Dear Commons Community,

Yesterday’s NY Times – Science Section had an interesting article on the use of the acronym “STEM” as in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. (see URL:  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/science/05angier.html?ref=science)  Quoting luminaries such as Eric Lander (M.I.T., Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology) and Sally Ride (First Woman in Space), the article goes on to question whether STEM has caused more confusion than it is worth.   The word “stem” more commonly refers to stem cell research, botany, flowers and branches.   The article goes on to discuss why STEM was selected and whether it should be changed, modified or completely abandoned for the simpler, well understood “science and mathematics education”.

I vote for abandoning the term!

Tony