Professor Stephen Hawking strongly advocates support for QUEST
I have recently become a patron of QUEST, a new centre of scientific excellence planned for the eastern region. We live in a world that is changing rapidly. Only greater public understanding of science and technology will enable us to make the right decisions and guide the future in the best direction.
In the UK, funding for science is continually under threat. All other leading countries have Science Centres funded by industry and private sources, and often by Governments too. They recognise ventures like QUEST will bring alive many of the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and inspire future generations to understand the powerful forces which discoveries have unleashed, and to harness them for beneficial purposes. This is vital to the future of our planet.
Cambridge is the home of so many forward-thinking achievements: the discovery of the electron; the splitting of the atom; the development of the jet engine; and the structure of DNA, for example. The list of scientific 'greats' is unsurpassed: Newton, JJ Thompson, James Clerk Maxwell, Charles Babbage, Lord Rutherford and Darwin to list but a few. This heritage will enable QUEST to become a focus of international importance in terms of promoting the public understanding of science.
Whether you are a potential corporate sponsor, or an interested individual with a contribution to make, there are many opportunities for you to share in this success, and I urge you to give it your strongest support and help shape the future of mankind.