How Scientists Can Help Foster Science Appreciation

In the last issue of The Scienfi.st, Morris H. Shames, emeritus professor of physics at New York University, cast a cold eye on the concept of scientific literacy. He argued that a more reasonable goal in educating nonscientists about science might be science appreciation. Like music and art appreciation, science appreciation might be fostered without requiring the mastery of technical details that experts need to know. Furthermore, Shames noted, the appreciation of science by a large segment of our society would have a more practical result than the attainment of scientific literacy (which, in reality, will only be achieved by a few). “A citizenry that understands what science is about,” he wrote, “is less likely to be anti-science than one that has been forced into the mold of knowing about science” (The Scientist, October 3, page 9). In my view, Shames has made an important and timely distinction. The public has been complaining, ever more loudly, about the decline in the quality of instruction at our nation’s schools. A smaller but no less vocal group, worried about the ability of the United States to compete successfully with other nations in the 1990s and be yond, has decried the falling science and math test scores of even the best of our graduating high school students. And, as we all know, fewer and fewer of those graduating high school seniors are electing to major in science in college. Consequently, U.S. graduate programs are filled with students from other nations, who are eager to study science at our universities. I have argued repeatedly for exposing students to the excitement of research early on, having been greatly impressed with the success of a group of small liberal arts colleges that turn out more than their expected share of science majors and future Ph.D. scientists; these science-active colleges get undergraduates involved in real research-not merely demonstration experiments—and that seems to make a real impact when they make career decisions. (See “Promoting undergraduate science: Students should participate in basic research,” i%e Scientist, March 23, 1987, page 9). Praiseworthy though the programs at colleges like Swarthmore and Harvey Mudd are, we should acknowledge that they are really last-ditch efforts to salvage students who have not yet been turned off to science. Clearly, the need for better