The “Brian Cox Effect”

This year “Brian Cox Effect” is once again being hailed as the factor responsible for the number of applications to physics degrees continuing to buck falling national trends seen in the majority of subjects. Manchester University, academic home of Professor Cox, seems to agree that the science populariser is at least partially responsible, as internal surveying of their students suggests.

By the start of 2012 the application count for physics degrees has had a 50% increase compared to 8 years ago and estimates show that this rise continues even against the backdrop of falling numbers of university applicants. Many people, including prominent academics and public figures, attribute this to the rise in popularity of Brian Cox. Professor Peter Main of the Institute of Physics agrees with this assessment, saying that Brian Cox “demystifies” physics.

Speaking to The Telegraph last week, he said, “About 10 years ago… people used to say ‘If only we could get a face of physics’ like David Attenborough for biology”.

Manchester University’s own physics course has increased in popularity with last year’s figures breaking through the 1000 figure in 2012, compared to 850 in 2009. We have learned from a Manchester physics student that this led to an internal survey being sent to all 1st year physics undergraduates. The students were asked whether Brian Cox had affected their decision in applying to the university. The responses may have been significant in the decision to assign the Quantum Physics course for this year’s students to Brian Cox.

Manchester is also capitalising on its position by being the first University to include two A*s in the entry requirements for Physics degrees.

There are of course other reasons mooted for the increase in physics applications, and plausible to suggest that Brian Cox’s popularity may be the effect, rather than the cause, of a renewed interest in physics. Prof Sir Peter Knight, president of the Institute of Physics, has even discussed contributing factors such as geek-chic and The Big Bang Theory.

Unfortunately for Imperial students, if we want a Brian Cox for ourselves we will have to get our own, as the man himself has on multiple occasionsdeclared his love of Manchester and his reluctance to leave.