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

Dear Commons Community,

Paul Krugman has a most provocative column in today’s NY Times on the interrelationship of the right-wing media, the Republican Party, and big money interests.  Essentially Krugman observes that modern American conservatism is largely a  movement shaped by billionaires  ( i.e., the Koch brothers, the Coors family and Rupert Murdoch )  influencing the American populace via the media especially Fox News.  He also observes that Fox News has ratcheted up its activity by hiring G.O.P. candidates, while at the same time making million-dollar contributions to the Republican Governors Association and the rabidly anti-Obama United States Chamber of Commerce.

His best line is reserved for the Tea Party;

“A note to Tea Party activists: This is not the movie you think it is. You probably imagine that you’re starring in “The Birth of a Nation,” but you’re actually just extras in a remake of “Citizen Kane”.”

Tony

The full column is available at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/opinion/04krugman.html?th&emc=th