Historian predicts the end of 'science superpowers'

[Dover]

Historian predicts the end of 'science superpowers'

Is the sun beginning to set on America's scientific dominance? Much like the scientific superpowers of France, Germany and Britain in centuries' past, the United States has a diminishing lead over other nations in financial investment and scholarly research output in science and engineering, say a group of historians and sociologists led by University of Wisconsin-Madison emeritus history professor J. Rogers Hollingsworth.

Massive investments in recent decades by the European Union, China, Japan, Russia and India have leveled the international playing field in the sciences, according to the essay published in the July 24 issue of the journal Nature. The trend will likely put an end to the age of the "unrivaled scientific behemoth," a status the U.S. has enjoyed since the end of World War II.

"What we are seeing is a diffusion of good science centers all over the world, a trend which ultimately may be good for science," says Hollingsworth. "But it also means that the U.S. relative to the rest of the world no longer dominates."

Cont'd

http://www.physorg.com/news136046124.html

[Captain Angry]

1. I think if we can get the moron out of the White House

that we MIGHT be able to reverse that trend.

I'm very happy that the rest of the world has improved so dramatically. Maybe if we get a couple of administrations in a row that has some respect for intelligence, knowledge, wisdom, and learning, we could pick up where we left off.

Man these last 7.5 years are going to be the New Dark Ages in the history books of the future.

[jwirr]

2. It would help a lot if young people could afford the education that

we had not so long ago.

[TZ]

3. Its culturally ingrained now it seems

Although we can blame Bush for a lot of the lack of science comphrension in this country, we unfortunately cannot lay this entirely at his feet..Just look at the scientific illiteracy rampant on this site.
I blame the MSM which continously either ignores good science, plays up "controversies" where there aren't any really.. and in general gets it wrong when reporting about science.
When you have Oprah interviewing celebrities about scientific topics you know its bad.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. "we unfortunately cannot lay this entirely at [*'s] feet"

It seems plausible that scientific illiteracy has been praised, promoted, and intensified by the same behind-the-scenes power players that brought Bush to the White House.

[Occulus]

5. It's broader than that, though

The lack of scientific education is an indication of the quality of education in general. Education is one of those things that's almost impossible to overfund, but Republicans don't like public education at all. truly do not understand why, other than that an educated populace is very difficult to deceive.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. That's kind of my point

People with lots of money have been financing hate radio with it's "I'm just so proud not to be one o' them there elitists" POV, and lobbying to starve education, and getting news stories to favor style over substance, and getting Big Religion to back them up...and on and on and on.

Education didn't fall apart on its own.

Bush went after Head Start almost immediately.

No Child Left Behind is all about turning schools into future worker factories with no time to teach critical thinking.

The same powers that maneuvered Bush into the White House have been preparing the way for this for some time.

[BlooInBloo]

7. Well duh. Americans like being stupid waaaay too much.