For many less developed countries the brain drain is a big problem. Many of the brightest minds in places like India, China, and continents like Africa and Australia leave and never return. The money in the U.S. is too great to ignore. This leaves many developing nations with a shortage of brainpower. Many have lost interest in science.
Studies show that kids in elementary school say they like science and think it's fun.
But by the time they're in middle school, most are turned off. Relatively few Americans study science in college and even fewer pursue masters or doctoral degrees in the field. In the Third International Math and Science Study, U.S. students scored far below many other developed nations. The results are distressing because in the past four years alone, there has been a big push by educators and businesses to improve science and math scores. International teachers overseeing part of the Math and Science study say one problem could be that U.S. teachers are trained in the field of education rather than professional backgrounds in science or math.