Science and Engineering Indicators in America (2014)

Posted by $ MikeMarotta 9 years, 4 months ago to Science
116 comments | Share | Flag

From the front matter:
Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) is first and foremost a volume of record comprising the major high-quality quantitative data on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. SEI is factual and policy neutral. It does not offer policy options, and it does not make policy recommendations. SEI employs a variety of presentation styles—tables, figures, narrative text, bulleted text, Web-based links, highlights, introductions, conclusions, reference lists—to make the data accessible to readers with different information needs and different information-processing preferences.

The data are “indicators.” Indicators are quantitative representations that might reasonably be thought to provide summary information bearing on the scope, quality, and vitality of the science and engineering enterprise."

From Chapter 7 about the general public:
"Overall, Americans remain strong believers in the benefits of S&T even while seeing potential risks. Surveys since at least 1979 show that roughly 7 in 10 Americans see the effects of scientific research as more positive than negative for society. In 2012, this included 50% who said they believed the benefits “strongly” outweigh the negatives and 22% who said the benefits slightly outweigh the potential harms (appendix table 7-16). About 7% said science creates more harms than benefits. These numbers are generally consistent with earlier surveys; Americans saying the benefits strongly or slightly outweigh the harmful results have ranged from 68% to 80% since this question was initially asked in the 1970s (figure 7-10).

Americans with more education, income, and scientific knowledge hold a stronger belief in the benefits of science than others. For example, 55% of those who had not completed high school said they believe science does more good than harm, but 89% of those with bachelor’s degrees and 92% of those with graduate degrees expressed this view.

Similarly, 86% of those in the top income quartile saw more benefits than harms from science, whereas 60% of those in the lowest bracket expressed this view. Almost all (87%) of those in the top knowledge quartile said they saw more benefits than harms, but just half (50%) of those in the lowest knowledge quartile gave this response (appendix table 7-16).22


All Comments


Previous comments...   You are currently on page 3.
  • Comment hidden due to member score or comment score too low. View Comment
  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Not to worry Johnpe1 we have it on good authority from the left that bio and chemical are no longer WMD. Not since they voted for the Iraqui invasion of 2003 and then turned their coats and supported the other side.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    are you available to teach kids in your spare time, Jan?
    they would love to ply you with questions like we do! -- j
    .
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I have a friend who thinks it's a hand cream. . maybe
    this belongs to the thread about home remedies. -- j
    .
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Flootus5 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    We have two "hyper" active border collies, 4 and 5 years old. They are gems.

    The key with them is to keep them engaged intellectually. Yes, they love to run and we fenced a large 4 acre lot of sagebrush which they tear around in, but they must be engaged with the humans. It is in their DNA. Interaction on all levels and they are happy.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Mythopoeic?

    Not me: I am definitely a proponent of an objective reality!

    Jan
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I sprawl in my living room as I type this, my 3 German Shepherd dogs (all from the salvage heap) around me comfortably...plus one hyperactive border collie that I am watching. They are the best of companions.

    Jan
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ jlc 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Alligators are archeosaurs, predecessors of the dinosaurs. The same way that komodo dragons and other reptiles, which preceded the heyday of the dinosaurs (though technically, reptiles, dinosaurs, and mammals seem to have evolved almost simultaneously). Alligators and crocodiles are interesting because, while they are more 'primitive' than dinosaurs, they not only guard their nests but take care of their young after they are born.

    Jan
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Comment hidden due to member score or comment score too low. View Comment
  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    It's also used to store excess excavated material against possible need. What is the name and primary use of the surface level space between the excavation and the excavated material? The word has three meanings. Easy to confuse. So dirt or as we say in engineering 'soil' if it's capable of passing a 4" screen opening.has many uses. One of which is not waste. No broken window. The stuff that's floating around in the universe is useful in that it will assist in plotting seemingly chaotic trajectories and even chaos will eventually repeat itself. Stuff is an experiment in progress. Digging holes and filling them up is not productive. I can tell you aren't an engineer nor ever had a fireplace. Digging holes is analogous with stacking firewood then moving it cord by cord. Why? Last years wood and we need to paint the house? Then what. Move next winters wood cord by cord where we just painted (and also sprayed for termites etc.) Not productive? You must not lift weights. Splitting and stacking firewood and digging holes to later fill in is Class A exercise and best of all there are no wasted gym fees. Easiest example. Charles Bronson did 50 pushups and 50 situps every morning.

    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by $ WilliamShipley 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The "using stuff up" approach is a variant on the similarly misguided "broken window fallacy". Production is only useful if it produces some goods and services that people need, either directly or indirectly.

    Similarly digging holes and filling them up again is not a productive job, even if you get paid to do this.

    I long thought that this was common on production sites as I saw them move large piles of dirt around at construction sites, moving them every few days. I finally asked someone and they told me they were compressing the ground with the weight of the dirt.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    There's a lot of "What ifs" out there. What if there was an intelligent species on earth a few million years before Dino and his pals? In the 4 billion years or so before the hairless ape made its appearance, there could have evolved countless intelligent species.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    If they only entertained themselves it would be. However, human participation in computer games are taking over the world. Its probably a plot by computers who secretly have AI.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Perhaps with a few modifications. An applicator wouldn't hurt.
    Are we getting too far afield?
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I love my dog more than almost anyone including 1/2 of my family. But then, I've had dogs most of my life. However, when my last dog I died I vowed never to get another. I went 20 years. Then the BW and I heard about a nearby shelter was in trouble and we knew the guy who ran it was a genuine animal lover so we stopped by to see if we could help. He knew I was a beagle person and he brought out a beagle just a few months old who had been abandoned. She was so happy and her tail was going so fast it was almost a blur. I was hooked. That was 8 years ago, and she's been like a child to us. (Better, if truth were known.)
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Comment hidden due to member score or comment score too low. View Comment
  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Had you by four years. Half the boys left after the last season of their sport with a GED and of them half went in the Navy the rest into the other services or if under 17 worked in the sawmills at odd jobs waiting for openings. Many did university level in the military and retired at 37. Some Post Office on delivery routes, A second retirement at 57 or so was not unusual and again at 65. With the wives averaging two a five income retirement was not unusual. Our eighth grade teacher went to school in a one room structure did 8th year twice and became the teacher. After 20 years the school district discovered their best teacher had no high school diploma. to get that quality of education these days would take at least two years of post high school. Minimum.
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    that's my fear, Jan -- ww3 will result from biological attack
    rather than nuclear or chemical. -- j
    .
    Reply | Permalink  
  • Posted by johnpe1 9 years, 4 months ago in reply to this comment.
    yes, government-controlled education is like soviet
    agriculture -- they treat 'em like plants, not humans. -- j
    .
    Reply | Permalink  

  • Comment hidden. Undo