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direction…following culture。〃
268
Chinese people； explained Li； have both a superiority and an inferiority complex at
the same time； which helps explain why they are racing America to the top； not the
bottom。 There is a deep and widely shared view that China was once great； that it
succeeded in the past but now is far behind and must catch up again。 〃So there is
a patriotic desire；〃 he said。 〃If our lab can do as well as the Redmond lab； that
could be really exciting。〃
That sort of inspired leadership in science and engineering education is now totally
missing in the United States。
Said Intel chairman Craig Barrett； 〃U。S。 technological leadership； innovation； and
jobs of tomorrow require a commitment to basic research funding today。〃 According
to a 2004 study by the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation； an
industry…academic coalition； basic research performed at leading U。S。
universities…research in chemistry； physics； nanotechnology； genomics； and
semiconductor manufacturing…has created four thousand spin…off companies that hired
1。1 million employees and have annual world sales of 232 billion。 But to keep moving
ahead； the study said； there must be a 10 to 12 percent increase each year for the
next five to seven years in the budgets of key research…funding agencies： the National
Institute for Science and Technology； the National Science Foundation； the Department
of Energy's Office of Science； and the Department of Defense research accounts。
Unfortunately； federal funding for research in physical and mathematical sciences
and engineering； as a share of GDP； actually declined by 37 percent between 1970 and
2004； the task force found。 At a time when we need to be doubling our investments
in basic research to overcome the ambition and education gaps； we are actually cutting
that funding。
In the wake of the Bush administration and the Republican Congress's decision to cut
the National Science Foundation funding for 2005； Republican congressman Vern Ehlers
of Missouri； a voice in the wilderness； made the following statement： 〃While I
understand the need to make hard choices in the face of fiscal constraint； I do not
see the wisdom in putting science funding behind other priorities。 We have cut NSF
despite the fact that this omnibus bill increases spending for the
2005 fiscal year； so clearly we could find room to grow basic research while
maintaining fiscal constraint。 But not only are we not keeping pace with inflationary
growth； we are actually cutting the portion basic research receives in the overall
budget。 This decision shows dangerous disregard for our nation's future； and I am
both concerned and astonished that we would make this decision at a time when other
nations continue to surpass our students inmath and science and consistently increase
their funding of basic research。 We cannot hope to fight jobs lost to international
competition without a well…trained and educated workforce。〃
No； we cannot； and the effects are starting to show。 According to the National Science
Board； the percentage of scientific papers written by Americans has fallen 10 percent
since 1992。 The percentage of American papers published in the top physics journal；
Physical Review； has fallen from 61 percent to 29 percent since 1983。 And now we are
starting to see a surge in patents awarded to Asian countries。 From 1980 to 2003；
Japan's share of world industrial patents rose from 12 percent to 21 percent； and
Taiwan's from 0 percent to 3 percent。 By contrast； the U。S。 share of patents has fallen
from 60 percent to 52 percent since 1980。
Any honest analysis of this problem should note that there are some skeptics who
believe that the sky is not falling and that scientists and the technology industry
might be hyping some of this data； just to get more funding。 A May 10； 2004； article
in the San Francisco Chronicle quoted Daniel S。 Greenberg； former news editor of the
journal Science and author of the book Science； Money and Politics； who argues that
〃inside…the…Beltway science （lobbying） has always been insatiable。 If you double the
NIH （National Institutes of Health） budget in five years （as recently happened）；
they're （still） screaming their heads off： 'We need more money。'〃 Greenberg also
questioned the science lobbyists' interpretation of a number of statistics。
Quoting Greenberg； the Chronicle said； 〃To put scientific publishing trends in
context。 。 。 it's important to look not only at overall percentiles but also at the
actual numbers of published papers。 At first； it may sound startling to hear that
China quadrupled its scientific publication rate between 1986 and 1999。 But it sounds
somewhat less startling if one real
izes that the actual number of Chinese papers published rose from 2；911 to 11；675。
By comparison； close to a third of all the world's scientific papers were published
by Americans…163；526 out of 528；643。 In other words； China； a nation with almost four
times the population of the United States； published （as of 1999） only one…fourteenth
as many scientific papers as the United States。〃
While I think a dose of skepticism is always in order； I also think the skeptics would
be wise to pay more heed to the flattening of the world and how quickly some of these
trends could change。 It is why I favor Shirley Ann Jackson's approach： The sky is
not falling today； but it might be in fifteen or twenty years if we don't change our
ways； and all signs are that we are not changing； especially in our public schools。
Help is not on the way。 The American education system from kindergarten through
twelfth grade just is not stimulating enough young people to want to go into science；
math； and engineering。 My wife teaches first…grade reading in a local public school；
so she gets Education Week； which is read by educators all over America。 One day she
pointed out an article （July 28； 2004） headlined； 〃Immigrants' Children Inhabit the
Top Ranks of Math； Science Meets。〃
It went on to say； 〃Research conducted by the National Foundation for American Policy
shows that 60 percent of the nation's top science students and 65 percent of the top
mathematics students are children of recent immigrants； according to an analysis of
award winners in three scholastic competitions。 。 。 the Intel Science Talent Search；
the U。S。 team for the International Mathematical Olympiad； and theU。S。 Physics Team。〃
The study's author attributed the immigrant students' success 〃partly to their
parents' insistence that they manage study time wisely；〃 Education Week said。 〃Many
immigrant parents also encouraged their children to pursue mathematics and science
interests； believing those skills would lead to strong career opportunities and
insulate them from bias and lack of connections in the workplace 。。。 A strong
percentage of the students surveyed had parents who arrived in the United States on
H…1B visas； reserved for professional workers。 U。S。 policymakers who back overly
restrictive immigration policies do so at the risk of cutting off a steady infusion
of technological and s