WOKE UP WITH NAZIS

This is what I like to see first thing in the morning.



[Via YesButNoButYes, originally posted here on the awesome vintagephoto ]

I’m not sure if it’s Photoshopped or not. If it is, it’s a great image. And if it’s not, there’s got to be a great story behind it.

Silly old bear,

This is dF

HOW TO SAVE SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THREE EASY STEPS

Seeing as how in the last couple of days I’ve blogged about both Mythbusters and the sorry state of science in the US, here’s the best of both worlds: a Popular Mechanics column from Adam Savage of Mythbusters on how to save science education in the US.

Savage argues (correctly, IMO) that science education matters to economic competitiveness, because by 2010, Asia will have 90%  of the world’s Ph.D. scientists and engineers. Savage lists three (3) things America can do to help:

1. Let students get their hands dirty in class. Hands-on experiments are more effective teaching tools than just textbooks.
2. Increase budgets to help fund #1.
3. Celebrate mistakes. Let kids know that teachers and textbooks don’t have all the answers—and that’s okay.

Aaron Rowe of Wired has a fourth tip:

We need more artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs -- creative people who are comfortable with science. Bullet proof vests were invented by a pizza delivery guy and some of the best rock climbing equipment of all time was made by a rebel with nothing but an anvil and a high school degree.

I have no idea how effective these tips would be, but they sound like good starts to me.

And of course, there’s a fifth course of action almost guaranteed to improve science ed in the US: not voting Republican.

Save our science,

This is dF