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Return to E-mail Discussion page Previous in threadNext in thread Hi, all. My name is Amanda, and I'm an electrical engineer at Intel Corp. in Hillsboro, OR. The question of what constitutes "science literacy" is of great interest to me since I occasionally teach a class at Portland State University that is intended to introduce non-science majors to the methods and nature of science. I liked Eric's answers to Todd's questions: 1) Why is it important for the "average person" to know about science? (To be more specific, let's ask the question about a typical college student who is not majoring in a science or engineering field). 2) What should they know? What knowledge, skills, or attitudes are necessary in order for someone to be classified as "science-literate?" Eric mentioned that it's important for the average person to know about science so that he can distinguish science from pseudoscience.I think it's also important that people understand how to interpret the results of legitimate scientific research. One commonly cited reason why students should know about science is that they need to be prepared to make decisions about the issues facing society that involve science or technology. When decisions are being based on scientific data, an understanding of uncertainty is critical. They need to be able to distinguish whether the findings are conclusive, fairly convincing, or merely suggestive. Learning about science helps students develop problem solving and analytical skills, skills that they can apply to nearly all areas of their lives. At the same time, they discover that science isn't as remote, abstract, and intimidating as they may have previously believed. As Stranislaus said, "Science when well digested is nothing but good sense and reason." Finally, science can change the way we perceive the world. There are certain scientific concepts and discoveries which have the power to significantly affect the attitudes, approaches, and actions that we take through life. Anyone who is making a serious effort to understand the universe and the importance our existence would benefit from this information. --Amanda |
