Insight Resource Pack This pack and the supporting film investigating stakeholders perceptions of career progression to, and opportunities for, careers in Space Science are designed to give you an insight into your audience perceptions of the subject right now. When planning a changing perceptions campaign it is vital to know both what the audience be-lieves at the outset, and what the true facts are.

The pack also contains some of these ‘truths’ from a wide range of Space Scient-ists, some incredibly eminent in their field, and some just starting out in their research ca-reers. We have asked them to give responses to questions which investigate what it is really like to be a Space Scientist, and their views at key milestones on the career journey. Their views may or may not endorse the existing views of the target audience. You have the opportunity to work much more closely with a scientist to build out a picture from this starting point.

When planning a changing perceptions campaign, campaign planners will seek to overcome mindset barriers to change, and to build on truths which encourage mindset change. We call this process of understanding target market mindsets and un-derstanding the product or service being promoted, developing ‘insights’.

Planners know that in campaign planning, less is more. A single strong mes-sage, which appeals to hearts and minds, is key to changing perceptions, not lots of detailed information.

The skill of planning lies in finding a strong, single ‘key message’ which will res-onate as a call to arms to the market which they are aiming to change.

The stakeholder perceptions film and the information provided in the resource pack is intended to help you on this journey. The team would like to thank all the sci-entists and and agency planners who have helped us put this pack together, for their gen-erous and timely support.

What the research tells us ........An important driver for this project were the findings from the Kings College 2013 ‘Aspires’ Young People ‘s Science & Career Aspirations Age 10-1 by Professor Louise Archer.

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/education/research/aspires/aspires-final-report-december-2013.pdf

The report presents us with an ‘understanding of how young people’s aspirations develop over a 10-14 age period’. Here are some ‘key insights’ which are drawn from this report which may be useful for the planning and development of your campaign.

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* Middle class families are more likely to possess science capital than other families. When families possess sizeable science capital and take an active role in fostering their child’s aspirations science is more likely to re-inforced as a natural or ‘thinkable ambition.’

Research suggests that * ‘young people are not generally put off choosing science careers because they science dull or they have negative views of scientists.’

Despite this * ‘only a handful of children with science related aspirations cite their science classes as a source of inspiration.

•‘The strongest influence on children’s career choices are their families, next most influential are their hobbies, interests and social influences.

•The strongest influence on children’s career choices are their families, next most influential are their hobbies, interests and social influences.

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* ‘As well as social class, gender and ethnicity can also play a role in making some routes seem more ‘normal’.’ For example science careers are often seen as masculine. * ‘Although ‘Aspires’ surveys indicate that a higher percentage of Year 8 girls than boys rate science as their favourite subject, girls are less likely to aspire to science careers.’  Research found that* ‘ at age 12/13, girls are more likely to aspire to arts careers than boys, and that boys are disproportionately more likely to agree that they are interested in careers in engineering.’ The research also suggested that * ‘although pupils enjoy science, it seems schools may be failing to convey how science qualifications are valuable and transferable for a wide range of careers...............

* Despite liking school science, less than 17% of Y6 pupils and 15% of Y8 pupils aspire to be-come a scientist in the future.

  

* ‘Many families do not have much science capital “science capital” refers to science related qualifications, knowledge, interest, literacy and contacts.’ The final message is that * ‘many children are put off aspiring to careers in science because they see them as only for the exceptionally intelligent ‘few’. ‘  Likewise,* ‘ those students who describe science as “interesting, but not a career for me” tend to see themselves (and be described by their parents) as “normal‟ or “middling‟ pupils.’ 

 

Did you like going to school? Why?Yes, I enjoyed school, meeting my friends, learning new things, but it was hard work sometimes, we had a lot of homework.

Did you always want to be a scientist?I was good at maths and science, and enjoyed those subjects. I don’t think I ever thought ‘I want to be a scientist’ but I wanted to learn more so I went to university.

What is your official job title?Reader in Solar Physics

Is being a scientist what you expected?I can’t really remember what I expected, but I think in some ways it is more than I ever thought it would be. Just studying and learning about the Sun, and working with other people.

Dr Helen Mason OBE

Where do you work? What is it like there? University of Cambridge. It is a beautiful town, but I also travel quite a bit, working with other people in the UK and overseas.

What do you do on a normal day?I have a small research group (7 of us) so I spend quite a bit of time talking to others and working with them. We analyse space observations of the Sun, and that can be hard work, but also very interesting.

Is what you do important? How? To whom?Yes, I think so. We are learning more about the Sun and how it affects the Earth, for example solar storms. I also share my knowledge with others by giving talks, working with schools and even on the TV and radio. I have also taught and looked after students at university.

What have you discovered or invented?When you work in a university, you usually work in a very specialised area. Very few people make massive discoveries which make them famous. Usually the discoveries are small, like a piece of a jigsaw, which help us to get a better understanding of the whole picture on the jigsaw.

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?I have worked on many solar space projects, but one of the best things I did was working with a team at the Goddard Space Flight Centre, sending up instructions to operate an instrument on the SoHO (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory) satellite. That was really exciting, and we got some good observations of the Sun. Now I am working with other solar satellites, Hinode and SDO which are used to study the Ultraviolet light from the Sun.

What three things would you say I need to do if I want to become a scientist?Find out about things which interest you, by looking on the web, watching TV programs, by talking to people, by visiting science centres and just let your imagination grow. You won’t always get all the answers to all your questions, scientists don’t always have all the answers, but the important thing is to keep asking questions.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?I love my work but I am getting quite old (!) and I shall retire soon, but I’ll continue still to take an interest in and study the Sun, and also to share that interest with others.

What would your best friend say about you?I have lots of enthusiasm about science, but also about other things, for example travelling.

Who do you admire? Why?I admire people I have read about, great scientists and explorers, but also those leaders who have cared about others in a positive way, such as Nelson Mandella, Desmond Tutu, Ghandi, Mother Theresa. These people have tried to make a positive impact on the world.

What three things would you take to on a deserted island? My iPad, with some music, photos of my family, images the Sun, also some of my favourite programs. A solar telescope, so I could see each day what is happening on the SunPaper and pencils, so I could write and draw.

Did you like going to school? Why?Sometimes, I enjoyed learning on my own as well as in a structured environment. I did realise the importance of learning a range of subjects though. I used to enjoy playing football and basketball in the breaks!

Did you always want to be a scientist?When I was younger I wanted to be one of four things, an astronaut, a forensic investigator, a hairdresser or a ghostbuster. Now I am older I still want to be all of them!

What is your official job title?Postdoctoral Research Fellow. A fancy way of saying I work for a university as a researcher.

Dr Ian Whittaker

Where do you work? What is it like there?I currently work at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leicester, although I have worked in different universities in both this country and in New Zealand. All my work places have been varied but common factors include a helpful environment where you can discuss problems with your work and celebrate achievements. There is also a lot of cake baking!

What have you discovered or invented?I have provided and published research showing:

•The way the upper atmosphere of Venus changes with the Sun and how oxygen is lost.•How particles in the earth’s radiation belt change in response to the magnetic field wobbling• I have shown how magnetic loops on the Sun bounce around during a solar flare• I have shown that lightning can provide a 1 to 3 day early warning of the strongest winds in Hurricanes and Typhoons• I have also written software to automatically detect tumours in specific images from an MRI machine

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?I would have to say flying to the Antarctic in an American military cargo plane to perform maintenance on a radio receiver station looking at the change in radio waves as particles from the radiation belts interact with them.

What’s the most difficult thing you have done as a scientist?Give my first talk on my work to over 300 international scientists at a conference including the head of space plasma research at NASA! Scary stuff!

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?Using my range of space science knowledge to perform research in such as space tourism, the effects of growing and pollinating crops on another planet or moon, space medicine and asteroid mining. Either that or I will become a ghostbuster!

Who do you admire? Why?I would have to say my science hero is Robert Hooke, a Victorian scientist. He was born to a poor family and worked his way up to a high position in the Royal Society. He was a pioneer in many different sciences, not just physics which has a law about springs named after him. He lived in a coffee house and had arguments with Newton over the nature of light. I admire that he worked his way up from nothing and wasn't afraid to challenge pre-conceived ideas!

Dr Jo BarstowDid you like going to school? Why?Yes, I did. I always enjoyed learning, but actually the lessons I enjoyed the most were things like music, drama, English and art.

Did you always want to be a scientist?No, not until I was sixteen. Before that I wanted to become a writer or an actress. I started to change my mind during my GCSEs and made my final decision halfway through my A levels. I spent my summer holidays that year working at the University of Leicester with part of the team who designed the Beagle 2 Mars lander, and from then on I was hooked.

What is your official job title?Postdoctoral researcher

Where do you work? What is it like there? I work at the University of Oxford in the physics department. It’s a very friendly department and my office is on the top floor, so I get some lovely views of the city skyline.

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?Being involved in the EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory) mission proposal. This was a design for a space telescope to look in more detail at planets orbiting other stars. Although the European Space Agency didn’t select it, all the work that we did will help us to design other, better telescopes in the future.

Would you recommend being a scientist to me?It depends who you are and what you want out of life. If you enjoy finding out about the world you live in and you like puzzles and problem solving, science is a great career choice. It can be very exciting, especially if you get to be part of a space mission. Sadly, you won’t become a millionaire as a scientist, but you will earn a reasonable salary.

What’s the most difficult thing you have done as a scientist?Written a doctoral thesis!

What three things would you say I need to do if I want to become a scientist?You need to make sure you do well in maths AND English as well as science subjects. Good written English is more important than you might think – scientists need to be communicators too.If you get the chance while you are still at school, learn how to program. Computing skills are extremely useful.

Who do you admire? Why?Can I have two people? I admire Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, for being a pioneer for women in astronomy at a time when it was much harder than it is now. I’m lucky enough to work in the same department as her now and she provides so much encouragement to young scientists. The other person is Dr Brian May, astronomer and guitarist with Queen, for coming back and finishing his doctorate over thirty years after he put it on hold for the sake of his musical career. That’s dedication! As someone who has interests outside of science (I am a keen singer and actress) I appreciate the reminder that scientists can maintain other interests.

Did you like going to school?  Why?I always enjoyed going to lessons, but there were some bullies at school, and I didn't enjoy them. During lunch-time I would often avoid them by staying in the library and and reading about dinosaurs.

Did you always want to be a scientist? A scientist, or a mathematician - I wanted a job in which I could figure things out.

What is your official job title?According to my contract, I am a "Research Fellow in Observational Studies".

Dr Justin Bray

What do you do on a normal day at work?Catch up on emails, have a videoconference to discuss a project, read some sci-entific papers, write a computer program to analyse some data, use a computer program to analyse some data, try to figure out some tricky bit of maths to see if what I want to do is possible or not, write a computer program to simulate some as-trophysical process, write a report or a paper about some stuff I've done, and drink some tea.  Usually not all on the same day.

What have you discovered or invented?On the technical side, I've discovered a subtle effect in the way some radio receiv-ers respond to very fast radio pulses.  It might be useful to someone someday, maybe.  On the scientific side, what's important is what I *haven't* discovered: I looked for certain high-en-ergy particles and didn't see any, which probably means they're not there, which rules out some scientific hypotheses which said they should be.

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?The thing I feel best about, as a scientist, is when another scientist is telling me about a problem they've come across, and I realise that I have an easy solution that I've used before and can give to them.  And then, in the future, I tell them about my problems, and sometimes they can do the same thing for me.

What three things would you say I need to do if I want to become a scient-ist?Pay attention in school: the concepts you use as a working scientist are at the top of a pyramid of ideas, with its foundations running all the way down to kinder-garten.  Pay attention to the world: ask yourself why flowers are so colourful, why birds fly in flocks, why your bones are connected the way they are; and then, when you've thought of some possible explanations, think about how you would test them.  And later in your education, take any opportunity you can find to get in-volved with some scientific research: no one's going to make you get involved if you don't do it yourself.

Who do you admire?  Why?The single scientist I admire most is Richard Feynman.  He had an amazing talent for explaining complex concepts in simple terms.  And he was absolutely insistent that a scientist should never let someone else's expectations, or their own, prevent them from seeing what is actually there.  The way he put it was: "The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool.".

Did you always want to be a scientist?Not at all. I went through a myriad of career ideas – from wanting to be a teacher, to joining the Navy and even toying with the possibility of becoming a writer. I don't think I really started to consider becoming a scientist until my later years in secondary school.

What is your official job title?PhD Researcher in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Is being a scientist what you expected?Not quite. I think when I was younger I imagined scientists as working on their own, when in fact working in science involves working in teams which may include people from all around the world. I know I did think that all scientists wear lab coats, which I (unfortunately) don't.

Monique Hender-son

Is what you do important? How? To whom?I think so! Whilst galaxy clusters are interesting structures by themselves, as they play host to a huge range of astrophysical phenomena, they are particularly fascinating because of what they can tell us about the Universe as a whole. By studying galaxy clusters today, we can learn about the history of our Universe – how it's evolved over time, and how the structures around us have formed. This gets to the core of the big questions in life, as we're really probing the origin and fate of the Universe.

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?One of the good things about being a scientist is the great opportunities to travel for conferences and workshops. Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to have to opportunity to visit Munich for a workshop on modelling galaxies and galaxy clusters. I really enjoyed the event, as it was great to meet like minded researchers working in similar areas.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?I don't know yet and that's okay. One of the best things about being a scientist is the wealth of opportunities available to you, and I hope to make the most of that.

 

Who do you admire? Why?I'd have to mention Chris Hadfield, the (retired) astronaut. Perhaps most widely known for his rendition of Space Oddity aboard the space station, I think his success in inspiring an interest in space and science in people across the globe is incredible.

What three things would you say I need to do if I want to become a scientist?1.Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem silly. Sometimes the

simplest questions have the most interesting answers.

2. Be persistent. Working as a scientist, sometimes you get stuck on a problem for weeks, or even months. You just have to keep going, and eventually you'll get there. The same thing is true with your studies; it may not always come easy, but you have to stick with it. It will be worth it in the end.

3. Have fun! Being a scientist is all about following your passion and it's important that you enjoy What’s your best joke? How do you throw a party in outer space? You planet.

Did you like going to school? Why? Overall, yes, but not always. I liked school up to the age of 16 but I didn’t particularly enjoy my A’ Levels. Physics was not as exciting as I thought it would be and I had a hard time with Maths, so I spent a lot of my spare time trying to get to grips with it.  Did you always want to be a scientist? No. First I wanted to be a fighter pilot. However, after spending a week at an RAF station for my GSCE work experience, during which I spent 90% of the time doing nothing but drinking tea, I decided that I no longer did (and even though I got to fly in a Hercules transport plane on the last afternoon).

Dr Jonathan Scott

 So, aged 18, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. My dad then suggested I study Sports Science at University (mainly because I liked sport). The rest, as they say, is history… What is your official job title? I am the Team Lead for the Medical Project and Technology Team in the Space Medicine Office at The European Space Agency’s European Astronaut Centre.

Where do you work? What is it like there?I work at The European Space Agency’s Astronaut Centre near Cologne in Germany. ESA recently recruited six new astronauts, all of which have been assigned to a mission, so although we are very busy, we are very lucky to have so many opportunities to put into practice what we are trained to do. There is also a very positive atmosphere here: like me, many people have had to leave their home country, and their friends and family in order to work with ESA’s astronauts, so there is a good ‘togetherness’ here.

 

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What do you do on a normal day at work?On days when I’m in the office, I normally start by checking my emails – we sometimes work with colleagues in Russia and the USA, so frequently emails arrive at night time. With overall responsibility for projects, I also have to develop the long-term plan for them, so I frequently have to review my projects plans, check that the project is on track and look at how the next steps will be completed. Many of my projects have partners from outside ESA (and from different European countries) so I regularly talk to the partners, which I do through phone calls and travelling to meet them.

Is what you do important? How? To whom?Yes, I think it is – I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t. It is important to ESA’s astronauts. The space environment is a unique and challenging one and we ask astronauts to work (and live) in it. Therefore – as with any other professional job where people have to operate in a challenging environment – we (ESA) have a responsibility to ensure that we do everything we can to minimise the effects of space flight on astronauts, not only in the short-term, so that they can work and live safely in space, but also so that their quality and quantity of life back on Earth are not negatively affected.

Dr Emma Nich-olsDid you like going to school? Why?I’ve always been really interested in finding stuff out and learning new things. I didn’t like everything at school but I had a really good physics teacher who encouraged me a lot and got me interested in studying physics and maths beyond what we were doing in class.

What is your official job title?I’m an Ogden Research Fellow or an Ogden Science Officer, which just means that some of the money that pays for my role comes from an organisation called the Ogden Trust – it’s a charity aimed at improving physics education and getting more young people to study physics at university. Some of my job is about organising events and activities to get people interested in physics, and some of it involves trying to make sure our students get good jobs after they finish their degree.

Is being a scientist what you expected?When I was at school I thought scientists went into the lab every day and did experiments. Some of them do (I did for a couple of years while I was a PhD student) but they might also spend most of their time working on computers to analyse data, or coming up with maths to describe their results, or working on projects in industry. Or there are people like me who don’t do any research any more but are still working in science. One thing I didn’t expect is that almost all scientists have to be good at working with people, because so much is done in teams.

What do you do on a normal day at work?My job involves lots of different things so there’s not really a typical day. Sometimes I’m just answering emails and writing reports, but other times I might be designing a science activity, training students in working with schools, going to teachers’ meetings, running a school event, doing demos at a science festival, applying for funding, travelling to a meeting or a conference – I spend most of my time working with people and talking about science, but how exactly I do that varies a lot.

Is what you do important? How? To whom?Yes – we’re always going to need scientists and engineers so it’s important that people get interested in science when they’re young and before they have to choose subjects in school that might limit their options later. It’s also important that researchers have support in explaining their research to the public (who are the ones paying for it).

What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist?I spent a couple of days in CERN, the huge particle accelerator in Geneva, and I got to go underground to see the Large Hadron Collider just before it was turned back on after two years of upgrades. I’ve read about the LHC for years so that was amazing.

What three things would you take to a deserted island?Satellite phone, a solar still to turn seawater into freshwater, and a big book called How To Survive On a Deserted Island… or if all the survival stuff’s taken care of then a Kindle with some kind of solar-powered battery pack, a lot of chocolate, and a friendly cat.

What’s your best joke?A photon goes to the airport. “Will you be checking in any luggage?” asks the man at the airline desk. “No,” says the photon, “I’m travelling light.”

Skandar Taj

Did you like going to school? Why?Yes as I really enjoyed doing maths and physics.   What is your official job title? PhD Research student Is being a scientist what you expected? Yes lots problems to solve Where do you work? What is it like there? At Manchester University, its lots of fun  What do you do on a normal day at work? Analysis data and solve problems

Is what you do important? How? To whom? Yes, to me and my supervisor, as it adds new understanding to the work we are doing on galaxies.  What have you discovered or invented?The data is still being analysed, so I can’t say yet  What is the best thing you have ever done as a scientist? Added more knowledge to our understanding how how dwarf galaxies evolve.  What’s the most difficult thing you have done as a scientist? Understanding and interpreting data on the dwarf galaxies.

What three things would you say I need to do if I want to become a scientist?1) Do maths & physics at college, 2) Study physics at university 3) Work very hard

Would you recommend being a scientist to me? Yes

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?Still working in science doing research  What would your best friend say about you? That I am bright, hard-working and crazy about physics.  Who do you admire? Why? James Clark Maxwell – because he is a great physicist  What three things would you take to on a deserted island? 1) Physics books2) Maths book 3) Copy of Vogue magazine

Thank you.