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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: Science Funding Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:26:41 EST Author: Jim Kaufman |
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What does the ACS data show for the last 10, 20, 30, 40 years on the number of chemistry major grads, masters, and PhDs? ... Jim In a message dated 11/11/2005 12:02:43 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, LISTSERV**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU writes: Further back on the education chain, though, the worry is that young people are not being attracted to chemistry because of the draconian application of Health and Safety rules. The sort of experiments that we did in labs with Bunsen burners and mixing things and hoping for bangs and liking to see fermentation and bubbling and grizzling, has now been banned. A teacher stands behind a glass screen and demonstrates. In other words, all the three of them agreed, it seems to be no fun at all for students who are peeling away from chemistry en masse. The worry is not only that fewer students are taking up chemistry, but that even those who are taking it up cannot be hands on and, therefore, cannot begin to be innovative at the start of their careers. There was worry that this would lead to a drop off of real interest in pushing chemistry forward into areas where it is now so important, to do with research into fuels into the atmosphere and so on. It seems that, again and again, when we bandage people against reality we save some things but seem to lose at least as much and perhaps far more important things. As this country has been so fantastically effective in its studies of chemistry over the past two centuries, it would be a pity if over-fierce regulation were to crush the life out of it, which seems to be the case. James A. Kaufman, Ph.D. President/CEO jimkaufman**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI) A Nonprofit International Organization for Safety in Science and Science Education 192 Worcester Road, Natick, MA 01760-2252 508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062 Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335 info**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org www.labsafety.org
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