Scientists for the Future – A Day at the Brooklands Innovation Academy.
Brooklands Museum has been a place of innovation since 1907. It gave the world its first purpose-built motor racing circuit and went on to play a major part in British aviation. So, it felt fitting that a group of young people spent the 7th of October there learning what it might involve becoming the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Now in its fifth year, the Brooklands Innovation Academy brings together young people aged 11 to 18 with scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians from leading businesses. Its aim is to inspire young people to take up STEM careers and show future job opportunities. It is part of the National Science Summer school programme, co-founded by Professor Brian Cox CBE OBE FRS.
The day was built around hands-on workshops, each led by a company working on real-world problems.
I joined for the afternoon programme. At a workshop led by the consumer healthcare company Haleon, it was explored how sustained-release medicines work in the body, and how companies design them to release at specific times in the digestive system. It was a chance to see how chemistry and biology come together in everyday products, such as throat lozenges and paracetamol.
The challenge set by SATRO, an educational charity working across South Central England, required people to code a robotic car to drive around the Brooklands racetrack and ideally complete a lap. I must admit that this challenge proved a bit too much for my abilities, but other members of the group were more successful.
Global aviation company, Gama Aviation, gave us a lesson in aerodynamics by letting us design, build, and test paper planes, finding out how different folding techniques affect flight distance and performance.
The day culminated in a fascinating talk by Andy Green OBE, a former RAF fighter pilot, who holds the world land speed record at 763mph. He gave an insight into the challenge and excitement of travelling supersonic, both in the air and on the ground. Hearing from someone who has pushed the limits of speed was rather exhilarating.
By the end of the day, we all had had a glimpse of what working in science and engineering can involve and had learnt the important life lesson that nothing is achieved without making mistakes – success if often born from failure. As one of Brooklands aviation pioneers, Tommy Sopwith (1888-1989), said “If we crashed, we just had to shake-off the wreckage and try again.”
