THE results were published this week of an internet poll which asked people to name the scientists on TV whom they most admired.

The runaway winners, with 33 per cent of the vote, were Dr Bunsen Honeydew and his lab assistant Beaker.

For those of you grew up before the 1970s, I should explain that Dr Honeydew was the presiding boffin at Muppet Labs and his quest for knowledge was a regular feature of The Muppet Show. He was a yellowy colour, bald, with glasses but no visible eyes. His much put-upon lab assistant Beaker had orange hair, no neck and used to communicate only in timid squeaks when another experiment resulted in him being blown up, electrocuted or otherwise traumatised.

This poll, commissioned for the British Association Festival of Science 2004, must tell us something. For a start, it tells us there are 40,000 people with enough time on their hands to vote in an internet survey. But it also suggests that TV has been more successful when presenting us with scientists to laugh at, rather than with giving us scientists we might want to emulate. And maybe that reveals something about the way science is undervalued.

I should point out that my own experience in science has not been distinguished. I failed O-level biology and physics and I would have failed chemistry as well, except that I didn't take the O-level.

There are three things I remember about biology. Firstly, is being unable to remember how to label a diagram of the human ear. Secondly, the experience of dissecting a cow's eye, which I left to a classmate because he wanted to be a vet, whereas I can come over a bit queasy sticking a fork into a poached egg. Thirdly, I recall I had a really nice and patient teacher who practically apologised when he gave me a poor mark in a school report. I was so impressed that I actually tried at the subject, and it was the only one of my O-level failures that I regretted.

Anyway, despite the fact that science and I got off to a bad start, I think it's about time we all gave it more respect.

Everywhere you go these days, there are people peddling fantasy and superstition, whether it's reincarnation, astrology or quack health remedies, while the much more fascinating realms of hard scientific fact are ignored.

Look further down that list of favourite fictional scientists and you get to The X-Files's Agent Scully, a scientist who was proved wrong every week while her crackpot sidekick was proved right.

And at number 10, with only one per cent of the vote, is Dr Frankenstein, who in most versions of his story is a basically noble chap who wants to conquer death but is brought down by a mix of his own hubris and the ignorance of people who want to storm his castle brandishing flaming torches.

In this day and age, I think we need more scientists and fewer torch-waving villagers.

First published: Sept 8