Learning to love the question `why?'

It is ironic that, although fascinated that we put people on the moon, fewer and fewer children are interested in how it was actually done.

We have incurable diseases, natural catastrophes and world hunger on an increasing scale, yet our second-level students are not excited by the challenge of contributing to solutions.

Study of the physical sciences may appear to be alive and well in Ireland. Our annual student science festival, the Young Scientist of the Year Competition, is so well attended that you would imagine this area is booming. The reality, however, is that it is not.

In a paper presented to a recent conference of science educators in Prague in the Czech Republic, my University of Limerick colleague Dr Peter Childs drew attention to the declining interest of Irish secondary school students in the physical sciences. Since 1987, the percentage of Leaving Certificate students selecting chemistry has dropped from 20.8 per cent to less than 11 per cent, and for physics the reduction is from 21 to 14.5 per cent. Sobering, isn't it?

To ignore the long-term implications of these figures for our economic future would be short-sighted in the extreme. During the past decade, many of the world's top pharmaceutical companies have been attracted to Ireland, partly because of the availability of a young, well-educated workforce with appropriate technical skills.

As a result, a burgeoning chemical and pharmaceutical industry now accounts for 25 per cent of our total exports and employment in the industry is growing at about 20 per cent a year. The industry depends upon a continuing supply of new science graduates and, unless the current trend away from science in secondary schools is reversed, the sustainability of the industry in Ireland is threatened.

And so the question: Why the decline in interest? A central factor is undoubtedly the general unfavourable image of science and scientists in the minds of the young people. It is up to all of us concerned to address this issue and grasp the opportunity for positive intervention.

As a scientist, recently returned to Ireland after spending many years abroad, I have been disappointed by the lack of appreciation that exists for our rich scientific heritage. Most Irish children and adults can speak with justifiable pride about the magnificent literary legacy bequeathed to the world by Irish authors such as Swift, Goldsmith, Joyce, Yeats, Synge, Shaw, Wilde, Beckett and Heaney - their contributions to literature are magnificent and are deservedly lauded throughout the island and beyond. However, the Celtic genius for creative thinking is not confined to literary writing. Through the years, Irish men and women have contributed massively to the fields of science and engineering, yet these intellectual giants, who have had a major influence on the world in which we live, receive scant attention.

Irish scientific and engineering heroes include: Robert Boyle, the father of modern chemistry; John Tyndell, a collaborator of Michael Faraday, whom he succeeded as head of the Royal Institution; William Parsons, who established Birr as the centre of world astronomy at the end of the 19th century; John Holland, inventor of the modern submarine; William Thompson (later Lord Kelvin) for whom the temperature scale is named; Charles Parsons, inventor of the steam turbine; Harry Ferguson, inventor of the tractor; Kathleen Lonsdale, crystallographer and first woman to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society; JD Bernal, whose studies in crystallography laid the foundation for the discovery of the genetic code; and Ernest Walton, who, together with Lord Rutherford, received the Nobel Prize for splitting the atom.

Are these not giants? Yes they are, and Ireland has produced many more outstanding scientists and engineers. It is unfortunate that this is not a widely recognised source of pride for our young people. The work and contributions of these individuals should be celebrated in the school curriculum, in books and through the media in order that our young people can identify with these heroes and aspire to carry on the proud scientific tradition.

Several years ago, when I lived in Canada, my nine-year-old daughter announced at the dinner table that she did not like science. When I enquired about the reasons behind this pronouncement, I was told that science is boring and is just a lot of long names.

I contacted her teacher, who had no scientific training and was trying gamely to cope with a challenging science syllabus. As a result, I was invited to visit the class and talk about science.

I explained to the children that scientists ask questions and then try to find the answers. As an example, I asked who could jump the furthest. Many hands were raised, so we agreed to design an experiment to find the answer. We drew a chalk line on the floor and measured the distance jumped by each child - except for one overweight boy who stoutly refused to participate and was made the official recorder. After the first series of jumps, there were claims of unfairness, sub-optimal performance and pleas for a second chance. Thus, we learned about sample-size and the concept of averaging. The next question asked was why some can jump further than others, so we measured as many of the proposed parameters as was possible and suggested theories for further testing.

My experience in that classroom was enjoyable, enriching and yielded several conclusions. The first is that science is an ideal subject through which to encourage and develop the innate curiosity and creativity of children. Children should be exposed to science at an early stage in their formal education. Secondly, although some theory and reinforcement of principles is necessary, science is something that you do, rather than something that is acquired by sitting behind a desk.

Thirdly, it is possible to interest young people in science without major investment in sophisticated scientific equipment. Finally, those of us who are excited and passionate about science - about asking the question "Why?" - should be prepared to spend the occasional hour in the classroom, talking to students, explaining how science impacts upon their lives and dispelling the negative images of the subject.

We need more young people in the physical sciences for many reasons, but it is of critical importance for the sustainability of a highly productive industrial sector. That's why it is necessary to raise the profile and image of science through celebration of our proud scientific heritage and promotion of science as an exciting and stimulating activity.

Roger Downer is president of the University of Limerick. He is the author of more than 160 scientific papers and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.