While I believe it's true that a lack of education in every subject -- math and science, in addition to history, geography, and civics -- is leading to our end of prominence as a great country, I believe that the decline in dominance of the United States in science and technology is due to the attitudes of the scientists themselves, coupled with the attitudes of the public.
To digress from the scientific community for a second, first: The government gives grants based on research it deems necessary, from medical research [constantly lobbied for but underfunded nevertheless] to environmental research [funded but only noticed due to convenience]. This inaction is due to (a) the politicians' disinterest and miseducation on important technological and scientific issues, and (b) the people's inability to differentiate science from science fiction.
However, I do not believe that the scientific community is doing anything to block the cultivation of this image. Instead, they are drawn [mostly] into the world of the university, where chancellors own patents and publication [novel or not] means money. For every hint at the cause of a major disease in our world, there is another hint at, for example, the nature of 'the Wave' in a Mexican soccer stadium or another contradictory statement on diet and nutrition. Sadly, the media picks up more of the latter statements than the former, and the scientific community does nothing to correct their image.
I say to science: Put stricter bounds on what can be published. Differentiate between the useful and the useless. Tell me that biomedical technology is more important than studying some theoretical subatomic particle or a rare butterfly species.
I say to scientists: Break free from the construct of the university. Come up with a novel, original idea and take it out into the private sector. Advance your research and our country by marketing your own innovations and funneling the money into research into the practical.
In order to turn around American science, we must first turn around America's scientists.
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While I believe it's true that a lack of education in every subject -- math and science, in addition to history, geography, and civics -- is leading to our end of prominence as a great country, I believe that the decline in dominance of the United States in science and technology is due to the attitudes of the scientists themselves, coupled with the attitudes of the public. To digress from the scientific community for a second, first: The government gives grants based on research it deems necessary, from medical research [constantly lobbied for but underfunded nevertheless] to environmental research [funded but only noticed due to convenience]. This inaction is due to (a) the politicians' disinterest and miseducation on important technological and scientific issues, and (b) the people's inability to differentiate science from science fiction. However, I do not believe that the scientific community is doing anything to block the cultivation of this image. Instead, they are drawn [mostly] into the world of the university, where chancellors own patents and publication [novel or not] means money. For every hint at the cause of a major disease in our world, there is another hint at, for example, the nature of 'the Wave' in a Mexican soccer stadium or another contradictory statement on diet and nutrition. Sadly, the media picks up more of the latter statements than the former, and the scientific community does nothing to correct their image. I say to science: Put stricter bounds on what can be published. Differentiate between the useful and the useless. Tell me that biomedical technology is more important than studying some theoretical subatomic particle or a rare butterfly species. I say to scientists: Break free from the construct of the university. Come up with a novel, original idea and take it out into the private sector. Advance your research and our country by marketing your own innovations and funneling the money into research into the practical. In order to turn around American science, we must first turn around America's scientists.