the-BA : National Science Week in Scotland

George Taylor, General Manager and Vice President, Agilent Technologies, swings into action for National Science Week

The sun was shining brightly when Mr Jim Wallace MSP, Scotland's Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise & Lifelong Learning, selected a club and then drove a golf ball a very respectable distance across the practice driving range in St Andrews this morning, launching National Science Week in Scotland.

Within two seconds of his making the shot, a Doppler radar tracking system at the driving range captured all the essential features of the shot - initial speed, direction, trajectory and the amount of spin - and predicted the distance it would travel well before it landed.

Two young golfers from a local primary school joined the Minister and were able not simply to demonstrate their golfing skills - which are excellent - but also to see the tracking system in action, learn a bit about how it works and realise that science and technology can even have a part to play in sport.

Also taking part in the driving experiment was George Taylor, General Manager and Vice President of Agilent Technologies (pictured), supporters of the BA for some years and sponsors of National Science Week 2005.

The launch event in St Andrews could not have happened without the support of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club and The Links Trust of St Andrews, who provided both the much sought-after location and the services of R&A scientist, Dr Steve Otto, who set up and demonstrated the tracking system.

Steve Otto will be giving an illustrated talk, "The Science of Golf", on Wednesday, 16 March as part of the University of St Andrews extensive programme for National Science Week.

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