Thread: Seriousness Science Literacy in the U.S.A.
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Old 04-14-2010, 01:16 PM   #19
HarryT
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmdahler View Post
I have a degree in physics, but the older I get, the less I care about things like evolution and cosmology. These branches of human learning have nothing to do with bettering society or improving anyone's life, so I rather suspect that the ones decrying the sad state of these useless fields of learning are mainly the ones who benefit from them: if enough people don't care, then precious funding to keep a lot of pointless archeology projects might get pulled, and a lot of archeologists might have to actually go out and get a real job. Perish the thought. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is a laudable goal, but only when all the other serious needs of society are taken care of.
Science education is about teaching people to THINK, and that's perhaps the most important thing you can teach a child to do. That's why there are so many different jobs open to people who do have a science degree. It's not the subject matter of the degree that matters; it's the fact that getting to degree has (hopefully!) taught you the skill of critical thinking, and that's a skill that will repay you for the rest of your life.
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