If you are concerned that British science is on life support, you should worry no more. British science, it turns out, has been saved.
Nearly two decades ago, with Margaret Thatcher's government inflicting painful cuts on UK university research, a small group of scientists protested by establishing the lobbying group, Save British Science. Last month, at a press conference hosted in Parliament, the group announced that the angry sounding name was no longer needed. In the future, it would be referred to as the Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE).
"There is no doubt that the situation has improved substantially under two Labour governments and that their continuing commitment to research and innovation is very welcome," Richard Joyner, chair of CaSE's executive committee, told reporters. "Let us be in no doubt, however, that serious problems remain."
Among the problems that CaSE members still perceive are low academic salaries, underfunding of...