IDEAS in the pipeline

管道中的想法将包括一系列创新活动和面向广泛公众受众的在线论坛，以创造讨论与工程相关的重要主题的空间。它将通过使用精心挑选的主题作为思考和辩论的刺激，得出关于社会如何形成关于工程学的想法的新见解。大多数人乐于使用工程学的产品，乐于接受技术变革，至少在某些形式上是这样。然而，对进入工程行业感兴趣的年轻一代比例正在下降。公众几乎没有反对在我们的日常生活中逐步扩大技术，但相反，对将对我们的世界产生重大影响的雄心勃勃的项目却没有多少热情。这表明，人们对工程、科学和技术问题的看法并不简单。这个项目将进行一个反复辩论的过程，在这个过程中，每个阶段都围绕着一组清晰但开放的问题。其目的不是记录有关对具体问题的态度的量化数据。相反，与公众(而不是关于公众)一起发展想法将加深对如何参与塑造公众态度的思维的理解。

Ideas in the Pipeline will consist of a programme of innovative events and online forums for a wide variety of public audiences, to create spaces for discussion about vital engineering-related topics. It will draw new insights about how society forms ideas about engineering through using carefully selected themes as stimulus for thought and debate. Most people are happy to use the products of engineering and to embrace technological change, at least in certain forms. However, the proportion of younger generations showing an interest in entering the engineering profession is in decline. There is little public opposition to the incremental expansion of technology in our everyday lives, but conversely little enthusiasm for ambitious projects that would have a significant impact on our world. This suggests that there is no simple picture of how people think about issues around engineering, science and technology.This project will conduct an iterative process of debate, in which each stage is focussed around a clear but open-ended set of questions. The aim is not to record quantitative data on attitudes to specific issues. Instead, the development of ideas with (rather than about) the public will deepen understanding of how to engage with the thinking that shapes public attitudes.