Gordon Watts

There They Go Again...

This arrived in my Inbox a few minutes ago:

REPUBLICAN STUDY COMMITTEE RELEASES "OPERATION OFFSET"

Members of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) in the House have launched "Operation Offset," and have released a list of specific spending cuts in the federal budget to pay for Hurricane-Katrina related reconstruction costs. The RSC recommendations include: elimination of subsidized loans for graduate students; elimination of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Math and Science program; cancellation of the NASA's Moon/ Mars initiative; elimination of the Leveraging Educational Assistance Program (LEAP); and elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The entire report can be found at: http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc.

Shouldn't that be something like "we need to eliminate our future". Nothing about the 200 million for that bridge in Alaska or something like that. Any why pick out one particular program in the NSF (which is, btw, where I get my funding from)? UPDATE: they do address this; I just missed it in my quick reading (thank to Dave).

Frankly, I'm not worried they will get this through. It does bother me that they have decided to go after the Math and Science program so specifically. What is it they have against science?

Here is a direct link to the full report (warning, it is a Word document (their staffers are also a bit clueless, aren't they!). I've only got time to scan it before I shoot off to teach. But check this out:

The federal government has extensive loan options for financing education. Students have likely had government help paying for college, if there was financial need. Graduate students make an informed decision to invest in their own futures and should bare the costs of schooling, especially since private interest rates are currently low. This reform would allow federal higher education funding to be focused on college students while still allowing graduate students to benefit from unsubsidized federal loans. Savings: $8.6 billion over ten years ($4.2 billion over five years)

Especially since private interest rates are low!? I suppose this might work if everyone wanted to be a doctor or a (republican) lawyer! What are these people smoking!?

The NSF bit I need to understand a bit more. It seems to be saying that they want to do something less than kill the whole program, but they seem to be targeting the whole program:

The NSF promotes math and science education by improving teacher training and developing instructional material. However, the program is now duplicative of programs at the Department of Education, including the Math and Science Partnership authorized by No Child Left Behind. Savings: $2 billion over ten years ($973 million over five years).

So, I think they don't know the name of the program they are talking about here -- that isn't basic research. That must be one of the partnership programs. I'll have to ask Paula; she would know more about exactly what that is.

They also want to eliminate insentives for energy conservation. One could argue that one reason we are seeing more of these things like Katrina is exactly because we are burning so much energy!! Another thing that I saw scanning through was to eliminate funding for contraceptives for teens (like 95 million). Sheesh. Idiots.

Ok, I'm getting all fired up over a document that, as it stands, doesn't really mean anything. Time to get back to work.

UPDATE: See Dave's comments for more...

Smartypants U.

Lou posted a great link to short page "Confessions of an Engineering Washout" by D. Kern. You should read it. Basically, Kern's thesis is that we don't have enough science majors because the professors SUCK as teachers.

I honestly don't know the reasons that people drop out of the various science programs at university level -- but I do know that what I'm worried about happens before college. That said, one thing that we, as professors, have the most trouble with is... very few students are like us.

We have decided to skip our social life and study all the time. We are the types that no matter how hard or inconsequential the problem we will not give up until it is solved (cut-and-run while you're ahead? Never!). So what if we don't go to sleep because that darn problem set hasn't been finished! We communicate with each other in a language that isn't quite "normal". Etc. Etc. We live in this world for most of the day. Then we walk into a class room. Too often the gears don't grind and we don't switch back to "normal people" mode.

Keep an Open Mind

In my post about the ID court case, Lou made a good comment:

I think it's wise to keep an open mind. Can it be proven without a doubt that we weren't all created by someone/something?

Having said that, if we allocate classroom time based on scientific findings, then I suppose the lion's share of time will be spent studying evolution, not ID. On the other hand, it might be interesting to study things like carbon dating the shroud of Turin etc.

I agree with most of what he says. This fight isn't about whether or not I can prove it. This argument is about mixing science and non-science. ID and creationism are all about belief and faith. Evolution is all about science. The reason people get their underwear up around their necks about this is that the attempt is being made to inject ID and creationism into a science course. This court case is about altering the content of a biology course, for example. ID and creationism could be taught in a religion course, or a history (or history of religion) course or something like that.

I agree with your 100% that an all science curriculum would be mind numbing. But, that is why we teach history, English, literature, etc. By the way, I'd argue that the students I see are not well prepared for university. We have the best universities in the world, but the pipeline that feeds them is not up to that standard.

Finally, a course segment on how carbon dating works, using the shroud would make excellent science. And perhaps a good science lesson. I hesitate here because I'm worried that we are not teaching the basics and putting in something advanced like carbon dating -- while cool -- will squeeze out the more basic building blocks that the students need. But, what doesn't belong in a science course is to then use the date of the shroud to say that ID or creationism has scientific proof isn't.

Even if we found some bit of evidence tomorrow that tore evolution down at its core -- proved the theory wrong -- ID and creationism would still not be elevated to "correct" or the "best theory". ID/creationism and evolution aren't really competing with each other. They exist in totally different worlds. One in science and one in faith. Neither looks good when it tries to jump that boarder.

Slightly related: I don't think the court is the best forum to decide what teach and I can't really imagine a way that it will improve our high schools! That needs a national commitment and real $$ allocated to it (rather than a war or tax cuts). It is a hard problem and this country desperately needs someone prominent (like the president or close to them) to devote real time to it.

Withdrawal...

While I was in France my portable developed a fan-related clicking noise. The thing is a Toshiba, and is 2.5 years old. It is time to order a new one. But I think this 3505 knew it was about to be replaced. The day after we decided what to replace it with the fan failed totally. Well, the bearing on the fan failed: during the class I was teaching it made progressively more and more noise.

Other than the fan, the portable is still good, so Todd took it apart to remove the fan. The innards of these things are amazing. So much packed into such a small place -- and it still remains cool. I'm not sure how they do it.

I have been suffering, however. I think I've been without portable for almost 3 days now. When we hit one week it will be the longest I've been without a portable computer in almost 8 years! I use it for work, for teaching, for lectures. My hands are already shaking...

An aside those of you dealing with university administration might enjoy. The new portable costs enough that I can't just buy it. It has to be put out for bid. Only one company makes the portable I want, so there will be no bidding. But they told us that we couldn't use the university credit card to purchase it: we'd have to use a purchase order. For those of you who haven't dealt with a PO that can add almost a month onto the order time. The email saying "no" to using the credit card contained the phrase "since this isn't an emergency..." We will be ordering the portable with the credit card tomorrow morning. ;-)

How Come I Didn't Get to do That!?

The school year is starting and the new class of graduate students has arrived. There are 23 of them. Only 2 women (what the heck happened!!?). Since they will be teaching students, running labs, etc., they have to go through some fire and safety training. Which means play with fire extinguishers. I must admit, I'm a bit envious; I never had to do that. I've taken many hours of radiation safety training, ODH (Oxygen Deficiency Hazard) training, even some fire training. But I've never used a fire extinguisher (another shot)

First Day Of Classes!

Today was the first day of classes! I gave a lecture that was... lets see, how do I put this (since some of my students may be reading this)... "not well prepared." Yeah. That sounds about right. I've done nothing for this class except for about 2 hours last night trying to write up some lecture notes. I don't even have a web site yet. And, of course, even though I've only lectured for 50 minutes I'm already about 1/2 a lecture behind. But, hey, the first day is always like that. ;-)

The reason I've not done more? Well. It's the grant. The NSF deadline is 5pm today. This is the deadline for all Physics all across the country. Everyone is busy trying to get their NSF proposals in right now. We have everything ready (though several days later than we planned) -- but since the whole country is using the NSF's web site to get their documents uploaded the website keeps timing out! Ack!

Several groups in the university have to sign off on our grants ("Do you use human subjects?" "Uh, do sleep deprivation experiments on our students count?", etc.) -- and we forgot about this -- I've spent half the day running from university department to university department pleading and groveling hoping they will quickly approve our proposal so we can submit it to the NSF before the deadline this afternoon. It is questionable that we will make it; my fingers are crossed.

Given the shape this proposal was in 4 days ago I'm impressed with it now. If any one reading this blog gets assigned to review this proposal let me know; I'm sure I can arrange for a nice dinner. ;-)

Now, I need to run to the Office of Sponsored Programs to grovel. They are the last ones and claim they need 3 days to review the proposal. They have only about 4 hours if we're to make it on time. :-)

Cone Of Silence

Don Adams has died. I can't tell you how many hours I watched 86 and 99 get in and out of scrapes. I have a few of their old shows downloaded and I still watch them every now and then. Though Get Smart was a spoof on James Bond, I saw it before I saw any James Bond and I think Get Smart got me interested in JB. :(

Define Science

As I work my way back into a regular routine I've taken to reading news again. The court case in Harrisburg, PA, is in progress trying to decide if intelligent design should be taught along side evolution in biology class (I think not!). But this note from an ABC article caught my eye:

The lawsuit over whether intelligent design should be taught in schools alongside evolution began in federal court on Monday with defendants' attorneys calling it a scientific theory and opponents saying it was an effort to put God in the classroom.

Does this mean there will be a legal definition of what is science and what is not science? That is interesting to think about...

Big Cars

I drove into my office at UW for the first time in over 2 months today. The first thing I noticed was how many big big cars, trucks, and SUVs there are on the road. And it was cool to see all those Washington licence plates again!

I Love Meetings!

My graduate student, Thomas, has just arrived at Fermilab after working for the last 9 months from UW. It was a two week trip and it sounds like he and his wife had an amazing drive cross-country (I'm looking forward to the pictures). He is clearly excited about being back... Though I have to question the "I can't wait to go to meetings again!" statement he gushed at one point. ;-)

P.S. Just so you don't think he is totally crazy. I think he meant that he is looking forward to being able to attend the meetings in person, not by video!