Today's title goes to whoever decided to award this research grant.
British scientists have been given £1.4 million [just over US $2 million] of taxpayers' money to find out why teenagers leave their lights and TVs switched on.
The grant will go on a two-and-a-half-year research project aimed at cutting the energy consumption of children and young adults.
Part of the cash will be used to set up a website - or 'story gathering web portal' - that lets teenagers discuss their wasteful energy habits and come up ways of being more frugal.
. . .
It was awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - a quango that gives more than £800 million [about US $1.16 billion] a year to universities and research institutes.
Most of its funding comes from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
. . .
Dr Janet Read, who is spearheading the project at Lancashire, said: 'Teenagers often get a bad press.
'In our project we want to show that this population cares about and is interested in finding solutions to reduce energy consumption.'
There's more at the link.
I could answer that question for them. Teenagers are self-centered brats who typically don't give a damn about anything except what they want, right now. I know - I used to be one myself!
Now, can I have part of that money to reward my contribution to scientific wisdom?
Peter
I smell social engineering, not a research project. One very big tell from the article: "...Part of the cash will be used to set up a website - or 'story gathering web portal' - that lets teenagers discuss their wasteful energy habits and come up ways of being more frugal..." sounds a lot like those Communist "self-criticism" sessions.
ReplyDeleteMind you, I don't think it's deliberate - "cock-up before conspiracy", as they say - but we already know that teenagers don't give a damn about the lights because they're not the ones paying the light bill. This is designed to make them arrogant about conservation without making them take responsibility for their roles in the wastage. And (not quite coincidentally) recruit more Green leftists...
Well, after they get through paying themselves, they 'might' have a dollar per student to actually "pay" with... And I agree with Mike, this is social engineering at it's best, under the 'cloak' of research...
ReplyDelete