DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive
Date: Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:31:15 EST
Reply-To: Labsafe**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Jim Kaufman <Labsafe**At_Symbol_Here**AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Students not selecting chemistry
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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