Thank you,
Dian Jordan, instructor
University of Texas at Permian Basin

The program I was involved with did not have a director for 2 years while I attended the school, and the interim director didn’t care because she knew she wasn’t going to get the full position. Those were 2 years without advising direction, and wasted money by myself on classes I should have been advised against taking as I flapped directionless in the wind looking for leadership or direction from the school I was paying te help me with these decisions. 6 years, a ton of debt, and no degree later, I’ve come to hate the school I was attending, as they continue to increase enrollment and decrease instructors and budgets…

I have no answers. Wish I did. This country should be leading the world in science and technology, but, we constantly fall behind as schools and education are relegated to mere Election Year Buzzwords.

But we are a people world. I just came back from a science fair, “Amazing Skies”, that brought perhaps close to 1000 young and old to an art and science museum in McAllen, Texas, where per capita income is quite low. The San Antonio Astronomy Assoc, 250 miles away, came to the event and about 600 were awed by their views of celestial objects (1/4 Moon, Saturn w/ 3 moons and Venus).

Although sponsorships were down, people still had much in their exhibition booths that all contributed to greater interest in science. The Sun was the primary topic and there is much I could say about all that happened, but the point is that the spirit is alive and young and old can be made to get engaged if clubs, volunteers, retired scientists and engineers will reach out and grow as they contribute more to the needs you and other scientists have in advancing science interest.

Their is hope because the need for science, math and engineering is very real. Perhaps greater local events such as these could help make a long term difference. Von Braun’s interest in rocketry grew from his youthful club’s activities, IIRC.

Oh. Now I remember. Expanding government. Government, which does not produce anything. Only vacuums more and more out of our pockets so it can grow grow grow.

Thought about a fundraiser or something? You seem to have a pretty high profile, might not save the entire education sector, but might bail out your Uni

Ok, I understand now, thanks.

And sorry to hear about your troubles getting papers. I’m surprised to hear that people don’t first “publish” on the web. It’s the quickest and most convenient way to spread knowledge and probably the most ecologically responsible too.

“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt.” Cicero – 55 BC

I often wonder if we will be any smarter in another 2000 years.

And no, not everyone puts preprints on the web. There are lots and lots of papers I need and can’t get.

I want to make sure I’m understanding this right: there are classes with more than 100 students? Like 100 people in the same room??

“We don’t have 1 astronomy journal at SIUE, so I personally subscribe where I can, and where I can’t I beg PDFs from colleagues…”

Surely everyone puts preprints on the web these days. Why have to beg anyone?

There is a second, more neferious and politically contentious issue, which is nagging like a bad back-itch to be discussed. Is it sane to neglect a child’s scientific education it the name of freedom of religion?

There has been too much kow-towing to the religious right for political gain, and it has been at the expense of young minds. “Creation science” is not science – no matter how it is packaged. The shameful thing is that the very defintion of science has become a question of correct interpretation. Science has its limits, but its potential is virtually unlimited – unless you stick in a politico-religious straitacket. That is when it starts to lose funding.

Cut the nukes down even more, bin the Trident upgrade, make the Banks pay government first then they can have their fat cat bonuses.

I love it when they go on about how well the Stock Markets are doing but the truth is here in your post and here in the UK it is just as bad, in fact I have never seen it as bad in all my 50 years.

Our Governments have let us all down, shame on them !

Take them on and make them do something about it.

I think I draw different conclusions when I hear the ‘Real University’ claim, but it’s always disgusted me too. It’s an enabling thought train that I’ve always heard in the context of why what they did was good enough, why they don’t think criticisms of it are valid. They denigrate themselves as bottom-rate so that they don’t have to push themselves to do better.

There’s nothing wrong with knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing exactly how far you want your ambition to carry you. It is wrong to mentally construct an institutional caste system as a justification for how much effort you expend or what you are capable of doing. As if any outside authority were capable of dictating identity. Where is pride as a positive entity?

Marcus Aurelius:

“You have to assemble life yourself – action by action. And be satisfied if each one achieves its goal, as far as it can. No one can keep that from happening.”

“-But there are external obstacles…”

“Not to behaving with justice, self-control, and good sense.”

When you fill the government with people who think that government is bad, when you elect representatives who believe that their highest obligation is to increase the wealth of their major contributors, you can’t be surprised when they cut important programs and raid the treasury!

Great posting. Unfortunately it will get worse before it gets better. The countless billions (trillions even) that the US and UK governments have poured into, at best, a highly debatable conflict in Iraq means that both of these countries now have severe funding issues.

In the short term it is easy to cut the areas of science that do not generate revenue and are seen as simply there to further our knowledge and understanding. When UK government funding is about to be slashed by 25% who is going to listen to a few astronomers bleating on about needing a new telescope to play with?

In addition, standards in science and maths education have been falling for years as the emphasis on all succeeding equally well means difficult areas get removed from the curriculum… which as a scientist always baffles me. Supposedly simplifying the curriculum would make it more appealing to more people – especially girls (an awful piece of political logic, but shockingly true). Trouble is no one takes science because it is easy or difficult, you study science because you like asking questions about the world and universe. So changing the benchmark for science has simply produced a batch of poorly educated scientists as opposed a batch of well educated scientists.

Maybe you could ask that nice Mr Dawkins for a few pointers… after all he has a chief role in furthering the public advance of his bank account, sorry I mean Furthering the Public Understanding of Science.

Regards,
Chris

Of course, the majority of the people in the world struggle to get any sort of education, let alone a good one. I simply meant to say that I didn’t quite realise the seriously dire straights that America has found itself in…

Chin up though – you do an amazing job, and the bad times will ease. It was largely outreach by professional astronomers that inspired me onward to the game I’m in, and I have no doubt that the hard work and dedication of you and your colleagues will inspire others onward to science.