Discover
/
Article

Physics Literacy

NOV 01, 1990
What would it mean for the public to be scientifically literate? We asked seven observers with a variety of backgrounds, affiliations and points of view.
Jeffrey Schmidt

The Bush Administration’s emphasis on science and mathematics reflects a new and accelerating feature of modern societies: As the economies of the industrialized countries shift toward high‐technology manufacturing and services, the jobs available to new entrants into the work force require higher levels of skill and education than ever before. Projections are that over half of the jobs available by the end of the decade in the United States will require some education beyond high school, compared with 42% of currently available jobs. There will be fewer jobs for the poorly educated high school graduate and fewer still for the 25–30% of students who drop out of high school without graduating.

This article is only available in PDF format

References

  1. 1. Committee on the Objectives of a General Education in a Free Society, General Education in a Free Society, Harvard U.P., Cambridge, Mass. (1946).

  2. 2. F. J. Rutherford, A. Ahlgren, Science for All Americans, Oxford U.P., New York (1990).

  3. 3. S. Tobias, C. T. Tomizuka, Breaking the Science Barrier, in preparation

  4. 4. G. Holton, Daedalus, Spring 1990, p. 286.

Related content
/
Article
The ability to communicate a key message clearly and concisely to a nonspecialized audience is a critical skill to develop at all educational levels.
/
Article
With strong magnetic fields and intense lasers or pulsed electric currents, physicists can reconstruct the conditions inside astrophysical objects and create nuclear-fusion reactors.
/
Article
A crude device for quantification shows how diverse aspects of distantly related organisms reflect the interplay of the same underlying physical factors.
/
Article
Events held around the world have recognized the past, present, and future of quantum science and technology.
This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1990_11.jpeg

Volume 43, Number 11

Get PT in your inbox

pt_newsletter_card_blue.png
PT The Week in Physics

A collection of PT's content from the previous week delivered every Monday.

pt_newsletter_card_darkblue.png
PT New Issue Alert

Be notified about the new issue with links to highlights and the full TOC.

pt_newsletter_card_pink.png
PT Webinars & White Papers

The latest webinars, white papers and other informational resources.

By signing up you agree to allow AIP to send you email newsletters. You further agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.