Potpourri CXIV

Extra-long edition of Potpourri ahead, as I haven't written here in a week, but first up, I've got a hot item from Darlene the Science Cheerleader that she wanted me to respond to ASAP.

She referred me to a blog posting (and the report it was based on, but I'm a little behind at the moment to read it) about the state of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and the workforce. A new report from Rutgers University--which I'll read eventually, really--finds that the "pipeline" of students receiving STEM-related has remained relatively steady over the past few decades. The problem, as Dar notes in her fun, punchy style, is that not enough of them are getting jobs in the STEM disciplines after graduating.

I would take one exception to a suggestion Dar had that STEM-based companies just need to pay more. The amateur economist in me doesn't believe the economy works that way. There are two sides to the issue: supply and demand. If the findings of the Rutgers study are accurate (I've seen some OECD stats at work that might say something different), then the problem is not with supply, but with demand. Compared to the number of STEM grads produced by China and India, regardless of the quality of the educational institutions that produced them, the U.S. is woefully behind countries three or four times our size in population. The common refrain at U.S. tech gatherings is that "India has more honors students than we have students." That statement in itself can probably be scrutinized, but let's assume it's true, and that the U.S. is going to need a lot more STEM student, honors or otherwise. That means the education pipeline/student supply is either fine or below optimum for our needs, so there is still some work to do. The problem must lie on the demand side of the equation.

The demand for STEM students is driven by the U.S. private sector and the technologies they produce. Prior to World War II, most scientific research in the U.S. was funded by private organizations like the Guggenheim Foundation, which funded Robert Goddard's early experiments in liquid-fuel rockets. It was only when the nation found itself in a two-front fight for its life against nations that were directly funding science and engineering research and development (R&D) that the U.S. Government became THE player in funding basic science research, where it remains today, according to a National Science Foundation report my coworker Tracy found.

There are a couple of ways you can increase the money available to STEM careers: you can allow the federal government to spend more (which, on basic science, still isn't a bad idea) or you can provide incentives to the private sector to fund more applied R&D. Or you can do both at once by, say, increasing overall expenditures and research incentives on a space program that does really challenging things, like develop single-stage-to-orbit launch vehicles, space-based solar power satellites, and/or more exotic exploration missions and technologies. Kids will jump at the chance to do something cool, and companies won't mind doing the cool things, since they tend to increase their bottom lines and allow them to recruit high-caliber talent. And yes, there are doubtless other industries you can do this with, like Earth-based energy or biotechnology, but this nation has had serious arguments about both. NASA, on the contrary, enjoys wide appeal and support. Connect that ambitious go-where-no-one-has-gone-before stuff with serious career opportunities, and even the skeptics might agree that science and engineering, not high finance, is the way to personal and financial success in this country. And wouldn't that be great to see!?

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On to other things, and I've got a lot of 'em...

Actually, I've got a bunch of stuff from Dar. She was participating in the Science Online 2010 conference this week, so she picked up all sorts of useful stuff/sites. I need to go to this next year--it sounds like a hoot!

• The first bit is a blog on how to "take your blog to the next level." If that means I go from 15 to 150 readers, I'll be happy. :-)
• She also provided a link to a blog that discusses the impact of social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) on reporting in Haiti and its potential for assisting science reporting.
• Another link is a directory of every type of collaborative tool available to the general public and various government entities. That doesn't mean that all of these tools will be linked; but at least now people would know, in theory, who's doing what with whom. Progress of a sort.
• Here's an interesting engineering competition for kids: design something using bubble wrap!
• Here's an article that blames mean gym teachers on childhood obesity and later adult resistance to exercise. Gotta confess, while I was on the scrawny side during childhood, it has taken the care of a good woman to make me give a darn about exercise. I sure didn't get motivated to exercise based on my joyful experiences with high school physical education.
• And lastly, Dar has a new video introducing some of the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders who are studying or working in STEM fields. The video is cute, and Dar asks some off-the-wall questions, but trust me, she's playing dumb. Crazy like a fox.

Here's something Tim Bailey from the Florida Space Coast Chapter posted in Facebook: a space "unconference" where, according to the site, "participants decide the topics, schedule, and structure of the event. Well, that might save some folks a lot of work (can I do that for ISDC?).

Saw this on Facebook, but can't remember who posted it...the Patterson School of Diplomacy provides workshops/simulations for students to brainstorm how various organizations would cope with various disasters--the day after Independence Day, an invasion of zombies, or an attack by vampires (this year's hot pop culture phenomenon).

The speculation and swirl around the Constellation Program continue. The speculations might or might not be true. All I know is that from my day job point of view, we've got our heads down with orders to "keep coloring" until we get new direction.

First it was sex (Lisa Nowak), now we've got reports of drugs at NASA. If we can find a way to get Steven Tyler out of rehab and Aerosmith back together for a reunion concert, say, by the Vehicle Assembly Building, we could have rock 'n' roll, too. Then the public would take NASA seriously as a pop culture phenomenon. I kid. Slightly.

New from Hu:

• A 2D trailer for the new 3D movie about the Hubble Space Telescope. That should be fun!
• A Navy Times article about the U.S. relief mission to Haiti, led in part by the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, one of our aircraft carriers.
• An article speculating on the existence of liquid diamond oceans on Uranus and Neptune. This is similar to Arthur C. Clarke's depiction of Jupiter having a diamond core in 2010: Odyssey Two.
• Ah! And speaking of 2010, Hu also forwarded an article lamenting the fact that the world wasn't yet up to the advances Clarke predicted in his novel.

The final competition for the Huntsville edition of the "Future City" competition is this weekend. Alas, I will be out of town, but these kids really come up with some ingenious stuff.

From Father Dan, the Newseum's Flash site for seeing the front pages of newspapers from across the U.S. and around the world.

From D2, a site created by Konica providing, among other things, exquisitve visuals of the Venus de Milo, which I had the privilege of seeing in Paris...and not photographing nearly as well. Also from D2, an article about an iPhone app that senses pressure on your bed and will wake you up at the proper time in your sleep cycle to prevent any jarring wakeups. Sounds great!

From Jason Clark on Facebook, a very long YouTube video (51 minutes) on human computation. Sounds interesting, but I haven't had 51 minutes to spare to watch it yet.

You really need to read Mike Boyd's columns on the Aviation Planning site if you're interested in an alternative perspective on the "whole body scanner" craze now sweeping the federal government after the underpants bomber nearly took out a plane on Christmas Day. If you think TSA is helping make things safer, Boyd will provide you with some good arguments why you should reconsider that perspective. Boyd's page is also a regular link posted on this site as a handy reference. (Warning to my liberal readers: Boyd does not agree with you. Warning to my conservative readers: he isn't too kind to Bush administration appointees, either.)

Speaking of space and education (at least I did in my opening essay), the Space Florida group is worth checking out. They provide resources to teachers--mostly in the Kennedy Space Center area--to get their students engaged in STEM educational subjects.

Miscellaneous links that have piled up in my inbox:

• Oy…Pat Robertson is about as helpful to conservatism as all the racist email “humor” I get re: Obama. Really, the real problems of the world are bad enough—this is not helping. At all.
• Are you rich? Not sure what to do with your bonus this year? CNN Money offers some suggestions.
• “Green” wine?
• Satellite imagery of Haiti earthquake devastation.
• Light from faraway planet detected
• From Martin: an article title "Reagan Was Wrong," attempting to explain how Ronald Reagan's brand of populist conservatism held within it the seeds of its own destruction. Interesting point of view, and I'm not even sure I disagree. However, the author makes a few mistakes about Reagan's philosophy, such as his "mistrust" in the inherent religious character of the American people--nothing could be farther from the truth. What infuriates many on both sides of the aisle today is that Reagan brought serious churchgoers into the Republican "big tent."
• From Twila...this isn't quite a palindrome, which must be spelled the same way coming and going, but it is a piece of writing that can be read forward and backward.
• A poetry recommendation from the ever-delightful Dr. OZMG.
• From the wise gnomes at NeedCoffee.com, an interview with the Wells Fargo VP responsible for the first ATM in Antarctica.
• From Father Dan, an article suggesting that an airport in Jacksonville, FL, could be the next spaceport for horizontally-launched suborbital tourism.
• In-flight wi-fi, etc.
• NASA looking at multiple spacesuit designs
• Russia sets aside money to build a rocket with a nuclear engine (about time someone did!)
• China announces that it has successfully conducted a missile interception test…anti-missile defense advocates take note.
• How did the first man in space die?
• You never know where Moon rocks will turn up…
• From Bruce, some links to Ares I-X images:
  --Ares I-X Development Test: Flight Day Launch Journal (photo gallery) - collectSPACE: Messages
  --Ares I-X: Launch preparations and updates (photo gallery) - collectSPACE: Messages

And believe it or not, that is NOT everything that was in the inbox. However, the stuff I did post is the "freshest" and most interesting. No need to bore you unnecessarily. Salud.

Potpourri CXIII

LOTS of stuff to clear out of the inbox. A visit with Dr. OZMG looks like it is going to be snowed out, so I might as well write.

Regarding my previous post on coping with burnout, D2 sent this article. One of the ways I personally am trying to work on burnout is to start writing a science fiction novel. As usual, it's ambitious, complex, and quirky, and will cover several issues. I might use the blog here as a way to track my progress as well, but writers are notoriously shy (and rightly so) about sharing rough drafts, so the most I might say is what I've been up to or what sorts of sources I'm using to educate myself. One thing I'm also using to keep myself honest is a "small, attainable goal" support group on Facebook recommended by Dr. OZMG. A novel is a difficult thing to do, and SF brings an additional layer of complexity, in that the author must be a) technically/scientifically correct, b) innovative in pushing the envelope of future technology, and c) interesting and readable in his descriptions. I love a good challenge. :-)

Also from D2: an online lecture by a quantum physicist on why quantum physics violate comon-sense logic. God's universe is a very strange, marvelous place.

Looking to live in another country? The Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE) sent this link on International Living listing the best countries to live in and some more detailed explanations of their choices.

Also from the DUDE: an article on the "Israelification" of airport security.

NASA has an open opportunity for academic institutions to pursue grants for developing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education opportunities in connection with the Summer of Innovation event in 2010. Along similar lines, the Obama administration is ponying up more money for STEM education. This year, when the government is spending in ways that make drunken sailors blush, that might be great. Sustained funding will be a bigger problem once the President and Congress become Born Again Budget Cutters.

The internet is spawning some interesting ideas in philanthropy. For example, instead of spending a ton of money on Super Bowl commercials, Pepsi plans to participate in the Refresh Project, asking readers to suggest how they should spend the money on worthy causes instead. Also, a group called Syntiant4G has created a YouTube video to promote a mentorship program that combines for-profit and nonprofit ethos. Interesting!

From Tracy, an article on the "secrets" of innovation.

From my NASA Public Affairs Office (PAO) feed, the Fermi telescope investigators think they can use pulsars as a "galactic GPS" system, given their precise rotations. Speaking of telescopes, the Kepler telescope has located its first five "exoplanets" (that'd be planets circling other stars, not our own). Kepler was designed specifically to locate Earth-like planets in other solar systems. It's a marvelous, heady time to be alive--so many wonders to discover!--stay tuned.

Also from the NASA PAO, a notice that a moon rock collected by Apollo 11 will be taken up to a new, permanent home on the International Space Station. This same piece of rock was carried to the top of Mount Everest by former NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski. You might ask, "So what?" Well, jeez. Consider the number of adventures involved in moving that little rock around. If being the first man on the Moon, a person who has scaled the tallest mountain on Earth, or someone who has been to the International Space Station won't inspire you, then I can't help you. The short, Bartish answer is that "Greatness matters. Achievement matters. As long as individuals are willing to try to do great things that NO ONE else could do, what might they inspire other individuals to do that they had never considered possible?"

My fellow tech blogger Darlene Cavalier the Science Cheerleader is starting a new web site soon called ScienceforCitizens.net, which will promote opportunities for private citizens to get involved in conducting science at home and (probably) also encourage them to get involved in the science decision-making process. I like the way Dar puts it: "A whole lot more goes into setting science policies than the pure science: economics, values, and other societal implications that come into play in a big way. Scientists themselves ought to have more access to Congress, for example, but there needs to be put in place a deliberate mechanism to inform--and then solicit--input from the public." The Science for Citizens site is still a work in progress, but you can sign up for update emails now. I believe Dar is looking for partners to promote this cause, so if your organization is interested in supporting her work, by all means email her, either through SfC or her primary page, ScienceCheerleader.com.

On one of my random New Year's Eve weekend Facebook posts, I suggested that it was long past time for someone to develop wine pairings for junk food, as some of us don't always do high-quality snacks at home. Jennifer the PAO Maven pointed me to this article on Food & Wine.com. Awesome.

More from the world of space...the Mars Spirit rover is starting its seventh year exploring Mars. It might be common knowledge, but bears repeating: Spirit and Opportunity were both designed to operate for 90 days. That is some outstanding engineering. I'd want these people designing and building my car, but then they and I would miss out on the other cool stuff they might achieve. If you wonder why I have no problem working for NASA, it's stuff like this.

I haven't discussed politics in awhile here, mostly because it's been boring me and I've got more important things to concentrate on. However, this link from the Heritage Foundation is worth checking out...in case you're interested in how federal government spending is trending. The graphs are not good. One thing not discussed by Heritage is the increase in science and science-related education under Obama, which I consider a good thing, if sustained over the long haul. I've been told that the last time the U.S. went in big for science and research and development spending was under Ronald Reagan (note to my friends who think Republicans are anti-science). Our nation's leadership now depends on large and sustained investments in science and technology. And students aren't stupid. If they see that there's money to be made in STEM, they will return to those fields.

That's about now for this dose of Potpourri. Sorry it's so long, but I got a little behind in my postings. Happy 2010! Let your year be filled with happiness and marvels.

Space and Science Spending in the New Economic Order

This will be as close to a nonpartisan rant as I can manage, partly because I don't see either of the two presidential candidates as being greatly different, and partly because regardless of who is elected in a couple weeks, either of them would have to face the same set of circumstances:

• A $700 billion promise of a congressional bailout, on top of $3 trillion in federal spending on defense, entitlements, and homeland security.
• An aging workforce, which will soon require a great deal of Social Security and Medicare assistance.
• An increasingly competitive global market in science and technology.
• A dysfunctional elementary and secondary government school system.
• More and more national and international problems based on science and technology.

There's also this: a Republican friend of mine reminded me today that she didn't think space was a worthwhile expenditure by the federal government. Darlene the Science Cheerleader recently posted some comments on the value of "funding discovery." My response is worth posting here because if I can't plagiarize myself, I'm in real trouble.

Once upon a time, very rich people in America and aristocrats in Europe funded institutions of research and learning for the sheer joy, pleasure, and worthwhile nature of understanding the physical world. I’m not sure whatever happened to that practice, but if those folks are no longer willing or able to do that, then government should. The research and discovery of new knowledge are common goods, and as such belong to everybody.
Private investments in research can and should be more practical (applied science) and focus on translating known facts about the physical world into new products and
processes that can be patented and owned.

I still believe that federal funding of pure research and private funding for applied research is a good model. However, science has not been an easy sell to the American public. Or, rather, space exploration hasn't been an easy sell in my lifetime. Once upon a time we put men on the Moon and sent multiple spacecraft to all of the outer planets. But then the Cold War ended. NASA funding shriveled. Bush Sr.'s plan to go to the Moon, Mars, and beyond (the $450 billion, 30-year Space Exploration Initiative) was torpedoed. The world's largest atom smasher was built in Europe. Magnetic-levitation trains were built in Germany and used in China. The list goes on, but I'll leave it to Neil de Grasse Tyson to finish the litany for me. See here and here.

There are several approaches space advocates have used:

• Fear of others (the Chinese, Russians, or Indians)
• Fear of external threats (asteroids, comets, solar radiation/flares)
• Economic development and gain (space launch services, satellites, mining materials, tourism, power systems, new jobs, increased prosperity, etc., etc.)
• Scientific knowledge (discovery of other life forms, new chemistries, new galaxies, stars, or planets, new scientific laws)
• New frontiers (other places to live, have families, develop political/social systems, get away from life on Earth, or go to somewhere cool)
• New technologies (technology development on Earth, building new and better stuff that works in space, applying technologies or knowledge from space to Earth-based problems/spinoffs)
• Fun (new sports, new hobbies, new activities)

Even a combination of all of these approaches has not been enough to "sell space" in a healthy economy, which is quite frankly frustrating. But what will all these great reasons and ideas matter in a seriously constrained economy or federal budget? I've been chided by several friends about my negative perception of the government bailout and its potential impacts for the future. Am I hallucinating 30 years of reading history, most of which has told me that bad things happen when government spends beyond its means? Do people no longer study the actual events of the Great Depression in America or Weimar Germany or 1917 Russia?

Okay, I'll take off my frowny-face mask for the moment and assume that all my optimist friends are right: the economy will be fine, socialism will dissipate, and the budget will resume its normal cycles. To quote (of all people) Hillary Clinton, that requires a large suspension of disbelief, but I'll try. The fact still remains that we've got the same long-term problems I listed initially, even without the bailout! Now what? We can't stop Baby Boomers from aging. Can we prevent them from retiring or going on the government dole unnecessarily? Can we fix our public school system so that slow students can catch up while gifted students are allowed to excel on their own or in nurturing environments? Can we get the federal government to spend serious coin on basic research and space exploration? If so, how? I guess my brain is baked because I'm out of ideas.

Suggestions welcome.