The ever more pressing problem of science literacy

Abstract

The causes of science illiteracy-the superficiality, misinformation, ignorance, and downright hostility toward science we encounter at virtually all levels of school and throughout adulthood-are numerous enough so that rooting out the problem will require a complex and sustained effort. But this is a war well worth fighting, and it is winnable as long as we choose our battles well, employ intelligent strategies and hang in there for the duration. As Winston Churchill exhorted his compatriots: "We will fight on the beaches, we will fight in the cities, we will never surrender!" (from "Getting High School Science in Order" by Leon Lederman.)