Great British Innovation Vote

04 April 2013

This year's National Science and Engineering Week will carry the theme of invention, and to celebrate this the public have voted on the most important innovation in science and technology from the last 100 years, and the innovation that is most likely to shape our future.

The UK has produced some of the most exciting, pioneering and influential innovations over the last century, such as the X-ray Crystallography technique first described 100 years ago by William Henry Bragg and his son William Lawrence Bragg. The future for UK innovation looks bright as well, and innovations such as quantum dots, air-breathing rockets and the Raspberry Pi were all considered in the vote.  

The vote was launched by the emminent Professor Stephen Hawking of the University of Cambridge as part of the GREAT Campaign, and soon caught the attention of the media and the excitement of the public. Over a frantic 10 day period more than 50,000 votes were made on the website, with several innovations jostling for the lead. As the final day of voting loomed two innovations were emerging above the rest of the pack; the Mini and Turing's Machine. Both had the support of broadcasters such as Carol Vorderman, Dara O Briain and Sian Lloyd, and scientists including Dr Ben Goldacre, Dr Richard Dawkins and Prof Brian Cox. Both have been immensely important innovations, but there could be only one winner.

The final day of voting arrived. Prime Minister David Cameron chose not to back one of the favourites casting his vote for the double helix. Things remained tense as the voting began to close, but a last minute effort from Stephen Fry, Dr Richard Dawkins and Prof Jim Al-Khalili pushed Turing's Machine to victory.

In the vote for the recent innovation most likely to shape things to come, the race was initially tight between the Raspberry Pi and Ionic Liquid. Soon howeve,r the Ionic Liquids began to dominate, and eventually they took the vote in a comfortable victory.

The final results are published on the website (link leaves current page), along with information about all of the innovations, and digital recordings (Audioboos) from leading figures explaining why they have chosen to vote for particular innovations.