Scientific Elites vs. Illiterates

Rackemup writes "An article at Technology Review examines how it's possible for the same education system to produce both scientific elites and illiterates. While the article is kind of hard on current Elementary school teachers (whom the author says are hostile towards the scientific studies because becoming an Elementary teacher is the only way to graduate from college without needing to take a single science course), he does raise the issue that if we gave these teaching positions the pay-level and respect they deserve it would be much easier to attract Doctoral-level people to fill them."

Comments

Umm... how much shakespeare does this guy know?

[mikeage]

Seriously... although I am (of course) a science type geek, I have to wonder... why does this guy assume that everyone should know insane amounts of physics? A "cool" physics class (say, a combination of practical mechanics (to understand bridges + stuff), and interesting factoids might help his idea of "understanding physics", but no non-science major will care about T=R x F or Vf^2 - Vi^2 = 2ad. Come on. What did he take in the liberal arts field? "Survey of world literature"? "History of the 20th Century"? Come on.