IDEAS in the pipeline

“管道中的想法”将包括一系列创新活动和面向广大公众的在线论坛，为讨论重要的工程相关主题创造空间。它将通过使用精心挑选的主题作为思考和辩论的刺激，为社会如何形成关于工程的观念提供新的见解。大多数人都乐于使用工程产品并接受技术变革，至少在某些形式上是这样。然而，对进入工程专业感兴趣的年轻一代的比例正在下降。在我们的日常生活中，很少有公众反对技术的渐进式扩张，但相反，对于那些对我们的世界产生重大影响的雄心勃勃的项目，也很少有公众的热情。这表明，对于人们如何看待工程、科学和技术问题，并没有一个简单的图景。该项目将进行一个反复的辩论过程，其中每个阶段都围绕着一组明确但开放式的问题。其目的不是记录对具体问题的态度的定量数据。相反，与公众一起（而不是关于公众）发展思想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.