Teaching Science

As an educator with a passion similar to those expressed in “Bringing Science to the Citizens” by Celia Arnaud, I am 
delighted to read that Bard College is adopting a requirement that all its 
students study a modicum of science (C&EN, Feb. 7, page 32). I hope that all institutions of higher learning ultimately follow suit.

The fact is that we live in a world dominated by science, whether for much of our economic success, our well-being, or our national security. Yet many of our nation’s leaders are scientifically illiterate, which brings into serious question their ability to make well-reasoned and well-informed critical decisions that depend on science (e.g., alternative energy or global climate change).On top of this, Americans in general need to be regularly informed about science so they can continue to support scientific research as the nation’s vital innovative driving force and to better understand our roles and responsibilities as human beings (derived from nature) in the natural world.

Michael Pravica
Las Vegas