British Science Association facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
British Science Association

Founded	1831; 194 years ago (1831)
Type	Professional organisation and registered charity
Registration no.	212479
Location	Wellcome Wolfson Building, 165 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5HD
Area served	UK, Worldwide
Key people	Chair: Hilary Newiss President: Professor Kevin Fenton CEO: Hannah Russell
Revenue	£2,754,408 (year ending Dec 2018)
Employees	30
Volunteers	650

The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity that helps promote and develop science. It was started in 1831. Until 2009, it was called the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA).

The BSA's main goal is to get more people excited about science. They do this by organizing many different projects and events. The BSA wants a world where all kinds of people can learn about science and use it. A team of staff manages the BSA from their office in London.

The BSA offers many activities to encourage people to get involved in science. These include the British Science Festival, British Science Week, and the CREST Awards. They also run other projects like For Thought and The Ideas Fund, plus local events.

History of the BSA

How the BSA Started

The former British Science Association logo launched in 2009

Old logo used for "The BA"

The British Science Association began in 1831. It was created to help science grow in England after a big war. Reverend William Vernon Harcourt is seen as the main founder. He got the idea from Sir David Brewster. Other important founding members included Charles Babbage and William Whewell.

The very first meeting happened in York on September 27, 1831. Over 300 people attended, including scientists, doctors, and important figures. They presented many scientific papers.

From then on, a meeting was held every year in a different city. For example, in 1832, the meeting was in Oxford. By then, the Association had four main science groups: Physics, Chemistry, Geology, and Natural History.

Early Goals and Growth

At their second meeting, the BSA set out its first goals and rules. They wanted to:

• Systematically gather scientific knowledge.
• Share this knowledge widely.
• Help scientists from around the world talk to each other.
• Remove anything that stopped science from moving forward.

The rules also explained how to become a member and how future meetings would work. Members were divided into different committees based on their science interests. These committees would suggest new research and report their findings at the yearly meetings.

Over the years, more science groups were added. Sometimes, a part of an existing group would become its own section. For example, Geography and Ethnology became separate from Geology in 1851. New subjects like Anthropology were also added in 1869.

Kew Observatory

In 1842, the Association made a big decision: to create a "physical observatory." They took over a building known as the Kew Observatory. Francis Ronalds became its first director. Kew Observatory quickly became famous for studying weather and Earth's magnetic field. In 1871, the BSA gave control of the observatory to the Royal Society.

London Office

In 1872, the Association bought its first main office in London. This office was a place where members could find resources and support.

Famous Science Debates

One of the most well-known events linked to a BSA meeting happened in 1860. It was an exchange between Thomas Henry Huxley and Bishop Samuel Wilberforce in Oxford. They discussed Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Many other people joined the discussion, but Huxley and Wilberforce were the most famous. This event later became very important in the history of the evolution debate.

Setting Electrical Standards

One of the BSA's most important contributions was setting standards for electricity. They helped establish the ohm for electrical resistance, the volt for electrical potential, and the ampere for electrical current. These standards were needed because of the growing submarine telegraph industry. Before this, different companies used their own ways of measuring electricity.

William Thomson suggested this project to the BSA. Scientists like Josiah Latimer Clark and Fleming Jenkin helped make it happen. These standards made it easier for everyone to work with electricity.

Other Contributions

The British Science Association also introduced the British Association screw threads. These were standards for screw sizes, used from 0.25 mm up to 6 mm. They helped make sure screws from different places would fit together.

In 1889, Charlotte Carmichael Stopes surprised a meeting in Newcastle upon Tyne. She gave a speech about "rational dress," which was a new way of dressing that was more comfortable and practical. Her speech was reported in newspapers across Britain.

Science in the UK

The BSA's main goal today is to make science more relevant and connected to society. They want everyone to feel like science is for them.

Science and Society

During the Great Depression (a time of economic hardship), the BSA started to think about how science affects society. In 1931, their president, General Jan Christiaan Smuts, suggested linking science with ethics. This led to discussions about scientists' responsibilities. In 1934, the BSA decided to focus on balancing scientific progress with social well-being.

J.D. Bernal, a member of the BSA, wrote a book in 1939 about how science should serve society. This idea of public understanding of science grew. In 1985, the Royal Society published a report saying scientists should talk to and teach the public.

Sir George Porter, a Nobel Prize winner and former BSA President.

Sir George Porter, who was president of the BSA in 1985, believed that Britain needed more science education. He thought science should be taught to children as young as four. He said this is when children are most curious. He also explained that understanding science is important for everyone, including leaders, to make good decisions about health, energy, and education.

Sir Kenneth Durham, who became president in 1987, said that science teachers needed better pay. He worried about the shortage of math and physics teachers. He also felt that newspapers should cover more science topics beyond just medical news.

In 2001, Sir William Stewart, another former president, warned that universities needed more funding. He said that scientists must think carefully about the impact of their work.

In 2000, a group led by Sir Peter Williams discussed the shortage of physics students. They said it was vital to have more physics teachers to ensure there would be enough future engineers and scientists.

British Science Festival

The BSA's biggest event is the British Science Festival. It's the largest public science event in the UK and gets a lot of media attention. It happens every September at different UK universities. It includes talks, workshops, and visits to science places.

In 2010, at the Festival in Birmingham, there was a fun prank. They showed a fake plant called Dulcis foetidus that was supposed to smell bad. Some people in the audience actually thought they could smell it, showing how easily people can be influenced! The Festival has also been a place for important discussions, like protests about using science for weapons in 1970.

Science Communication Conference

For over ten years, the BSA organized the Science Communication Conference. This was the biggest event in the UK for people who explain science to the public. In 2015, the BSA started holding smaller events to help science communicators.

British Science Week

Logo of British Science Week

The British Science Association also organizes British Science Week. This is a chance for people of all ages to get involved in science, engineering, technology, and math activities. It used to be called National Science & Engineering Week.

The Association also runs the CREST Awards program for young people. This program encourages school students to do science projects outside of their regular classes. It helps them think about going to college and having careers in science.

Huxley Summit

The Huxley Summit is a special event named after Thomas Huxley. The British Science Association brings together 250 important people in the UK. They talk about science and social challenges facing the UK today. The goal is to connect scientists with non-scientists so that everyone can understand science better. The first Huxley Summit was held in London in 2016. It focused on "Trust in the 21st Century" and how it affects science, new ideas, and business.

Media Fellowship Schemes

The BSA's Media Fellowship gives scientists, doctors, and engineers a chance to work at media companies. They might spend time at places like the Guardian newspaper or BBC Breakfast. After this, they attend the British Science Festival. This helps them learn how to talk about science to the public and meet journalists and other science communicators.

CREST Awards

The CREST Awards are a program by the British Science Association. They encourage students aged 5 to 19 to get involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects. The awards help students think like scientists.

There are different levels of awards:

• Star Awards are for younger kids (5-7 years old).
• Gold Awards are for older students (16-19 years old).

Each year, about 30,000 CREST Awards are given out. Many students who earn Silver and Gold Awards (which need 30 and 70 hours of work) go on to enter big competitions like the UK Big Bang Fair.

Patrons and Presidents of the British Science Association

Each year, a new president is chosen for the BSA. They usually serve for one year and give a speech when their term ends. The president is only chosen once. For example, in 1926/1927, King George V was the patron, and his son Edward, Prince of Wales, was the president.

List of Annual Meetings

The BSA holds a meeting every year in different locations. Here are some of the places they have met:

• 1831 (1st meeting) York, England.
• 1832 (2nd meeting) Oxford, England.

• 2013 (174th meeting) Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
• 2014 (175th meeting) Birmingham, England.
• 2015 (176th meeting) Bradford, England
• 2016 (177th meeting) Swansea, Wales
• 2017 (178th meeting) Brighton, England
• 2018 (179th meeting) Hull, England
• 2019 (180th meeting) Coventry, England
• 2020 No meeting due to the COVID pandemic
• 2021 (181st meeting) Chelmsford, Essex, England
• 2022 (182nd meeting) Leicester, England
• 2023 (183rd meeting) Exeter, England
• 2024 (184th meeting) East London, England
• 2025 (185th meeting) Liverpool, England
• 2026 (186th meeting) Southampton, England

Where the BSA is Located

The British Science Association's office is in the Wellcome Wolfson Building. This building is located at the Science Museum, London in South Kensington.

More to Explore

• 1860 Oxford evolution debate
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Association of British Science Writers
• Café Scientifique
• EuroScience
• National Science Week
• Royal Institution
• Royal Society
• Science Festival

See also

In Spanish: Asociación Británica para el Avance de la Ciencia para niños