NY Times "Debate", and my reaction to it. (Part 3)

Continuing coverage from Part 1 [1] of the series of my reactions to the NYT article on the future of STEM education in our country, Christopher Emdin [2] chimes in with a few cents to address his experiences with urban students from New York. His proposal, narrowly stated, wants to marry the pervasiveness of the hip hop culture in his area to the training of new scientific thinkers. In a video produced with NPR [3] he narrates the story of a group of young students writing and performing their own raps in a contest designed to promote multiple lines of thought and build confidence in the youth.

From [4]

"My father told me the program wasn't going to work and it was going to fail like every other program." says Victoria Richardson out of Bronx Compass High School [3]. She performed with two friends of hers on base pairing DNA and despite not winning the contest- they were still proud of what they were able to accomplish. Not only were they able to simply memorize rote base pairing schemes but they understood the material enough to create a work of art and communicate that knowledge enthusiastically.
Dr. Emdin says in the video, "Not every student a part of Science Genius will be a straight A student and go to college...and be the next Einstein. But you know what? We are definitely going to have more scientifically literate young people." [2]
That's a powerful point to note. In his article, he notes that the hip hop culture isn't completely general.
"I argue that the more teachers can consider the unique culture of their students, the more relevant and accessible their education will be." [2]
He basically says here that teachers should feel free to pull from whatever is popular in the kids' lives wherever they teach. Make it accessible and make it fun. Then, maybe a few, will ask those really probing questions that get them started down a really academic path. But no matter what field or endeavor these students choose- we will be all the better for a literate public.

[1] http://jsphmeany.blogspot.com/2013/12/ny-times-debate-and-my-reaction-to-it.html\
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks/in-teaching-stem-use-hip-hop-as-a-bridge
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQrj4NPefd8
[4] http://www.tc.columbia.edu/i/media/9099_SciGenius-161_MarieCurieHighSchool.jpg

NY Times "Debate", and my reaction to it. (Part 2)

The first article in the lineup, as I briefly mentioned in Part 1 is by Miyaim Bilaik, who has her PhD in Neruoscience but is also now an actress most notably playing Amy Ferrah Fowler on the show "The Big Bang Theory ." (BBT)

I liked her thoughts on the matter, noting that "[t]he confines of a classroom, combined with teaching methods that are not engaging or inspiring..." [1] were not effective at getting young minds excited about the world around them but only fearful of what will be on the next exam. She posits the idea of using modern entertainment- television, movies, and games- to help supplement people in new and interesting ways to help people think about and grasp otherwise esoteric information. This is more than just bringing nerd culture into the limelight for shame [2]/ ridicule[3]. The battle over the net effect on "geek culture" by BBT is one that will wage like the battle at Helm's Deep outside of this discussion.

SOME PEOPLE ENJOY BBT DESPITE BOTH CHAMPIONING AND DEMEANING ITS CHARACTERS AND THEIR FLAWS!!!!

Science-literate producers and directors can wield incredible power in telling a story by not only the story elements it weaves, but the concepts it has the opportunity to explain. Think about it. If Glee or High School Musical could make singing in show choir cool again- what could we do with a show about kids making science interesting and approachable? Like Beau Lotto [5] and his "Blackawton Bees" [6] kids show us- ground breaking science can really be done.

I understand there will be limitations. Story will always take precedence. But breadcrumbs of learning are always better foundation than the black pits of despair that could be found on TV today.


Let's be real. Who would you rather your kid be watching?
[0] http://jsphmeany.blogspot.com/2013/12/ny-times-debate-and-my-reaction-to-it.html
[1] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks/use-hollywood-plots-and-characters-to-teach-stem
[2] http://butmyopinionisright.tumblr.com/post/31079561065/the-problem-with-the-big-bang-theory
[3] http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-reasons-2013-officially-marked-death-nerd/
[4] http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130117112538/lotr/images/b/b4/Theoden_leads_the_attack.png
[5] http://www.ted.com/talks/beau_lotto_amy_o_toole_science_is_for_everyone_kids_included.html
[6] http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/7/2/168.abstract

Quotes from Chemistry...part 2!

"Respiration is a combustion, truly very slow but otherwise perfectly similar to that of charcoal; it occurs in the interior of the lungs... and the heat developed in this combustion is communicated to the blood which traverses the lungs and is spread throughout the animal system."
-Lavoisier and Laplace, 1783

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pierre-Simon,_marquis_de_Laplace_(1745-1827)_-_Gu%C3%A9rin.jpg 

Laplace, before his transform. [1]

NY Times "Debate", and my reaction to it. (Part 1)

The other day, the New York Times  [1] ran a series in their opinion page compiling a series of pieces from a rather diverse group of scientists. I was initially confused though, when it was filed under the "Room for Debate" section and the columnists were labeled as "Debaters". I thought, "Oh cool, I'll get to read about some good back-and-forth points on the STEM NGSS." I had attended a (very one-sided) panel on the New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and some of the problems they currently face when I was at Dragon*CON back in September but I was hoping to at least see what the 'other side' had to say in their own words. Problem is, it wasn't a debate. There weren't two sides tackling the finer points of an issue or group of issues. It was a collection of like minded individuals pointing out the flaws inherent in our system and offering some (admittedly creative!) solutions. I didn't like that it was labelled a debate though. Forum might have been a better label. I'll leave a discussion of the NGSS for a future blog post; that's a topic worth a thousand words itself!

According to the lead post of the thread, this all was spurred on from an editorial article a couple days prior asserting "Who Says Math Has to be Boring?" This title is great. I'm roped in. The second paragraph points to an interesting statistic:
"Nearly 90 percent of high school graduates [3] say they’re not interested in a career or a college major involving science, technology, engineering or math, known collectively as STEM, according to a survey of more than a million students who take the ACT test."
Following through the link, I look at the graph that ACT included on that page. What I found there shocked me. I could not believe my eyes. 41% of ACT tested students interested in studying STEM-related disciplines (the 10%) met the 'ACT College Readiness Benchmark' in the sciences. Those not interested in studying STEM (the 90%) ? A dizzying 21%. This means nearly four out of every five students is underprepared for basic college level science. What this graph also shows is that, oddly enough, the STEM-interested students outperformed their peers across the four broadly-defined subject areas of English, Reading, Mathematics, and Science.
The December 8th article points to several possible overlapping culprits: underprepared teachers, outdated curriculum, lack of cultural influence, and a lack of clear applicability. This point is echoed in each of the ten follow-up opinion articles written on December 10th. All of these pieces echo one major point: We need more people interested in science. We need them for jobs. We need them for sustainability. On the other hand, nobody mentions a solution to the question:

At what level do we need these trained scientists? 

Writers tout that there seem to be this extreme need for technical thinkers, as if there are more jobs than there are qualified people to take them. They way they talk, I'm imagining jobs like so many pieces of trash just littering the streets of life blown asunder in the wind.

Yeah, Kinda like that. Even Billie Jean tells you to think twice.

I get it. Being in science in our current culture isn't glamorous. It's messy, confusing, frustrating, and doesn't always directly "apply to my life". It's not being a sports star, world-class cook, singer or actress. It doesn't promise untold fame, riches, or sex appeal (the assumption is that it leads to the opposite of these things). This is a huge point, actually, that Mayim Bialik [4] makes in her article- make modern science accessible by incorporating it into a story and give context. It's like teaching people real science through shows like CSI...except using real science to do so. [6]
But if there are so many jobs, why is no actual emphasis put on WHERE these jobs are? Who is hiring? I see my friends pulling their hair out trying to get jobs all across the spectrum- chemistry, medicine, engineering. Granted a large number of these are in the graduate level positions. But what about the bachelor's, associates, vocational and High School level? What do these jobs even look like? And if they are scattered around so proliferously, then why are new chemists leaving chemistry behind [7]?

The rest of this series will focus on my reaction to each of the individual articles and pose certain questions that I think we as a society need to find answers to- and fast. It will challenge science communicators to quit repeating the rote sentences we see all over the economic news. Sentences that, frankly, I'm sick of seeing. If I felt that I could confidently walk out of my graduate program today and have a job next week- I wouldn't be so critical. And let's not forget- not all 'jobs' are created equal.

[1] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/opinion/sunday/who-says-math-has-to-be-boring.html
[3] http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/cccr13/stem.html
[4] http://www.mayimbialik.net/
[5] http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/12/10/math-and-science-for-more-than-just-geeks/use-hollywood-plots-and-characters-to-teach-stem
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSI_effect
[7] http://cen.acs.org/articles/91/i4/New-Bachelor-Level-Chemists-Face.html

Quotes from Chemistry...part 1

"...for nothing is created in the operations of either art or of nature, and it can be taken as an axiom that every operation an equal quantity of matter exists both before and after the operation, that the quality and quantity of the principles remain the same and that only changes or modifications occur. The whole art of making experiments in chemistry is founded on this principle: we must always suppose an exact equality or equation between the principles of the body examined and those of the products of it's analysis." -Antoine Lavoisier

(Partington, J.R., A Short History of Chemistry, third edition. 1965)

"My dear, is this entirely necessary right now? I'm trying to make the grocery list for once!"

NASA Trip in all its glory!

I mentioned briefly at the end of my Oct 25 2013 post that I was also getting ready for a big trip....NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had invited me and a slew of other lucky folk to gather at JPL for a two-day conference called "Year of Earth" [1] which previewed us to the various different missions that NASA JPL has in the works for the coming year [2]. Included in this highly immersive experience was a live public address from the NASA JPL auditorium where the project scientists in charge of these crucial Earth-based missions talked about the data being collected and, more importantly, the effects we hope it will have on current models used in predicting climate change. The video of the public address can be found on YouTube [3] and if you watch far enough into it, you can see my few seconds in the spotlight! (Okay, I was asking a question. But still, it was for science!)

In front of Mission Control!

We had a blast and the whole conference was full of people eager to talk about space, the Earth, and climate. Teachers, students, amateur enthusiasts and professionals all gathered to learn from each other and network all while cheering the banner of our beloved American space program. In fact, one of the "tweeps" (as we were called) has even created an infographic [4] about the online impact each of the participants had while at the event. The hashtags "#NASASocial" and "#EarthNow" even trended on twitter during the conference! Rachel Eddin, a blogger for WIRED wrote a story [5] that beautifully summarizes how incredibly passionate people are about having this mission of publicity succeed. She writes "There's a unity of purpose and generosity of resources...I was immediately inundated by offers for information and links...we were sharing data, educational resources."

Network Centrality Graph by Audun Utengen, from [5]

Many of the attendees had much better equipment (i.e. cameras) to capture the awesome campus that is JPL (like this shot from Rachel Eddin [6]). These people's work deserves to be seen. Veronica McGregor, in fact, helps to streamline this process by creating a powerful Storify feed [7] that highlights many of the stunning images people have uploaded. In the words of the one and only LeVar Burton, "Don't take my word for it!"

In addition to this, bloggers of all different ilk have thrown their hats in the ring to help publicize the exciting work coming out of NASA. This excellent photo-tour [8] of the event by Jennifer Kaplan has a great summary with equally quality photos of the facilities we were able to see. I know that I could have sampled only a small number of the amazing bodies of work that have come out of the two day event, to have tried would mean that this would never get published! It was absolutely unreal. The energy I can only describe as infectious.

None of this would have been possible without the tireless work of three key people spearheading the event planning. Veronica McGregor, Social Media Manager at JPL; Stephanie Smith, Social Media Specialist; and Courtney O'Connor, also Social Media Specialist; deserve a great deal of thanks for their hard work in coordinating the event. Their tireless dedication really showed in how smoothly and efficiently the event moved- and how even now, a week and a half after the event, activity and chatter flows between the attendees spanning continents.

"Goofy shot" of the tweeps. Source: NASA JPL Flickr [9]

[1] http://www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-invites-social-media-fans-to-preview-the-year-of-earth-at-jpl/#.UoRVSfkQbgw
[2] http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/bill-dunford/20131111-science-against-the-storm.html
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGGHwTQ-c9U&list=PL2aBZuCeDwlT56jTrxQ3FExn-dtchIwsZ
[4] http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2013/11/NASASocial_CentralityGraph_AudunUtengen.jpg
[5] http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/11/nasa-socials/
[6] http://24.media.tumblr.com/eda6529e8509192a313a3941f58a1b01/tumblr_mvum1ci0C81qgxab9o2_1280.jpg
[7] http://storify.com/VeronicaMcG/nasa-social-nasajpl-nov-4-5-2013/grid
[8] http://jenniferkaplan.me/2013/11/07/nasa-social-at-jpl/
[9] http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasa-jpl/ 

Get pumped....for SCIENCE!!!

So recently there has been a lot of activity going around me about science communication. And in this vein, it spawns from a number of different sources all with different intents- and these are all very good things. But the boiled down basics of it all comes back to one thing, and that's getting the public excited about science. Yes, the public, YOU!!!

I was watching a TED Talk the other day (Okay, it was more than one!) on a layover flight home from NASA (more on that later!) and there were two that really stuck out in their messages to me. Arthur Benjamin [1] was giving a lecture on the fascinating patterns hidden within the Fibonacci Numbers and how, "mathematics is used for three things: calculation, application, and last and unfortunately least- inspiration." He uses the illustrative nature of the Fibonacci sequence to make his single sentence point:

"Mathematics is not just solving for X. It's also figuring out Y." Source: [1]

A tangentially related video from Stuart Firestein [2] talks about the value of "high-quality ignorance" or, in other words, knowledge just beyond our current scientific understanding. His motivation behind this is to let non-specialists know that science is a lot less like the so-called scientific method we learn about in school but "more like farting around...in the dark."
These two messages, combined with the wonderfully inspirational video [3] from my new friend Saramoira Shields (@mathematigal on Twitter) point to a very simple statement that holds a lot of complicated weight. Science, math, engineering, whatever it may be- is hard. BUT! It's not impossible. It doesn't take some genius to whip up an answer to a problem on the fly or be the first kid to raise his or her hand in class. That's not the point. The point is to become a thinker, a rationalizer.
It takes patience. It takes perseverance. And it takes a little bit of caring attention to cultivate the knowledge base to make the leap from Calculation to Application. After a while and no short amount of effort, "farting around" can lead to wonderful "A-ha!" moments that make every bit of frustration well worth the trouble. And that, my friend, is where we can really reach Inspiration.

On a related note, my last post [4] was about the Three-Minute Thesis [5] competition going on at UA as I was soliciting some feedback for the Semi-Finals, as I was a representative for the Chemistry Department. I am pleased to report that not only I but the other two chemistry representatives, Greg Dye and Steven Kelley, have all been passed on to the UA 3MT Finals- competing for top thesis presentation at UA! Congratulations are in order for them as well as all of the other finalists.
We go on stage at 6pm next Wednesday, Nov. 20 in Russell Hall 159. So if you're in the Tuscaloosa area, come drop in! I and the other contestants would really appreciate the support! Next year will be even better with as excited as the administration is about this event. Click the link above to check out the original idea from the University of Queensland.

"The best thing to come out of Australia since me!" said Crocodile Dundee never. Source: [6]

I want to be able to talk about science. I want to talk TO YOU about science. And, maybe with a little bit of effort, we can feel the glee of discovery together.

[1] http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_the_magic_of_fibonacci_numbers.html
[2] http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_firestein_the_pursuit_of_ignorance.html
[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs9aGVUZ3YA
[4] http://jsphmeany.blogspot.com/2013/10/after-hiatus.html
[5] http://www.uq.edu.au/grad-school/three-minute-thesis
[6] http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/main_hogan.jpg