Secretary of Energy says more science education crucial

In the race for scientific superiority, the United States might be experiencing a “sputnik moment.”

So said Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, who spoke at Fermilab in Batavia earlier this month. He said the country trails China in scientific breakthroughs, referencing the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to be put into Earth’s orbit, leaving the U.S. second in the race to space.

Chu said China is increasing its dominance in several new energy areas and in science education overall. He said China leads the world in electricity transmission systems, nuclear energy and supercomputers. Tianhe-1A, China’s supercomputer launched in 2010, is the world’s fastest. It is 92 times faster than the U.S.’s Cray XT5 “Jaguar” system (previously the most powerful), according to top500.org, a website dedicated to supercomputer statistics.

“Now China is going around the world saying, ‘Wouldn’t you like to buy our high energy transmission technology?’ ” Chu said. “It’s kind of scary. We are no longer in the lead.”

In order to be a competitor in the race to develop technologies and new energy, the U.S. needs to invest more money in its science and math education, Chu said. He said that after $787 million in stimulus money expires, the government should focus on funding scientific programs to get young people involved with science.

President Obama announced in January a $250 million initiative over the next five years to prepare math and science teachers for the future and provide enhanced on-the-job training.

Chu provided statistics showing in the last 20 years the number of college engineering majors increased in China and remained constant in this country. Once exception is the University of Illinois.

In fall of 2006 Illinois had 5,010 undergraduate engineering students and 6,124 in fall of 2010. Illinois was ranked the nation’s sixth-best engineering program in 2010 by U.S. News and World Report.

At Fermilab, a Department of Energy institution, its 1,960 employees include approximately 960 physicists and engineers, and is home to 2,000 scientists who perform research. Chu cited examples such as President Abraham Lincoln’s call for a science academy during the Civil War, and President John F. Kennedy’s support for the space program during the Vietnam War. Chu said it’s possible to support the science development in a struggling economy.

Max McGee, president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, the internationally recognized college preparatory school in Aurora, believes the U.S. needs to focus on science like it does math and reading to remain competitive worldwide and keep pace with other countries’ intelligence.

“We need a transformation of science instruction. We need to move away from memorizing formulas and literally do science,” McGee said. “We need our students to think and act like scientists not just regurgitate scientific facts.”