a computer engineer from the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Bent claimed, “I was picked at random, but because of the money involved for the University, I didn’t have a say in the matter. I know nothing about building complex computers, it could be a disaster”.
Dr. Meacher, in a statement later said, “I am looking forward to going mad in a chemistry lab for once! It’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I was a lad”.
In a statement, Oxford University said they had “hidden” their caesium and nitric acid supplies “until further notice”.
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The scientific community as a whole, however, does not share the excitement and the controversial programme is not without its critics. It's clear to see why, according to Dr. Simon Bateman, chief scientist at the Royal Society.
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| Dr Meacher can't wait to have a go at being a chemist for a change |
“The very idea of a particle physics professor being uprooted from his lab and shoved unceremoniously into a organic chemistry lab is nothing short of insanity. We can’t possibly have statisticians running chemistry labs, ecologists in charge of nuclear physics or computer scientists in charge of avionics.”
Dr. Bateman likened the possible scenarios to a fish being “grabbed from a river and chucked into a sandpit”. He continued, “Important scientific research that has taken years to progress may well all be ruined for the sake of a few extra TV viewing figures”.
The first programme is scheduled to have Professor Gareth Bent, an organic chemist from Oxford University swap labs with Dr. Archibald Meacher, a computer engineer from the University of Edinburgh.
Professor Bent claimed, “I was picked at random, but because of the money involved for the University, I didn’t have a say in the matter. I know nothing about building complex computers, it could be a disaster”.
Dr. Meacher, in a statement later said, “I am looking forward to going mad in a chemistry lab for once! It’s been something I’ve wanted to do since I was a lad”.
In a statement, Oxford University said they had “hidden” their caesium and nitric acid supplies “until further notice”.
More ground breaking stories:
- Discovery - Bumblebees like gardens
- Invention - The turbo toaster
- Medical - Appendixes aren't useless
- Love - Firm grip gets more sex
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