Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, commonly called MI5, is seeking a chief scientific adviser "to lead and co-ordinate the scientific work of the Security Service so that the service continues to be supported by excellent science and technology advice", its website said.<\/p>\n
Applicants must have "world-class scientific expertise and credibility in relevant scientific and technology disciplines", their advertisement read.<\/p>\n
"I think it’s unlikely that the person will be required to develop a weapons system for the latest Aston Martin," Professor John Beddington, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, told the BBC.<\/p>\n
However, the successful candidate will help protect Britain against threats to national security by keeping on top of the latest moves in science and technology.<\/p>\n
"It will involve a sort of future-gazing to see where technology will be taking us in a year or so," Beddington said.<\/p>\n
"There is a really important role in providing scientific and technological advice on addressing problems agents in the field will face."<\/p>\n
MI5’s chief science adviser would help "to frustrate terrorism, to prevent espionage hurting the UK, protect our critical national infrastructure and to frustrate the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
"There’s an enormous amount of scientific content in this role."<\/p>\n
Q’s hi-tech knowhow saw fictional overseas spy Bond out of several scrapes thanks to his wealth of new-fangled gadgets.<\/p>\n
They included a wrist-mounted dart gun, a leg plaster cast that fires missiles and numerous wacky modifications to Agent 007’s Aston Martin cars.<\/p>\n
Applications close on Friday.<\/p>\n
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