How to get your kids into STEM even when the future is uncertain
Blame the swords of light. This is what made me become a teacher. As a high school student, one of my main goals in life was to figure out how to make a real light sword. That’s impossible to do, so it didn’t really matter if I went into engineering or science, but I pursued STEM. I had dropped physics when I was an undergraduate. After that, I went to graduate school Even more Physics until I finally got a Ph.D.
No lightsabers ever came up, but I’ve been teaching undergraduate science for over 25 years. A genuine interest in STEM – and maybe (again) star wars– has brought many students to my classroom, but over time that enthusiasm has waned and waned.
Especially now when it comes to pursuing an education and ultimately a career in STEM, there is much more uncertainty than there was 10 or 15 years ago. Especially for incoming students in 2025. For example, the Trump administration’s efforts to cut funding for “woke” studies has led to cuts in funding for much scientific research. On the other hand, there is artificial intelligence, which is often presented as a tool that can single-handedly create the next big breakthrough.
What should the student do? Is STEM no longer the ticket to a career in a challenging and fascinating field? It is, but explaining why is not simple. Science is rarely like that.
Most importantly, high school students considering pursuing STEM should understand and be challenged with the disciplines themselves. (Fun fact: The acronym used to be SMET. It didn’t really catch on.) To study science, you need to know what humans are like. do science
In short, science is the process of model making. what is the model Let’s go with the simplest example: a sphere, which is a model of the Earth. Of course it is not particle for direct object Earth, however, shows some features of the real planet (such as the shape and position of the continents). But it doesn’t show the size, mass or location of the nearest coffee shop – you’ll have to find it yourself. Scientific models don’t have to be equations, they can be physical or conceptual things.
One of my favorite models for interaction is gravity. It’s fun because it’s wrong. On Earth, scientists can model the gravitational force on an object as a constant (g) multiplied by its mass. This is a very practical model. It’s good for creating planes and bridges, and it’s simple. But it is wrong. In fact, as you move away from the center of the Earth, the force of gravity decreases. Another more accurate model is useful for calculating the orbits of planets and things like the International Space Station. This is the model Also There is also a better model error that considers gravity as a curvature of space-time. Researchers can use this one to explain why colliding black holes create gravitational waves. But it is probably wrong
