Signs show U.S. slip in science

[question everything]

Signs show U.S. slip in science

Data indicates longtime pre-eminence shrinking

By Sharon Begley
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

August 13, 2005

(snip)

The fact that Seoul has become Cloning and Stem Cell Central has ratcheted up a concern that has been growing for years: Is the U.S. losing its decades-long pre-eminence in science? And if so, does it matter?

The numbers suggest that the answer to the first question is yes. According to the National Science Foundation, the U.S. share of scientific and engineering papers (a measure of how much knowledge researchers are generating) has been on a steady decline. From almost 40 percent in 1988, the U.S. share had fallen to 30 percent by 2001 (the last year for which the count is in), and is likely even lower now. That reflects, in particular, the rising scientific output of China, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

As recently as 1995, the U.S. was the top producer of scientific knowledge, with about 200,000 papers. Since then, Western Europe has sprinted past, producing almost 230,000 papers in 2001. The U.S. was stalled at 200,000. Asia graduates more science and engineering Ph.D.s than the U.S. does; Europe graduates 50 percent more.

(snip)

That's the nub of it. It's one thing to lose pre-eminence, it's quite another to lose eminence, and that's where the U.S. seems to be heading.

"Americans are rightfully proud of the research we do, but this is not the only place really great science is being done these days," says Evan Snyder of the Burnham Institute in La Jolla, a leader in stem-cell research. "Countries that never had a tradition of cutting-edge biomedical research now have an entree as a result of U.S. (stem-cell) policy. Americans are at a disadvantage in not having the opportunity to develop the technical know-how."


Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050813/news_1n13science.html

[aquart]

1. Thanks, George.

Wealth run amok will destroy any nation.

NO ONE should be able to inherit so much money that all that's left to buy is the government.

[samdogmom]

2. Duh! What do you expect when you insist that "intelligent design" is a

scientific theory!

[IndianaGreen]

3. We believe in faith-based science!

Evolution is an unproven theory, as are the theories of gravity and relativity.

The Earth is only 5,000 years old. T-Rex and Raptors were among the animals on Noah's Ark.

The only science textbook we need is the Bible!

:crazy:

[fujiyama]

4. "Is our children learning?"

Apparently they are not.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. On the bright side, however, we lead the world in expertise when it comes

to studying the dinosaurs that were on the Ark with Noah.

[NoFederales]

6. Even before our retarded pResident presented us with NCLB there

were many States already immersed in ridiculous testing schemes, boneheaded curriculas, and pseudo-counseling/psychologizing excuses for "making it an enriched time of their lives experience". There is no surprise here, folks. And this fault lies with every lazy SOB who allowed our "experts" a free hand with the educational experience.

We do one thing most excellently in the USofA--entertainment. Nonfuckingstop playtime,leisure is master,recess is permanent and don't you goddamned get in the way of it or else. . . .

Rights? Responsibility? Work Ethic? So passe. Boys and girls it's about entitlement don't you know. And if you don't believe me just ask that administrator who was a washed out coach, who previously was a washed out classroom teacher. But your society condones this shit. Need space you say, 25 classrooms and lab space? Tell you what, we can go for 10 classrooms over a new weightlifting center and stadium remodeling. Yeah! and Amen!

If you think political Kool-Aid is tasty, try some of the punch those Educationists swill. Too hard on those poor coaches?--you haven't even scratched the surface until you look at the beliefs and practices of those little Stepford teachers. Exceptions you say, yeah, well, exceedingly small--and for those people, they should be deities!

NoFederales:rant:

[kodi]

7. the nation with the best scientists rules the world.

.

[IndianaGreen]

8. How many scientists fled Europe because of Hitler?

Albert Einstein was the better known, but we also had others such as Enrico Fermi, Hans Bethe, Niels Bohr, and Edward Teller, to name just a few that worked on or played a key role in bringing about the Manhattan Project to defeat Hitler.