Press releases

Science poll raises interesting findings

Birmingham Science City’s communications department, which is hosted by Marketing Birmingham, conducted a survey among 1,000 school children as part of National Science and Engineering week in March.

The research, which was conducted online, offered multiple-choice answers on a number of questions, including who invented the telephone, who was the first man on the moon and who invented gravity. There was also an option of 'other' for each question, so the children could give an alternative answer to the ones listed if they wished.

The findings uncovered that 69% of girls knew that Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, compared to 80% of boys. There were also some unusual answers, with 10% of everyone surveyed believing that the Queen invented the phone.

Eight out of ten children knew that the first man on the moon was Neil Armstrong, although 10% believed that the correct answer was fictional animation character Buzz Lightyear. In total, 62% of all respondents knew that Isaac Newton‘discovered’ gravity, although 59% of all nine and ten-year-olds believed that physicist discovered fire.

The results are showed how aspirations change as children become older. A total of 44% of primary and secondary school kids said they would most like to be famous for winning a Nobel prize - more than double the proportion who said they wanted to achieve stardom by winning the X Factor (20%).

However, that figure was much higher among 9 & 10 year olds, with 69% wanting to be famous for winning a Nobel prize for scientific discovery, rather than winning an Olympic medal (16%), winning the X Factor (12%) or winning an Oscar (9%).

That figure dropped to just 33% of 11-15 year olds.

Dr Pam Waddell from Birmingham Science City comments:

"While some of these findings will raise a smile, it suggests that school children aren't tuned into our scientific heroes in the same way that they might be to sporting or music legends.  Our work at Birmingham Science City is about demonstrating the value that scientific discovery and innovation brings to the economy, our quality of life and the things we take for granted every day, such as using the telephone or watching TV.”

The poll attracted widespread regional, national and international coverage in the media.