A little imagination and the latest technology could help make science teaching more interesting, according to Sussex scientists.
Last week, the Commons Science and Technology Select Committee said GCSE science was so boring, it puts many people off the subject for life and fails to keep up with topical issues and technological advances.
MPs said the curriculum should overhauled so it more closely reflected the science students were likely encounter in their everyday life.
Committee member Desmond Turner, Labour MP for Brighton Kemptown, said if science lessons were more relevant, the public would have a better understanding of issues such as the MMR vaccine.
He said: "Good science teaching teaches people to deal with evidence.
If more people appreciated what evidence was available over MMR, wouldn't have the scare."
The committee said the Government should pump at least £120 million into school science laboratories.
quarter of comprehensive laboratories were so poor they affected the quality of teaching.
Mike Wilson, who lectures science education at Sussex University, said: "I wouldn't totally disagree there aren't enough opportunities fire young people's imagination and some science topics are tarted-O-levels."
There were some state-of-the-art initiatives in Sussex, including Hollywood Science lectures by Jonathan Hare, which investigated whether scenes from Hollywood movies were accurate.
He said: "Children examined the science behind Bruce Willis jumping out a skyscraper with a fire hose wrapped around his waist.
"It's far more interesting to them than a weight dangling from a spring."
Rose Luckin lectures at Sussex University's school of cognitive and computer sciences.
She said: "Although admissions are up and bucking the national trend, there will be a long-term problem if we don't make science more exciting and students more motivated."
Using the internet and digital TV could make things more interesting.
She said: "Using innovative digital media in the classroom in science teaching is one thing we've been looking at.
"Making subjects more exciting is up to us but technology can certainly help."
Malcolm McIlhagga of Brighton-based Sigmer Technologies said: "It's definitely true fewer people going into electronic engineering.
"Ten years ago, the average age of an engineer was 40 but now it has gone up to about 43. There are fewer and fewer younger people in the industry."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article