The Miseducation of Lynda Williams

Why are there so few women and people of color in science? Why is the general public so scientifically illiterate? I think this is a symptom of a much deeper problem. I myself hated science and math in high school and it wasn't until college that I saw the beauty and power of it. I feel cheated that I didn't get an earlier start and was ultimately puked out of the 'pipeline'.

Our current educational system is based on producing a public that conforms and consumes rather than empowering children to think independently and challenge the system. This is also true of science education because it rarely, if ever, criticizes the science dogma of our current paradigm or the culture in which science is made. Are we taught about the social and ecological implications of our scitech corporate industrial complex? We think technology is going to spice up and revive science education. Will our multimedia web gizmos save the day? I don't think so. Although the web and media is a fantastic and powerful delivery system, the substance of what we teach has to change. To paraphrase Neil Postman, 'we have to learn to love our children more and our technology less.' Dealing with these issues is part of what Science Entertainment is all about.

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Contact: Lynda