Comments on: The Science Geeks of Tomorrow Need Your Help http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Mon, 20 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645645 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645645 The most interesting statistic I find in all this is in the PISA click-through from the whitehouse link. As a Canadian, where the most basic of science (and math) literacy is common, I observed that even in the best performing country, just under 4% scored at the highest level, and the percentage was 2-3% for the top half of the chart, which to me suggests only one thing. Some of us (3%) just 'get' math and science, and most don't. Junk science is everywhere -- if I see any more fMRI studies claiming to have discovered the 'criminal' zone or similar nonsense -- grrrr! The best use of our energies would probably be in allowing scientists access to what they need. The rest of the population can do better, but frankly most of them won't love it, and will pursue other things. Also, middle school is probably too late. Still, it's a good idea to try. This will allow more opportunities to the science-inclined, mentoring opportunities for scientists, and hopefully more knowledge of the basics. - GimpWii The most interesting statistic I find in all this is in the PISA click-through from the whitehouse link.

As a Canadian, where the most basic of science (and math) literacy is common, I observed that even in the best performing country, just under 4% scored at the highest level, and the percentage was 2-3% for the top half of the chart, which to me suggests only one thing.

Some of us (3%) just ‘get’ math and science, and most don’t. Junk science is everywhere — if I see any more fMRI studies claiming to have discovered the ‘criminal’ zone or similar nonsense — grrrr!

The best use of our energies would probably be in allowing scientists access to what they need. The rest of the population can do better, but frankly most of them won’t love it, and will pursue other things. Also, middle school is probably too late.

Still, it’s a good idea to try. This will allow more opportunities to the science-inclined, mentoring opportunities for scientists, and hopefully more knowledge of the basics.

- GimpWii

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645672 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645672 Thanks for the shout out. Science geeks unite! The 2010 HASTAC/MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition is thrilled to be part of National Lab Day. We hope to get lots of proposals from Boing-Boingers. Thanks for the shout out. Science geeks unite!

The 2010 HASTAC/MacArthur Foundation Digital Media and Learning Competition is thrilled to be part of National Lab Day. We hope to get lots of proposals from Boing-Boingers.

]]> By: Stefan Jones http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645744 Stefan Jones Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645744 This is all part of Obama's sinister atheist New World Order socialist plan to promote Darwinism, heliocentrism, and rational thinking. This is all part of Obama’s sinister atheist New World Order socialist plan to promote Darwinism, heliocentrism, and rational thinking.

]]> By: Maggie Koerth-Baker http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645752 Maggie Koerth-Baker Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645752 I'm volunteering for that, too! I’m volunteering for that, too!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-707504 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-707504 hi! who will be the 1000th live project on the national lab day site? we are growing so fast every day - keep the projects coming! www.nationallabday.org/projects/all Jack hi! who will be the 1000th live project on the national lab day site? we are growing so fast every day – keep the projects coming!

http://www.nationallabday.org/projects/all

Jack

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645815 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645815 PISA 2006, the "complete executive summary": http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/13/39725224.pdf [5 MB]. The full report is also online free. PISA 2006, the “complete executive summary”: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/15/13/39725224.pdf [5 MB]. The full report is also online free.

]]> By: wolfiesma http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645830 wolfiesma Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645830 I was so happy to see this in the NYT this morning! What a boon it would be to have well produced science education modules available online, complete with demonstrations, special effects, beautiful animation, discussion questions. Hope this competition results in actual learning units that students and teachers can access. I think it would be a very democratizing force in education to have the most innovative and effective science lessons and games available to everyone. Putting it on tv is a very good idea. Online is very good too. A thousand blessings on your houses science professionals and media designer collaborators! I was so happy to see this in the NYT this morning! What a boon it would be to have well produced science education modules available online, complete with demonstrations, special effects, beautiful animation, discussion questions. Hope this competition results in actual learning units that students and teachers can access. I think it would be a very democratizing force in education to have the most innovative and effective science lessons and games available to everyone. Putting it on tv is a very good idea. Online is very good too. A thousand blessings on your houses science professionals and media designer collaborators!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-646352 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-646352 Ah, the Annual political lip service to science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) ritual. The National Governor's association made STEM their #1 priority in 2007-2008 ( http://tinyurl.com/y9oasso ). Yawn. These same politicians and leaders then turn around and urge their own children to pursue law, political science, finance, business administration and marketing. Yes, there are notable exceptions and that's what they are ... exceptions. The current cargo cult of high tech users do not have nor desire an understanding of the workings of their devices. Most children lose their fascination with STEM at an early age because the culture around them denigrates such pursuits and celebrates the exact opposite. Until we reward technology workers appropriately, we will continue to wallow in too many lawyers, empty-shell celebrities, god-like musicians, deck-chair-arranging real estate agents, oily-slick marketing consultants, middle mis-managers, Wall Street money shufflers, and overpaid sterioid-pumped sports players. See Chris Hedges new book "Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle" for an in-depth treatment. He's even more cynical than this comment. Welcome to the B Ark! Ah, the Annual political lip service to science-technology-engineering-mathematics (STEM) ritual. The National Governor’s association made STEM their #1 priority in 2007-2008 ( http://tinyurl.com/y9oasso ). Yawn. These same politicians and leaders then turn around and urge their own children to pursue law, political science, finance, business administration and marketing. Yes, there are notable exceptions and that’s what they are … exceptions.

The current cargo cult of high tech users do not have nor desire an understanding of the workings of their devices. Most children lose their fascination with STEM at an early age because the culture around them denigrates such pursuits and celebrates the exact opposite.

Until we reward technology workers appropriately, we will continue to wallow in too many lawyers, empty-shell celebrities, god-like musicians, deck-chair-arranging real estate agents, oily-slick marketing consultants, middle mis-managers, Wall Street money shufflers, and overpaid sterioid-pumped sports players. See Chris Hedges new book “Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle” for an in-depth treatment. He’s even more cynical than this comment.

Welcome to the B Ark!

]]> By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2009/11/23/the-science-geeks-of.html#comment-645615 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-645615 And remember, folks --- nothing gets kid's attention more than a nice, satisfying BOOM! ;-) (OK, OK, anything dramatic will do, actually... fizzy test tubes, color changes, physics experiments with lots of whirley bits, whatnot --- but it's gotta DO something!) And remember, folks — nothing gets kid’s attention more than a nice, satisfying BOOM! ;-)

(OK, OK, anything dramatic will do, actually… fizzy test tubes, color changes, physics experiments with lots of whirley bits, whatnot — but it’s gotta DO something!)

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