[pendy]

Sadly, very few students now want to do science, particularly Physics. I know people who have had to take early retirement from their universities because they can't get students. It's much to hard, and you have to think. Universities are closing departments due to lack of students - no students, no funding. Also, science isn't glamorous enough - the image of "the scientist" is all too often some nerd in bottle bottom glasses and a white coat, muttering happily in a lab - far from the truth!

Perhaps we should make a big effort to change the image - and stop dumbing down all the time to get useless students into universities - I quote from a friend of mine at Glasgow Uni - if they can write their names correctly four times out of five, the Humanities Dept will take them. Is it any wonder we are short on good people when you can get a degree in Aromatherapy - not generally regarded as a solid academic discipline.