Science Debate 08
Monday, March 24, 2008 - 1:54 PM

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I have blogged about the proposed science debate between the presidential candidates. The Philadelphia Inquirer published an OpEd by Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in which he listed a number of questions that could be addressed in such a debate. It is to long to be included here but I would like to quote some that IEEE-USA has had an ongoing interest. Dr. Leshner notes that a leader like Jefferson would see we are in the midst of a scientific and technological revolution, facing both daunting challenges and incredible opportunities. America's most pressing problems all involve science and engineering to crucial degrees. Here are some issues:
EDUCATION: a comparison of 15-year-olds in 30 wealthy nations found that average science scores among U.S. students ranked 17th, while average U.S. math scores ranked 24th. Should the No Child Left Behind Act be modified to prepare U.S. students better for the 21st-century workforce? Could national science standards improve U.S. students' performance?
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WORKFORCE: Business and science leaders worry that America won't produce enough good scientists, engineer and technicians to compete in the future innovation economy, How would you inspire students and recruit them?
SPACE EXPLORATION: Is money being well-spent on America's space program? What goals should the program pursue? Do you favor human missions to the moon and Mars?  
 

 
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