Defining a nation

How to define a nation? Its military clout? Its territories and geopolitical machinations? Its economic situation? Perhaps; certainly politicians across the land will be vigorously nodding their head – assured, as they consistently seem to be, that this is all there can be to national pre-eminence. Yet of course the single most important definition of a nation has to be the people that make it up. And so to Great Britain – who are we? A nation of shop keepers Napoleon would have had us believe. A nation of bankers – greedy to the core – if you believed the headlines of the last half decade or so. But I think differently; I think we are a nation of scientists. In you, dear reader, I may be preaching to the converted somewhat but not all would be inclined to agree with me. Certainly the current tendency of the public to be engaged with and excited by science is up for debate, but I think it runs deeper than this. I think our inner national scientist defines us historically. We were a global super power for 250 years, and if there is one thing vital for accruing an empire as large as the one we did, it is hubris. And what gave us the audacity to plant Union Jacks so liberally around the Globe? Well – and historians may well wince at the sheer simplification of this – but I think it was the growing confidence in our scientific abilities. We were at the heart of the scientific revolution of the 17^th century – the very the root of our engineering prowess which threw us headlong into the industrial revolution of the 18^th century. The scientific revolution made us confident in our abilities to overcome problems with careful thought and experimentation, while the industrial revolution made us rich – we now had the intellect and the means to expand our little isle.

And so to Great Britain – who are we? A nation of shop keepers Napoleon would have had us believe. A nation of bankers – greedy to the core – if you believed the headlines of the last half decade or so. But I think differently; I think we are a nation of scientists.

I don’t write this to condone or condemn our past, but do so to highlight the fact that our history would have been vastly different had we not the brilliant scientific minds that we did. And whilst we are no longer considered a superpower by many metrics – military clout, and economics certainly among them – our global influence does remain when it comes to science. And that I think is cause for celebration. There are clearly many ways you can define a nation, but I for one feel very proud we can safely say of our own that it is a scientific powerhouse. As such I am pleased to announce the launch of our Celebrating Great British Science campaign. As always with Laboratory News, we want to hear from you on this. What do you think is the greatest scientific breakthrough made right here in GB? Was it something that changed the course of science, or perhaps just something that ignited your interest in research…whatever you think, let us know! See below for how to send us your ideas, and remember this is YOUR magazine so please do get in touch. Celebrating Great British Science; we want your ideas! What do you think is the greatest scientific breakthrough made on British shores? Is it Watson and Crick’s discovery of the structure of DNA, or Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s discovery of the first pulsar? Or maybe it was Alan Turing’s development of the Turning Machine? We want your suggestions – and we’d love to know why you chose that particular breakthrough. Perhaps it inspired your career path, or maybe it’s something close to your heart – whatever it is let us know! The best entries will be featured in our Celebrating Great British Science wall chart and in Laboratory News later in the year. Send your suggestions to phil.prime@laboratorynews.co.uk.