The dumbing of America: Science

[Jack]

Between the limitations imposed on research by our economic situation and those created by the religious right's disdain for science in general our country has not just stopped advancing in our efforts to understand our planet and the universe, we're actually headed backward.

The ability of U.S. scientists to monitor changes in the planet's climate, natural hazards, and land surface continues to deteriorate, warns a report from the U.S. National Academies' National Research Council (NRC) that was released today. Aging satellites are being replaced too slowly, the report concludes, and by 2020 the country may have only 25% of its current observing capacity.

The new panel was asked to review progress since the NRC's decadal survey of NASA's Earth-observing satellite missions was completed in 2007. That survey cautioned that the U.S. observation program was at risk. NASA has attempted to uphold the priorities outlined in the decadal survey, the committee notes. But the observation network has suffered as long-running missions end and new missions are lost, delayed, or canceled.

The biggest extenuating factor is a lack of money. The decadal survey had assumed that the administration's Earth science budget would be restored to 2002 funding levels of $2 billion per year; instead, since 2007the budget has never risen above $1.5 billion. That shortfall has made it impossible to execute the recommended program, the report notes. But the network has also been weakened by lost satellites, failed launches, and a lack of medium-class launch vehicles to deliver the satellites to space. (The only currently produced medium-class launch vehicle, the Taurus rocket, failed in three of its last four launches, including the 2009 Orbiting Carbon Observatory and the 2011 Glory launches.)

And "mission creep"—escalating costs as scientific requirements for missions expand during development—has also taken its toll. To bring mission costs down, the committee recommends considering mission cost caps. At the same time, the committee recommends considering missions as part of a total package, rather than considering the scientific benefits and costs of each mission in isolation. "Individual missions may have a reduction in science capability, but for the greater good," Busalacchi says.

Keeping an Eye on Earth Is Getting Harder - ScienceInsider

I think it can be reasonably argued that the lack of importance placed on scientific exploration and research by the right is also to blame. While there's justification for spending money to solve our current crises, completely ignoring science and refusing to fund further efforts to learn more about our planetary home will have long-range ramifications for the future of our nation and future generations we can't even begin to imagine.

When we decide to not advance in knowledge we don't just stand still, we actually move backward.

[finder]

How is a lack a funds the religious rights disdain for science? A government that spends more then it has runs dry, mathmatical, not religious.

[Jack]

The two aren't necessarily connected. The economy is a larger issue while the religious right's opposition to science is a lesser but still very real danger to our future.

[gallo]

But we don't teach science and math in this country. American students, when taking standardized tests, rank near the top at 4th grade, near the middle at 8th grade, and at the bottom at 12th grade (Somolia and one other rank lower). For some reason, US students seem to have little interest in science or math. Part of it is, in fact, the religious right's opposition to the teaching of science.

[finder]

But we don't teach science and math in this country. American students, when taking standardized tests, rank near the top at 4th grade, near the middle at 8th grade, and at the bottom at 12th grade (Somolia and one other rank lower). For some reason, US students seem to have little interest in science or math. Part of it is, in fact, the religious right's opposition to the teaching of science.

Maybe the liberals, progressives and the humanist left that has controlled the national teachers union, the department of education and the class curriculums for decades should have thought about that when they decided to mandate books like "Heather has two mommys" required reading over science books.

[gallo]

Maybe the liberals, progressives and the humanist left that has controlled the national teachers union, the department of education and the class curriculums for decades should have thought about that when they decided to mandate books like "Heather has two mommys" required reading over science books.

What does that have to do with the teaching of math and science? In fact, the teaching of math and science has been suppressed by the religious right, who control the school boards in many parts of this country. Homosexuality is not the issue being discussed. Please discuss the topic rather than your irrational obsessions.

[finder]

I am on topic. The left is responsible for the dumbing down of America across the board. Just because you didn't care for the example used to substatiate that fact doesn't open the door for you to inject your hang ups as mine.

[Senor Hoint]

Maybe the liberals, progressives and the humanist left that has controlled the national teachers union, the department of education and the class curriculums for decades should have thought about that when they decided to mandate books like "Heather has two mommys" required reading over science books.

Can you substantiate this with even a single example?

[finder]

Can you substantiate this with even a single example?

Federal Control of Education and the Decline of Community | The Moral Liberal

[ruksak]

Obama hasn't exactly fed the space program. Too busy sending funds into the pockets of unemployed welfare mamas and illegal aliens whom get tax credit for kids that don't even live in the US.

Illegal workers gain tax credit of average $1,800 per child

Illegal immigrants receive billions of dollars more in tax credit than they pay in.

Maybe if we took care of our own and ceased with extorting tax money from legal residents to line the pockets of illegal aliens, we would have more money for science?

[Angry Citizen]

But we don't teach science and math in this country. American students, when taking standardized tests, rank near the top at 4th grade, near the middle at 8th grade, and at the bottom at 12th grade (Somolia and one other rank lower). For some reason, US students seem to have little interest in science or math. Part of it is, in fact, the religious right's opposition to the teaching of science.

Part of me has begun to question whether these tests matter at all. Asian students do really well in mathematics because they perform rote memorization techniques designed to enhance speed and calculative power at the expense of understanding. Standardized tests are precisely the reason why America is getting dumber.

[Angry Citizen]

Obama hasn't exactly fed the space program. Too busy sending funds into the pockets of unemployed welfare mamas and illegal aliens whom get tax credit for kids that don't even live in the US.

Illegal workers gain tax credit of average $1,800 per child

Illegal immigrants receive billions of dollars more in tax credit than they pay in.

Maybe if we took care of our own and ceased with extorting tax money from legal residents to line the pockets of illegal aliens, we would have more money for science?

Illegals pump more into the economy than they take out. While Obama is bad for the space program, he's good for the space industry. SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and the new Planetary Resources are all thriving under the Obama administration.