Commentary...



USA Science and Engineering Festival - Facebook

 Reading a lot of blogs as well as web sites for this one, I came across "Physics and Physicists" entry by ZapperZ (yes, that's the PhD's post name) titled: "Science Is Not Cool."

The entry relates somewhat to the recent landing of the Curiosity Rover on Mars, which I posted as I was watching the touchdown @ 1:30 AM EST. Times I wish I lived on the west coast!

Adam Ruben, PhD in Microbiology, is the original author of the title piece on the American Association for the Advancement in Science (AAAS for short) "Issues and Perspectives" piece.

At first, I thought about ignoring it. Then, I couldn't help commenting on Zapper's entry, which he graciously published. It follows:

I am in agreement. Along with our advancement through the atomic age post “Sputnik moment,” there has been an attention deficit noticeably spread among the population. Our secondary education is affected by inane standardized tests that point to nowhere measuring [not] anything of global competitive importance; all STEM careers must be “fun” to compete with Xbox, Play Station, You Tube, Facebook, Twitter and “the Google.” A picture of the Apollo landing and an astronaut next to the lunar module is captioned: “This was done with a slide rule. Your eight grader has more computing power in his cell phone, and still can’t pass math because he won’t do more than fifteen minutes of homework. Where do you think HE’LL be going?” Alas, it is the technology birthed of a lot of science behind their genesis that is our undoing. Two good reads: the first Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business." Even though he was referring to the news media in the advent of cable television (written in the early eighties), it is easy to extrapolate to the current technology and its effects on the populace. The second is “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Our Youth and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don’t Trust Anyone Under 30),” by Mark Bauerlein.

Ironic, as my Google ID is "Cool Physics." I'm sure that was a qualifier for ZapperZ posting it.

I have a lot of fun, posting what I think or what I've read, and obviously, my fascination with science. That fascination is shared with a lot of people that view this blog.

Adam Ruben is also a stand-up comedian, and has written a humorous book "Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School." I put him in the company of Jorge Cham of PhD Comics (PhD in Robotics from Stanford) and Scott Adams (former engineer for Pac Bell), cartoonist for Dilbert. Each are saying science and engineering are human experiences, and humanity also involves humor.

For myself, it was the finding of humor in things that got me a degree in physics in the first place, and keeps me pressing forward with the wonder of a child opening wrapped presents (metaphorically, an 'onion'). It is my hope to share that wonder; making STEM a more human experience...for everyone.