[extropy-chat] FWD [forteana] The state of science education (new subj)

[Dirk Bruere]

On 1/19/06, Terry W. Colvin <fortean1 at mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> (old subj) Magnetic field shoves heat sideways &  Massless ghosts of the
> nanoworld.
>
> [I think Peter's comments are valid as they come from the horse's
> mouth, a current science teacher in Australia.  -Terry]
>
> At 06:48 PM 18/01/2006, you wrote:
> >Ray D wrote:
> > > Nope Stewart, but _was_ once irated beyond endurance by some
> > > time-serving science hack who, when a BBC R4 debate on science
> > > and edu aired the complaint that school science was boring,
> > > replied "Science is _supposed_ to be boring"
> > >
> > > So wrong! Science is only boring when under the domination of
> > > boring people like him.
> > >
> >
> >You won't hear any argument from me about the above.  Every university
> >in the UK is struggling to fill science and engineering courses (outside
> >of presently sexy subjects like biology) because not enough work is done
> >in schools to make science exciting for all kids and not just the geeks.
>
> and therein lies the rub. Scientists have been so successful in portraying
> science as sexy and exciting that kids are turned off at school when they
> find out that sciences isn't exactly like it's portrayed on the discovery
> channel. Kids don't seem to realise that for every 1 hour nature
> documentary showing the extreme lifestyle that baboons live on the African
> savannah, there's a few hundred hours of rangers and scientists sitting
> around watching said baboons scratch their nuts. For every thrilling space


Simpler than that.
Science/engineering is a bad choice in societies where status = money and
scientists/engineers are not paid well.
The kids aren't stupid.

Dirk
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