I read a book earlier in the summer called Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future that was largely composed of this matter. I don't really buy into the "Republican conspiracy theory" that the book matter tried to make sound less extreme, but instead just made it sound arrogant and elitist. Honestly I think that focusing more on English and Math in school is a large part of the low test scores. When I was in high school we only had to take two semesters of a science course and in college it's only one semester for most degrees. The student body seems more than happy to only have to take a combined three semesters of science so they're not going to fight the issue.
I think the solution needs more people orientated science teachers in elementary, middle, and high school. There's a saying that goes that to every stereotype there can be found a little truth, and that does not change for the stereotypical scientist. I know most scientists are nice, interesting people, but for ever Duga you have 10 people you'd rather not be around. Not because they're bad people, they're just not as engaging. You know when you go to that class there's going to be a lot of note taking on stuff that already doesn't interest you, your interest and attention is definitely going to wane.
Our disinterest with real science has already spilled out of the schools and into other places. For example most newspapers have had to gut their science section down to a weekly piece if that, and whatever science news does get reported is usually associated with obesity and other personal health areas. Important stuff, but fluff compared to people working on vaccinations, diseases, etc.
The reason I don't buy the "Republican's War on Science" argument is because it just seems too preposterous, like something out of a Captain Planet episode. The argument paints the Republicans far too devious and cartoony, like the Captain Planet villain who steals an oil tanker to run it into a baby seal beach rather then selling the oil off for it's profits. I definitely think moving a well balanced cirriculum in school to one more based on Math and English so kids could score higher on tests is part of the problem, but I don't think of it as some grand conspiracy set up by the Republicans to keep science down and get Jesus back into Government. I just don't see where the money is to be made there, and if you cut a politician's arm, money will come out instead of blood.
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