Short film helps get science funding

A major new science initiative called 4th Generation Light Source (4GLS) is being pursued at the Daresbury Laboratory in the UK - and they're using a well made short film to explain why the research is important and worth funding.

You can watch the film online and I really like the smooth moving equipment shots and graphic transitions and overlays they're using in it.

I also like the emphasis on the real world practical applications (and I'll look up the hard science later, honest). It's particularly interesting that they say that the science will be helpful in the world of "security" - i.e. combatting terrorism and drugs by helping detect chemical traces. I remember when it was enough to claim that the research would help make faster computers to secure funding!

And if you're wondering what the facility actually does, well according to their website:

"4GLS will be a world-leading photon facility to enable internationally outstanding science in the UK. The 4GLS facility will combine energy recovery linac (ERL) and free electron laser (FEL) technologies to deliver a suite of naturally synchronised state-of-the-art sources of synchrotron radiation and FEL radiation covering the terahertz (THz) to soft X-ray regimes."

So there you have it. The video glosses over that bit!

(This facility was mentioned in the recent Institute of Physics e-bulletin for the North West region in the UK - compiled by Louise Butcher and distributed to IoP members via e-mail.)