The_Urban_Scientist's blog
Today is the first day of Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month. I encourage all eduactors to add a little history and perspective to your lessons this month. Highlight the contributions of Latino Science & Engineering professionals in your field and/or encourage students to do a biographical research report of Latino Scientists.
A news story about a BIG NSF grant to a US University to fund undergraduate scholarships in Engineering
Understanding science seriously influences our everyday lives, whether we are conscious of science or not.
Recently, on the NSF news web page, a study (with Black participants) found that the Achievement Gap in Math and Science is closing. In light of the dialogue concerning the sewer study in black neighborhoods, I realize there is a huge misunderstanding about government funding research. I hope to set the record straight. Most of our nation's (and most other nations, too) science, technological, and engineering innovations are funded with public money.
In response to the dialogue about this case, I have added some links that are a follow-up. Specifically, I want to address the science or scientific processes involved in this type of research.
I do understand the environmental justice concerns of this research specifically with this research group. I'm not dismissing these concerns. However, I think it is important that those who are most vocal about this issue demonstrate a basic comprehension of how this type of research is conducted and what this study found. To follow-up I included some links to about the research and "lay" abstract.
Recently, some media outlets have cried a possible foul against the scientific research community concerning a study that fertilized lawns with human and industrial waste as possible remediation to lead poisoning. Study participants were all Black and lived in poor urban neighborhoods. Since this research is 'government funded' some are asking whether these participants were intentionally targeted and if the government is 'deliberately experimenting on vulnerable citizens'.
In response to some critics of my Science and Black History Month post, Renaisauce elegantly explained why diversity lessons were so important to all of society. He then said "can you name 5 scientists from every ethnicity?". Well, can you name 5 Women scientists...from each major discipline?
NPR has some great Black History Month coverage worth checking out, downloading and listening to. Visit npr.org or tune in to your local NPR station.
The time is coming when students will be called upon to integrate Black History into their class courses. P leaseinsist that they do a report on someone who was at least alive in or born after 1950.
Most scientists have a damn hard time relating to “regular people” and sometimes just dealing with non-scientists can be painful. Some call this behavior elitist; I say it’s impatience.
Science is like the Brussels sprouts on a child’s dinner plate. Just like a mom insisting her child eats his veggies; the American public is needs to learn science. Scientists can take a page from creative moms – dress up the veggies in cute arrangements and serve with ranch dressing. In other words, we've got to make the science lessons more relevant to the public. Give them something that's appealing. “Framing” science information may be our best strategy for getting people (of all ages) to gulp down more science.
Beginning this school year, 2007-2008, public school districts must test students in science at least once in each academic level (elementary, junior high, and high school). Regrettably, our nation’s schools have always been challenged to offer quality science education to its students, especially those from poor school districts in rural and inner-cities.
U.S. House of Representatives Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas recently made comments about the imperative need to improve this nation's competitiveness in the science and technology workforce by taking the necessary steps to educate under-represented minority citizens.
"Resistance to science has important social implications, because a scientifically ignorant public in unprepared to evaluated polices about global warming, genetically modified organisms, stem cell research, and cloning." Many Americans are resistant to learn about new technologies, evolution and natural selection, or complicated health care issues. Why? Because people have a hard-time accepting information that conflicts with their personal construct and understanding of the world.
