The United States needs more nerds. Their distinguishing characteristic is that they enjoy mathematics, science, and engineering.
Nerds have exceptional opportunities for success and personal fulfillment.
High-tech jobs pay 73 percent more than average private sector jobs. Demand for many technical specializations will climb more than 100 percent in the next 10 years. Yet, the number of United States bachelor's degrees awarded in computer science and in several engineering fields shrank by more than 40 percent between 1985-1995. In the mid-1980's more than 8 percent of the bachelor of science degrees awarded in the United States were in engineering. Today, that figure has dropped to slightly more than 5 percent.