Comments on: Shadowing Members of Parliament

By: spyder

spyder — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 23:49:47 +0000

“Or, more to the point, “Stalking the Holders of the Public Purse”.”

Yes, i too noticed in the Official Aims that there was no statement encouraging MP’s and the country’s young elite scientific community to discourse regarding the funding of science, big national projects, and increasing the educational committment. I gather most of that is just assumed to be the core issues of the ‘Scheme’???

By: Clifford

Clifford — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 22:50:17 +0000

Frank - It is still one long party in Britain. Hurrah! And the last time I went there (but one) I did have to take a “Tuxedo”… and recall from another thread (I forget which one) my tophat and Mark’s monocle.

Cheers,

-cvj

By: SteveM

SteveM — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:47:07 +0000

” A friend relates the story of being tossed out of a London pub for ordering a Martini”. At least he was not up north here, in a Glasgow pub say. He would also have been tossed out–through the window! As regards pairing up scientists with british politicians/mps a good physics problem for the scientist would be to determine how the House of Commons walls can withstand so much expanding hot air.

By: Sean

Sean — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:22:55 +0000

See, you can learn something by reading blogs. Between James Bond and a certain aura of sophistication which people find difficult to associate with the U.S., one gets the impression that the martini is somehow connected to Britain. Quite the opposite: it’s the quintessentially American cocktail.

By: Joe Bolte

Joe Bolte — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 16:06:00 +0000

Yes, like Frank, I am very surprised to hear that Martinis are considered American. Could someone British please explain this?

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:33:16 +0000

Martinis are “too American”??? But, but, James Bond liked them shaken and not stirred! And I thought the Twenties and Thirties in Britain was one long party with cigarette-holders and witty effetes and tuxedos and such! Don’t ruin my illusions!

By: Dissident

Dissident — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 00:57:25 +0000

Talking about going to the bar, a good case could be made that a more appropriate title for Sean’s post would be “Stalking Members of Parliament”. Or, more to the point, “Stalking the Holders of the Public Purse”.

By: Andrew Jaffe

Andrew Jaffe — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:44:59 +0000

Clifford-

“Which MP?” was my question…. the one asking about CMB…. And did she get what you were trying to say?

It was Kali Mountford from North Yorkshire.

I do think it was starting to get through, but I got dragged away before I could explain “last scattering surface”!

(Feel free to edit out the useless quotes/responses from my posts!)

-A

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:24:22 +0000

Sorry andrew…. an M fell off the MP and then I corrected it. “Which MP?” was my question…. the one asking about CMB….

And did she get what you were trying to say?

-cvj

By: Andrew Jaffe

Andrew Jaffe — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 21:22:03 +0000

Hi Clifford-

Andrew, which P was that?

Sorry?

Also, what’s the stated raison d’etre for this interesting endeavour?

Well, the official aims are:

- To help scientists recognise the potential methods and structures through which they can feed their scientific knowledge to parliamentarians.
- To help practising research scientists understand the pressures under which MPs operate.
- To give MPs the opportunity to forge direct links with a network of practising research scientists.
- To give MPs the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the process of scientific understanding and topical research and ultimately to be able to bring this knowledge into better informed discussions and decision making.

I think it largely succeeds (but let me mull it over for a while).