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Education and the Future of Nations
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| marv | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 21:21 | Message # 1 |
 Observer
Group: Newbies
Hungary
Messages: 8
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| If I could, I would make this program obligatory to teach in every elementary school. I think this program is more than just a game for astronomers and space lovers, it could be an essential tool for teaching geography and physics in the regular education. Too bad that's not gonna happen soon thanks to the uncreativity and old-fashion styles of these systems.
Have a talk with an average person about some basic facts about the universe... The majority of them won't be able to tell even the difference between a solar system and a galaxy.
Edited by marv - Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 21:24 |
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 21:34 | Message # 2 |
 Cosmic Curator
Group: Administrators
United States
Messages: 8717
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| Quote (marv) Have a talk with an average person about some basic facts about the universe... The majority of them won't be able to tell even the difference between a solar system and a galaxy.
Unfortunately I am very aware of this...
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 21:43 | Message # 3 |
 Galaxy Architect
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| Quote (marv) Have a talk with an average person about some basic facts about the universe... The majority of them won't be able to tell even the difference between a solar system and a galaxy.
Some don't even know we are on a planet, I was helping someone with their astronomy and they asked where Earth was in the sky.
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| OrbitalResonance | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 21:53 | Message # 4 |
 Astronaut
Group: Users
United States
Messages: 67
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Some don't even know we are on a planet, I was helping someone with their astronomy and they asked where Earth was in the sky.
Well, it does cover half of it :P
"We make our world significant by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers" - Carl Sagan
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| Voekoevaka | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 22:10 | Message # 5 |
 World Builder
Group: SE team
France
Messages: 1016
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Some don't even know we are on a planet, I was helping someone with their astronomy and they asked where Earth was in the sky.
Me doing an astronomy session with school students :
-"Scientists think there is a black hole at the center of the milky way."
-"But how did they know that ?"
-"They saw stars orbiting nothing visible, so they deduc..."
-"You're stupid ! Why do you haven't been there ?"
...
It makes me laugh for the rest of the day.
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| Antza2 | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 22:12 | Message # 6 |
 World Builder
Group: Global Moderators
Finland
Messages: 1049
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Some don't even know we are on a planet, I was helping someone with their astronomy and they asked where Earth was in the sky.
You are joking, right?
Where i live, children are taught the basic stuff of our solar system when they are 9! It is mandatory knowledge like being able to read and write.
I could remember all the planets in our solar system (and in the right order too.) when i was 7.
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| Voekoevaka | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 22:14 | Message # 7 |
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World Builder
Group: SE team
France
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| Quote (Antza2) I could remember all the planets in our solar system (and in the right order too.) when i was 7.
I was knowing them, their satellites, their surface features and some asteroids at 4.
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| Antza2 | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 22:15 | Message # 8 |
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World Builder
Group: Global Moderators
Finland
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| Quote (Voekoevaka) I was knowing them, their satellites, their surface features and some asteroids at 4.
Pretty good 
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Tuesday, 28.08.2012, 23:27 | Message # 9 |
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Galaxy Architect
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| Quote (Antza2) You are joking, right?
I wish but the stories of how scientific literacy in the US is going down are all true. The vast majority of people I know, know very little to nothing about science.
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 06:35 | Message # 10 |
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Cosmic Curator
Group: Administrators
United States
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I was helping someone with their astronomy and they asked where Earth was in the sky.
How old was this person? (Not that it really matters, if you're old enough to talk then you should know that you live on Earth).
Quote (Antza2) Where i live, children are taught the basic stuff of our solar system when they are 9! It is mandatory knowledge like being able to read and write.
I could remember all the planets in our solar system (and in the right order too.) when i was 7.
Same here. I remember discussing black holes with one of my peers when I was four years old, and I had already independently reached the conclusion by the time I was perhaps 13 or 14 that Pluto should not be considered a planet, years before the IAU's definition of a planet (which I don't approve of, despite their reclassification of Pluto).
Quote (DoctorOfSpace) I wish but the stories of how scientific literacy in the US is going down are all true. The vast majority of people I know, know very little to nothing about science.
Scientific literacy in the US is abysmal. And it's not just science, people don't know much about anything. I asked my mom the other day what the three branches of the federal government are (this is basic and required learning in every school) and she had no idea.
This about sums up people's views on science:
All forum users, please read this!
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 06:37 |
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| DoctorOfSpace | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 06:57 | Message # 11 |
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Galaxy Architect
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| Quote (HarbingerDawn) How old was this person? (Not that it really matters, if you're old enough to talk then you should know that you live on Earth).
Older than me by 5 years.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) This about sums up people's views on science:
Yep it does
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| Antza2 | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 07:25 | Message # 12 |
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World Builder
Group: Global Moderators
Finland
Messages: 1049
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| Quote (DoctorOfSpace) Same here. I remember discussing black holes with one of my peers when I was four years old, and I had already independently reached the conclusion by the time I was perhaps 13 or 14 that Pluto should not be considered a planet, years before the IAU's definition of a planet (which I don't approve of, despite their reclassification of Pluto).
Nice!
But seriously, we had this children's book about the solar system, that my dad used to read to me when i was a little kid.
Quote (HarbingerDawn) This about sums up people's views on science:
This is what troubles me the most about USA.
I can tolerate your other wacky policies, like your foreign affairs and the two party political system that makes no sense, but the discrediting of science in the most powerful country in the world (for now. Better watch that China.) just boggles the mind!
Not like it's too difficult to improve your school system, sometimes it seems that your government just doesn't want to.
Maybe it's because it's easier to rule over idiots than rational people. (not saying you guys are idiots, but your country sure has a lot of them.)
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 08:11 | Message # 13 |
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Cosmic Curator
Group: Administrators
United States
Messages: 8717
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| Quote (Antza2) But seriously, we had this children's book about the solar system, that my dad used to read to me when i was a little kid.
My dad did the same with me  When I was 3 I knew the flags and capitals of almost every country in the world, and I was always learning new stuff about cosmology and physics. For example, he had A Brief History of Time on audio tape and we would listen to it while driving. Much of it was a little over my head obviously, but it's more important to want to think about these things than it is to understand them at that age. I also loved all my astronomy books.
Quote (Antza2) it seems that your government just doesn't want to.
This is exactly right. They don't want to, and they don't know how. And it requires more than just government intervention in this country to fix the education system, it also requires a change society's outlook on education. The people have to know what the right way is and to care about it. The people in the town I grew up in had a very strong positive ethos regarding education, and as such students from its school system tended to do very well, even though the school was very poor. Because the people cared about education. By contrast, the high school I graduated from had a lot of money and resources, but all they cared about was cars, guns, and sports, and the students had very low graduation rates and high dropout rates, and not very many went on to succeed in universities. Because the people did not care about education.
The US has been declining consistently for a few decades now, and within this century I predict that we will see the end of the United States as the dominant world power. Unfortunately, unless the European Union can get itself together, I don't think that the nation(s) that replace the US will be much of an improvement...
Quote (Antza2) Maybe it's because it's easier to rule over idiots than rational people.
Unfortunately it is, though that's not the government's main motivation to not fix education in the US. It's mostly a lack of motivation, because trying to seriously reform education is a long difficult task that does not benefit the members of government; it does not get them more money, and does not help them get reelected because it would take longer than one election cycle to see serious results, and in any case no one cares about education because they don't understand why it's important or what it's really about.
Politicians in the US only care about short term results and how to con the people into thinking well of them, for that is how they can get into and stay in power. The few that really try to change things for the better and care about society more than their own success never make it into office.
Quote (Antza2) (not saying you guys are idiots, but your country sure has a lot of them.)
You're preaching to the choir man, I say the same thing all the time. I'm not a big fan of my countrymen. There are many out there who aren't complete idiots, but who busy themselves in absolutely frivolous pursuits and just add to the problem anyway. It makes me sad, and I've long considered moving to another country one day. Canada most likely (cool weather and dark skies, and they speak English )
Okay, time to split this thread
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 08:17 |
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| marv | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 10:14 | Message # 14 |
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Observer
Group: Newbies
Hungary
Messages: 8
Status: Offline
| Don't think that US is alone in having ignorant masses... Every other country are similarly weak in this comparision. US may lead the race (compared to how advanced it is), but the stupidity is everywhere. I don't think that anywhere in Europe (I live in Hungary, Budapest) you could say that it's "cool" to know basic astronomy.
Knowing where a stupid square or scuplture is 100 times more important to the older generations' than knowing what our Sol. sys. is a part of, and in younger, more "trendy" communities or gangs a topic like astronomy never ever comes up. But just look at how unpopular this program is, that says everything Of course I had some friends in school too whom I could hold higher level conversations, but very few...
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| HarbingerDawn | Date: Wednesday, 29.08.2012, 10:22 | Message # 15 |
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Cosmic Curator
Group: Administrators
United States
Messages: 8717
Status: Offline
| I know that it's not a problem endemic to the United States, I just talk about that more because that's where I live and so I'm more familiar with the situation here. There are a few places in the world that are better than others in this regard, though, they're not all as bad as in our countries.
All forum users, please read this!
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Edited by HarbingerDawn - Friday, 28.06.2013, 22:13 |
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