China 'to Overtake US on Science'

Once China gets ahead then maybe the US will copy them instead of bitching about being copied.
Isaac Hunt

that's fine..... 2013 that'll be about the same time chinas growing pains begin to show.

That link didn't work for me. Here's a better source;

http://royalsociety.org/policy/reports/knowledge-networks-nations/

Here's another interpretation:

http://insideireland.ie/2011/03/29/china-to-surpass-us-science-output-in-2013-13444/

Richard Soul.

Then according to the Mayans it will never happen since the Earth is scheduled to be destroyed on 19/12/2012 according to their calendar.

So no need to buy a Christmas present then, happy days.

naw.....nerdy is cool

It's the same in the UK. Dropout rate at Uni in Engineering is huge, mainly because students lack what were once considered foundation skills in topics such as math. Even if they get thru, pay rates are poor compared to other fields. The rot set in about 30 years ago so, even with the will, it would be hard to change things.

The 'threat', if there is one, is not from other countries progressing, but from countries (such as US/UK) regressing. In any event, the relationship is symbiotic.

Having used a big word, I am now going to have a lie down lest I go into ramble mode. I will however take a mo to GA you, Tornado. Nicely stated.

Our local paper had a 1/6 page ad in it from our electric provider, National Grid showing a blackboard covered with math formulas, captioned "The percentage of people who can even understand this problem is becoming a problem"

Under the picture "America needs more engineers. Simple as that. .... Maybe this link will work if anyone wants to see it: http://tinyurl.com/4777c4j

I agree that the United States has so improve its production of engineers. We have to improve our schools, but I'm not saying we must throw money at the problem, we must fix it.

hmmm. Sounds a bit like we will be on the road to a socialist society then.

no, the more liberal thinkers will just redefine the words socialism and democracy.....its easy

Well, that isn't just a problem of the liberal thinkers. Afterall, there is no real democratic governance in the modern world (anytime after christ, that I am aware of). It actually never worked very well in Athens, the masses (even those limited masses that held citizenry to vote) are too fickle, ignorant and gullible. So for the sake of winning the hearts and minds of people the term was redefined to mean a republican style of governance. And socialism was demonized before Hitler and after WWII (we were much more accepting of it in the 1930s and 1st half of 1940s, surprising how easy it was to tolerate when we became more afraid of Nazism). But really they are not necessarily opposing concepts, as socialism has more to do with economics through governance, and democracy has more to do with how decisions are made in the process of governance (socialism is antithetical to pure capitalism).

We should not be surprised. China's government recognizes their future depends on them being able to keep the economy growing and science and engineering is key to that happening. Not being constrained by, well, anything, they can actively promote what we've been calling STEM education to graduate more scientist and engineers. They can decide that teachers are valued and well compensated and can establish national standards of instruction and curriculum. They can support whatever scientific activity they want and demand their scientist publish. The rapid rise in publishing has to be due to the volume of graduates and government support of basic science.

Meanwhile in the US, Americans have decided to manage our economy by quarterly profits and tax policy favors investment over labor wages, so our view is much shorter term. Private R&D is mostly limited to what can show a quick profit with no risk to the stock price and public funding for riskier basic science is dwindling. Where's the incentive for a student to get into science there?

As for education: Some decades ago some politician(s), I don't recall who, decided public school teachers were an easy political target, usable to promote tax cuts, and they've been demonized to varying degrees ever since. EX.: Our privately run financial system drags the economy into the ditch and politicians cover the losses to the public coffers by cutting pay and benefits to public employees, most of whom are teachers, and justify it by calling them "pigs at the public trough". I could go on with other insults we have heaped onto America's educators but I think I've made that point. How does anyone expect to recruit the "best and brightest" into a teaching career after that?

As long as conditions like these continue in our country, China (and others) will continue to advance while we stand still or regress.