Spectral lines: A little more knowledge

We'd all like the citizenry of the United States to become more knowledgeable about science and technology. If the public, and therefore the electorate, as well as the legislative bodies — both predominantly nontechnical — could be made more technically literate, the theory goes, society could apply technology more intelligently to social ills and thus increase the standard of living for all citizens. Would it be possible to educate the public by requiring science and technology courses at both the secondary-school and college levels for non-science majors? Recent reports of trends in education at the secondary-school level are not encouraging. According to a report called “A Nation at Risk,”* released in late April by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, a rising tide of mediocrity is eroding the educational foundations of U.S. society. The report suggested that not only are U.S. high-school students lagging behind those in other industrialized countries, but also that the demand for technical proficiency is increasing.