America may be known for its leadership in many sciences and technologies, but a new report revealed that it is now losing this race to other countries such as China.
A survey of workers in STEM fields showed that 75% believe the United States is lagging behind in these industries or even losing out to global competition.
What's more, 60% of respondents viewed China as leading the pack — with data showing the country is ahead of the United States in 34 out of 44 areas, including electric batteries, hypersonic batteries, and advanced radio frequencies.
It is called the State of Science in America, a non-profit organization that works to revitalize science and technology in the United States Lawmakers called for funding to be released for future innovations, saying these areas are no longer a national priority and that the country is “unprepared for the future.”
A new study finds that 75% of STEM workers believe the United States is lagging behind in technological and scientific research and development.
the report It surveyed 2,000 people who work in a STEM-related field, including K-12 teachers, technology, health care, military and national security, business, and STEM.
It found that only eight percent of those surveyed believe the United States is taking steps to expand its progress, but among the majority who said the United States is lagging behind, 40 percent blamed the government, saying it should invest more money in research and development.
“We need Congress and policymakers to be willing to sit down with the scientific community, whether in industry, academia or government, to shape the types of policies, legislative and regulatory frameworks necessary to advance innovation as well as appropriate budget commitments.” The former FDA commissioner and head of the InterAcademy Partnership said in the report.
Although many factors contribute to the decline in scientific and technological progress, including artificial intelligence, growing distrust of science, and lack of government funding, the report describes the lack of adequate K-12 education in STEM fields as a The biggest obstacle.
Over the past three decades, the United States has lagged behind countries in Europe and East Asia, ranking 28th out of 37 participating countries in reading, science, and math.
STAC proposes investing in K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by expanding curriculum and increasing internships and fellowships.
The report suggested that the federal government increase its support for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by ensuring that every student has access to a laptop computer, expanding student access to the Internet at home, and expanding STEM curricula in grades K-12. 12th grade, increasing internships and fellowship programs that “provide a pathway to STEM-related employment, and provide support and resources for teachers to unleash the creativity and innovation of young learners.”
The team raised an issue And people's growing distrust of science due to the spread of misinformation and disinformation, which also undermines public health and skepticism about “innovative medical treatments and products.”
This is not the first time that the scientific community has sounded the alarm about the risk of the United States losing its top position as a global leader in technology and science.
Nearly 200 leaders of high-tech companies, including Microsoft and Intel, lobbied the government to invest more in the scientific community in 2005 over arguments that research and development had been stagnant for the past three decades.
“The world is changing quite a bit, and frankly, there's a lot of concern that if we don't make some adjustments, pursue the right public policies, and do some important things, we could find ourselves losing ground very quickly,” said Rick White, then president and CEO of the high-tech lobby TechNet. “The advantage we've had for a long time,” he told a press conference at the time. NBC News mentioned.
The new report builds on previous arguments, saying that the United States can no longer be complacent and must take a stand on R&D, otherwise a takeover of the technology and science sector is imminent.
“The long-term prosperity, security, and vitality of the United States depends on us investing in science strategically and intelligently,” Harvey Feinberg, president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, said in the report.
“We can no longer prosper by floundering because other countries have raised their game.”
The report laid out a series of policy recommendations, also called the STAC Action Plan, which calls for the government to double its federal investments in science and technology from 0.7 percent of GDP to at least 1.4 percent.
This additional funding will create a boost to the creation of more high-paying jobs and a stronger STEM workforce and will increase the economic and national security of the United States, the report said.
It proposes to collaborate with other global allies to attract the best talent around the world and to partner with other countries on larger foundational projects such as the Large Hadron Collider – a powerful particle accelerator.
“The lack of a national science and technology strategy and a comprehensive inter-agency coordination plan coupled with patchy, irregular and short-sighted funding mechanisms are shortcomings that we can no longer ignore,” the report said.
“We must seize this critical moment to establish and define priorities and goals that will inspire and engage the entire American science and technology ecosystem.”
(Tags for translation) Daily Mail