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Did the US Take the Back Seat In Science In 2009?

Posted by Soulskill on from the relegated-to-the-trunk dept.

tcd004 writes "In the PBS NewsHour's roundup of the biggest science news of the year, Neil DeGrasse Tyson dropped this doozie: '[Scientific leadership] drives the economic strength and security of nations. The fall is not from a cliff. More like a slow, downward slide — almost imperceptible from day to day. But as the years pass America will have descended from leaders to players to merely followers as we fade to insignificance, at best hitching a ride on the innovations of others.'"

2 of 502 comments (clear)

  1. Smart Americans would be stupid pursue STEM career by walterbyrd · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Massive offshoring, and importing of guest workers, has driven the salaries of many STEM workers below a living wage. US citizens are pushed aside to make room for the flood of offshore workers. Needless to say, this situation discourages Americans from pursuing a STEM career. Smart Americans are studying to go into finance, or something. If the US has not already lost it's technology edge, it soon will.

  2. Re:I expect so... by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    ... demise of this country started about the same time that religious belief started to decline. The educational system is almost entirely under the control, certainly on the university level, of those that believe there is no God. As the unbelievers took control the sytem started to crumble and yet they almost entirely blame religion.

    I'm sorry that things are going so poorly in Afghanistan, Mullah Omar.

    --
    That is all.