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My colleague Daniel Sarewitz, who heads up the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes, at Arizona State University, argues against the idea of a presidential debate (ScienceDebate2008) in a recent letter to the journal Nature. Dan writes, “It’s hard to imagine anything worse for the cause of science than to subject it to the sort of high-profile demagogic posturing now reserved for immigration, medical care, social security, the economic downturn and the war in Iraq.

Science continues to enjoy a protected and privileged status in American politics, in no small part because of its absence from the national political stage…”

This is a powerful and thoughtful argument. Science issues don’t usually get resolved with 30-second sound bites. But I have to disagree with Dan’s underlying thesis. One can argue that science has become caught up in demagogic politics for some time now, and if we don’t take aggressive action, science and scientists will continue to be demonized and marginalized, to the long-term detriment of national economic well-being and security. Science in America is losing ground and the economy with it. The golden age Dan refers to following World War II and Sputnik, put science in that so-called privileged status, precisely because it was on the national political stage. Science won the war and was expected to protect us from the Communists as well.

Today there are groups attacking science for political ends. Unless the public and political leaders are re-engaged in understanding the scientific process and its benefits, the nation will lose the goose that laid the golden egg.

Blog posting contributed by:
M. Lee Allison, PhD, PG
lee.allison@azgs.az.gov
State Geologist & Director
Arizona Geological Survey
416 W. Congress, #100
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-770-3500 fax-3505
http://www.azgs.az.gov

President, Arizona Geological Society (www.arizonageologicalsoc.org)
Steering Committee, Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS www.copusproject.org)
Steering Committee, Geoscience Information Network (GIN)

The Earth Science Literacy Initiative is holding a 12-day online conference starting May 12 to establish the “Big Ideas” and supporting concepts that all Americans should know about Earth sciences. The group’s motivations seem remarkably similar to those that prompted formation of COPUS:

“Critical decisions involving Earth science are continuously made within the political and educational realms, with significant impacts on all American citizens.”

“The research community must do a better job of helping the public understand the most important concepts emerging from geoscience research. However, understanding scientific discoveries requires a science-literate population.”

“A deep schism is opening up within our country: at the same time that tremendous scientific advances are being made, increasing percentages of Americans are refusing to believe them.”

Complementary projects already are well along in Ocean Literacy Network, Atmospheric Science Literacy Framework, and Coalition for Climate Literacy.

Blog posting contributed by:

M. Lee Allison, PhD, PG
lee.allison@azgs.az.gov
State Geologist & Director
Arizona Geological Survey
416 W. Congress, #100
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-770-3500 fax-3505
www.azgs.az.gov

Notes from Science Generation April 9, 2008 AMNH NYC

Crisis in science education and science literacy - we have our Sputnik moment right now!

The concentration of heavy hitters during the day and a half of the Science Generation conference (http://www.amnh.org/science/specials/summit/) at the American Museum of Natural History was overwhelming. Nearly every one made compelling points or bold proposals that I jotted down. Here is a sampling:

Dr. Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corp. - building on the concept of the ad campaign that a mind is a terrible thing to waste, he warned that “a generation is a terrible thing to waste.” He described technology as a trojan horse to draw kids into science.

Charles Phillips, Jr., President, Oracle Corp. - kids are “hungrier” overseas for learning. We need to educate parents about the current crisis and the value of science education.

John Abele, Co-founder, Boston Scientific Corp. - “we have our Sputnik moment right now.” The American way is to wait for the super crisis before taking action. Can we accelerate the public recognition of the current crisis?

Our society suffers from “affluenza.” If we celebrate the right things, people will follow.

FIRST is a robot challenge competition that has involved 150K kids so far, that has the excitement of NASCAR, but also forces teams to cooperate in order to win.

Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House - we coddle kids in adolescence. Kids need jobs or educational challenges. Ben Franklin went off to apprentice at age 13. The average age of students at Princeton in 1780 was 13.5 years.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director, Hayden Planetarium - we are always on the trajectory of complexity. There is a doubling of information every 30 years but that was true 30 years ago as well. People always feel life is too fast, no matter when they live.

We should triple NASA’s budget, because they turn dreams into education effectively.

Don’t blame the science standards - teachers need to be better able to relate to today’s kids. [prompting a response from Gerry Wheeler that this sounds like “teacher bashing” to which Neil pounded his fist and declared that it was absolutely meant to be that]

Gerald Wheeler, Exec. Director, National Science Teachers Association - there are 2 million teachers of science in the U.S. today - teachers in K-12. They don’t see themselves as science teachers, but parents and the public do.

James Hunt, former Gov. of No. Carolina, chairman Hunt Inst. for Educational Leadership and Policy - we need common science standards across the country, but that does not mean federally mandated standards. Every child is able to learn effectively. Excellence and broad engagement are mutually achievable. State and local education leaders should form world class common (national) science standards.

Dr. Robert Hormats, Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs - we are in a “slow motion crisis” vs the Sputnik crisis. The U.S. needs a national mission. We have de facto national standards for the elite and rich in AP classes. Why not something comparable for everyone?

Ellen Futter, President, American Museum of Natural History - we all understand what the problem is. The goal of the conference is to jumpstart the remedy to solve the problem. The solution must be cross sector - educators, funders, government, private sector - to improve science education and science literacy.

There is an unresolved debate about national standards, but we must have commitment to common goals. Government must make science education and literacy a priority, with incentives and benchmarks.

This summit focuses on the science demand side vs the science supply side. What will it take to create the power of the “science mom and dad” comparable to the political influence of the “soccer mom?”

We have to stop underestimating the potential of our kids. Frank Luntz, pollster, tv network news - less than 5% of the presidential debates have related to education, and there was almost nothing on science.

NCLB - parents want accountability, but teachers feel their hands are ties and the system is impersonal.

Joel Klein, Chancellor, NYC Dept. of Education - we need national standards and assessments, improvement of our science teaching corps, partnerships with cultural and scientific institutions (such as museums). There are no short cuts but we need scientific literacy among the population, it’s in our national self-interest.

The quality of teachers is the second big challenge. We have to look at offering pay differentiation among specialties.

John McCarter, President & CEO, The Field Museum - they produced a $20M exhibition on evolution - an investment of their best and brightest at the museum, but feel trumped by the $27M creation museum in Kentucky.

They offer free admission for 2 months to kids with perfect attendance. Their goal is “No Child Left Inside.”

Robert Corcoran, VP General Electric, President GE Foundation - GE wants world class common national standards for math and science education. Every other OECD country has them. We need to revamp teacher education at the college level.

Stephanie Bell-Rose, Pres., The Goldman Sachs Foundation - how do we respond to the urgency of this crisis? There has to be strategic and investment partnership for cross-sector involvement.

My comment - I concur with Ellen Futter. We are all in agreement. How do we go forward? It wasn’t obvious what the next steps would be after the summit. I’m hoping that after the dust settles, we will see a proposal from the organizers. The high-level corporate role in this summit suggests that action is expected.

Posting Contributed by: M. Lee Allison, PhD, PG lee.allison@azgs.az.gov State Geologist & Director Arizona Geological Survey 416 W. Congress, #100 Tucson, AZ 85701 520-770-3500 fax-3505 www.azgs.az.gov

Last week’s Science Generation conference fully exemplifies the concept of “cross-sector” involvement in dealing with the current crisis in science education and science literacy in this country.

Every panel during the day and half meeting had some of the biggest names from industry, education, academia, and government. And what was remarkable was that virtually everyone was in agreement on core issues.

When the crowd of 250+ was asked at lunch, ‘how many of you think No Child Left Behind is a good program?’ only one hand went up. The overwhelming sense is that NCLB has tied the hands of teachers and school administrators, in order to meet a goal that many admitted is worthwhile - promoting accountability.

I don’t know the K-12 education field very well, so was surprised a bit by the tremendous broad interest and passion on the topic of national standards for STEM curricula. Apparently, every other member nation in OECD (Organization for Economic & Cooperative Development - essentially all the developed nations) uses common national standards.

National standards had its own session on Wednesday, but it was a prominent topic of discussion and debate across the rest of the sessions. Gerry Wheeler, head of the National Science Teachers Association and Neil deGrasse Tyson, head of the Hayden Planetarium at AMNH, got into a brief but wonderfully spirited, table-pounding debate during the breakfast session.

Blog posting submitted by: M. Lee Allison, PhD, PG lee.allison@azgs.az.gov State Geologist & Director Arizona Geological Survey 416 W. Congress, #100 Tucson, AZ 85701 520-770-3500 fax-3505 www.azgs.az.gov

Here are some brief notes from speakers at last night’s opening session at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Congressman Bart Gordon, (TN), chair of the House Science Committee, warned that our current science-education situation is going to lead to a lower standard of living for our kids.

Nicholas Negroponte, head of One Laptop per Child, dismissed the need to endlessly analyze every new idea. He said everyone in the room would buy a laptop for their child or grandchild if they had the chance. No one needed to study whether that is a good idea. It’s obvious. He envisions an online self-education process that will captivate kids.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, and a frequent host on public television, argued that we undervalue the role of media in motivating and engaging students.

Newt Gingrich proposed that any child who graduates high school in less than 4 years be given the equivalent savings of not having to school them, as a college scholarship.

I’ll post on this morning’s session on “Rowing Together” after I get my notes organized.

Blog posting contributed by: M. Lee Allison, lee.allison@azgs.az.gov
COPUS Steering Committee Member

State Geologist & Director
Arizona Geological Survey
416 W. Congress, #100
Tucson AZ 85701
520-770-3500, fax x3505
www.azgs.az.gov

The kick-off session of Science Generation - A National Imperative, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City featured a panel of prominent science/education advocates but it was Newt Gingrich who got the crowd of 400+ really fired up.

The former Speaker of the House called not for a doubling of the NSF budget but a tripling of it. He said excuses that we can’t afford to do this in a $3 trillion budget are “baloney.”

He said that if we don’t make the investments in science and education, our kids will inherit a country that is “weaker, poorer, and less safe” than the one we grew up in.

Newt also proposed opening teaching to part-timers with backgrounds in science and math, without requiring them to go through teacher certification.

Posting contributed by:
M. Lee Allison
State Geologist & Director
Arizona Geological Survey
416 W. Congress, #100
Tucson AZ 85701
520-770-3500, fax x3505
www.azgs.az.gov

Want to Save a Coral Reef? Bring Along Your Crochet Hook

By PATRICIA COHEN

The exotically shaped creatures that began to sprout silently all over the cozy lecture hall were soon spilling onto empty chairs and into women’s laps and shopping bags. When fully grown, these curiously animate forms will find a home as part of a mammoth version of the Great Barrier Reef. But at the moment they were emerging at a remarkable pace from the rapidly flicking crochet hooks wielded by members of the audience.

This environmental version of the AIDS quilt is meant to draw attention to how rising temperatures and pollution are destroying the reef, the world’s largest natural wonder, said Margaret Wertheim, an organizer of the project, who was in Manhattan last weekend to lecture, offer crocheting workshops and gather recruits. The reef is scheduled to arrive in New York City next month.

As she explained to the 40 people, nearly all women, who had gathered at New York University on Saturday, “This has grown from something that was a little object on our coffee table” to an exhibition that, so far, spreads over 3,000 square feet. And that was before the addition of that day’s catch.

Ms. Wertheim, a science writer, and her twin sister, Christine, who teaches at the California Institute for the Arts, came up with the idea of creating a woolly homage to the reef about two and a half years ago. The Wertheims, 49, grew up in Queensland in Australia, where the approximately 135,000-square-mile reef — and the billions of tiny organisms that it comprises — is located. But the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef, is much more than a warning about global warming. It marks the intersection of the Wertheims’ various passions: science, mathematics, art, feminism, handicrafts and social activism.

More info about the project is online at http://www.theiff.org/reef/index.html