::
Point of View ::
Wearing his blue NASA jumpsuit, his hair neatly combed, and carrying
his briefing book, astronaut Chris Ferguson had done his best to
prepare for his next mission. But despite the seven years of NASA
training, his job experience as a Naval Officer, and hundreds of
hours of space preparation, nothing could prepare him for the
seemingly impossible mission he had been tasked to do: capture the
attention of 600 middle school kids right before the dismissal bell
on a Tuesday afternoon.
But earlier this week I watched as Captain Ferguson did the
impossible. In fact, minutes after entering an auditorium of
hundreds of middle-schoolers and beginning to tell of his space and
flight adventures, the NASA astronaut had transformed the assembly
into a captive audience. These students were awestruck and
fascinated by Captain Ferguson, and they could hardly wait to pepper
him with thought-provoking questions. They hung on his every word,
breathing in the dream of space exploration. The words of Toy
Story’s Buzz Lightyear, “to infinity and beyond,” danced in their
heads.
Their enthusiasm was quite contagious
and encouraging because it is vitally important that our students
understand the significant role that their academic and professional
pursuits will have on future generations in this nation. Their
ability to achieve in math, sciences and technology fields will
determine how competitive we will be in protecting our nation and
creating technological advancements. As the space program continues
to move forward, I am proud to partner with NASA to inspire our
youth to achieve and excel in academics.
As a nation, we face various
challenges in facilitating an environment that creates an edge in
mathematics, sciences and technology. Since 1980, the number of
science & engineering positions in the U.S. has risen more than four
times the rate of growth for all jobs – a reflection of the
transforming U.S. economy. As Captain Ferguson told me this week,
“we currently outsource a lot of our technology professions, and
there needs to be a level of importance placed on students being
proficient in the growing needs for advances in technology.”
Furthermore, more than half of all Americans with science and
engineering degrees are over 40 years old. As a result, the science
and engineering workforce in the United States will experience rapid
growth in total retirement over the next two decades. Yet since
1990, degrees in engineering have declined by 8% and degrees in math
by 20%.
Internationally, when we examine the
predicted future trends in life sciences and engineering, the United
States is not gaining ground. In fact, in the engineering field we
see that India is predicted to increase their number of engineers by
100,000 and China is predicted to increase their number by 300,000
by 2008. While at the same time, the number of engineers in the
United States is predicted to stay stagnate. The life sciences
fields in India and China are predicted to grow by 80,000 and
110,000 respectively. Yet, the United States is predicted to
decrease in life scientists by 50,000.
These numbers reveal that we must be vigilant in encouraging and
providing ways for students to seek careers that will close these
anticipated gaps. Innovation and creativity are gateways to
inventions and technological advancements. As a member of the House
Science Committee, I work to provide oversight for energy, space,
science and technology issues. As the Committee's only member from
Virginia, I strongly support efforts to enhance our nation's space
and aeronautics program, which promotes continued research and
development so that the United States may maintain its competitive
leadership in economic innovation, research and development.
When
we invest in math and the sciences, as a nation we reap the
benefits. More than 1,300 NASA and other U.S. space technologies
have contributed to U.S. industry, improving our quality of life and
helping save lives. Below are just a few examples:
-
Image processing used in CAT
Scanners and MRI technology in hospitals worldwide came from
technology developed for computer-enhanced pictures of the Moon
for the Apollo programs.
-
Kidney dialysis machines were
developed as a result of a NASA-developed chemical process and
insulin pumps were based on technology used on the Mars Viking
spacecraft.
-
Programmable Heart Pacemakers were
first developed in the 1970s using NASA satellite electrical
systems.
-
Fetal heart monitors were developed
from technology originally used to measure airflow over aircraft
wings.
-
Surgical probes used to treat brain
tumors in children resulted from special lighting technology
developed for plant growth experiments on Space Shuttle missions.
-
Infrared hand-held cameras used to
observe blazing plumes from the Shuttle have helped firefighters
point out hot spots in brush fires.
-
Satellite communications allow news
organizations to provide live, on-the-spot broadcasting from
anywhere in the world; families and businesses to stay in touch
using cell phone networks; and the simple pleasures of satellite
TV and radio, and the convenience of ATMs across the country and
around the world.
Like the explorers of the past and
the pioneers of last century, we cannot identify today all that we
will gain from space exploration or from math and science research;
however, we know from experience that the eventual return will be
great. Like the efforts of explorers and researchers before us, the
success of future U.S. space exploration and our ability to generate
scientists, engineers and mathematicians will continue to unfold
over generations to come. U.S. space exploration and our ability to
generate scientists, engineers and mathematicians will continue to
unfold over generations to come.
::
October: Fire
Safety Month
::
As part of Fire Safety Month, The Home Safety
Council is offering the public free home fire safety tips like the
ones listed below online at
www.homesafetycouncil.org/firesafetymonth
and
www.firesafetyliteracyproject.org
Home Fire Prevention Tips:
-
Be careful not to overload
electrical outlets, extension cords and power strips
-
Check all wires and cords for
damage and cover all unused electrical outlets.
-
Schedule an appointment with
professionals to have chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves,
central furnaces and space heaters inspected once a year and
cleaned as often as necessary.
-
Keep space heaters at least three
feet away from things that can burn, such as curtains or stacks of
newspaper, and always turn off heaters when leaving the room or
going to bed.
-
Always use stable, candle holders
made of material that won’t catch fire, such as metal, glass, etc.
-
Never leave burning candles
unattended and do not allow children to keep candles or incense in
their rooms.
-
Keep things that can burn, such as
dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three
feet away from the range top.
-
Keep volatile chemicals, such as
fertilizers and turpentine, in their original containers in a
locked storage area separate from the home.
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