First, we are charged to do our best by the children in today's classrooms who will face a world that is more and more scientifically and technologically complex. Secondly, as members of the greater scientific community, we must support and protect the pursuit of science and scientific knowledge, which is under attack from so many quarters today. Yet . . . politicians tell us that science has no defined consituency . . . The articles references a 1996 report from the National Science Board that tracks trends and statistics about the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. Some information is shocking.
Some information is dismaying.
We all know the factors for the short-term mindset confronting us. Constricted resources, heightened competition, the instantaneous transfer of information and technology around the world that levels the playing field. To some extent, these factors have imposed a useful discipine and made us more productive. But we must remember to nurture the kind of science and research that pushes frontiers, breaks us out of our current box, and creates new opportunities for society. To do that, we must adapt and grow a science education system, beginning in the elementary grades, that prepares our children for success in the 21st century.