Will the next presidential debate have John McCain and Hillary Clinton feuding over quantum mechanics vs. classical mechanics?  Likely not.  But if scientist James Trefil had his way, that might be the case.

In his new book, ‘Why Science?,’ Trefil outline the case that all U.S. citizens must be “scientifically literate” in order to understand the issues that are impacting our everyday lives.

A recent study known unofficially as the “The Nation’s Report Card” revealed that high school seniors are scoring lower in science today than in 1996.  Given the prominence of global warming, stem cell research and intelligent design in today’s society, the need for improved scientific understanding is clear.

The author, with over 30 books sunder his belt to-date, believes that today’s science education is insufficient for tomorrow’s need. I agree.  But that’s easy for me to say, my academic suffering is over.  I’m out of school, never to return.

If the United States is going to remain competitive with other nations in the 21 century, it’s clear that “scientific literacy” is an area that needs to be closely analyzed; from middle school students to presidential candidates.

Instead of worrying about a “100 year war” or who is pimping out whom, the candidates might just want to use their library cards.

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