Some of Tilghman's talk to college presidents concerned the
dismal state of science education in the United States, from
elementary and secondary education through higher education. She
recited various statistics and called for the creation of more
courses that engage science students in "big questions" early in
their careers. Too many college students are introduced to
science through survey courses that consist of facts "often
taught as a laundry list and from a historical perspective
without much effort to explain their relevance to modern
problems." Only science students with "the persistence of
Sisyphus and the patience of Job" will reach the point where
they can engage in the kind of science that excited them in the
first place, she said. I think it is easy to see what's wrong,
but it is more difficult to know what to do correctly. I've
brought up TONS of examples of various educational philosophy
and techniques/technology already being employed, all in the
name of improving science/physics education fo