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Dear All

The thing about STEM is it is jargon, now don't get me wrong, jargon is very useful when you are talking to people who speak it too, it is short hand that saves you having to say so many words.

You would not kick off an explanation of electron structure to an 12 year old by going on about wave functions or plant growth by dropping in osmotic potential, well you might but their eyes would glaze over immediately. It is like all education, or even conversation, you have to use the words, model, what ever, that the other party can relate to and take it from there.

STEM is fine between those who are fluent in "ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMathsCommunicationSpeak". (That could do with shortening, how about Scimathengtechcomlingo. Rolls off the tongue, I've invented some jargon)

I must admit when I think of STEM, since I am very interested in plants, I think of cuttings and then my mind wanders to other places where "stem" could be used in conversation, which is fine except the one I keep coming back to is "Stem the bleeding".

All the best


Ian


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On 08/10/2010 08:46, Francisco Diego wrote:
[log in to unmask]" type="cite">Dear all,

Perhaps these possible definitions could help?

science - the best method we have developed to explore, discover and understand thatever is there or happens without human intervention, i.e. the natural world, the universe. Embraces physics, biology, chemistry, and their combinations geology, astrobiology, cosmology, etc. Ideally curiosity driven.

technology - applied science, the manipulation, application of those discoveries for our benefit (or the benefit of a few in many cases!). Embraces engineering (mechanical electric, civil, etc), medicine, and even the impact of all these on our nearby, vital environment. Sadly, often driven by economic interests.

Yes, we also need technology to do science and science feeds technology, but they are by principle, different.

social sciences should be called social studies instead.

Mathematics is a tool applied to virtually all disciplines, science, technology, social studies, arts...

This is relevant for many aspects of public engagement (big confusion between science and technology), but mainly for the way all this is funded. The more letters you put in an acronym, the more diluted are the resources for each of them.

Scientist in the USA have fighted to keep the NSF without T's or E's. We did have an SRC ages ago.


best regards

francisco

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