Robots in 2030

Robots are already all around us, whether it’s the automated machines that assemble our vehicles or the virtual assistants that use conversational interfaces to help us around the house. Yet as we’ve seen, they’re not currently suitable for all areas of life. But will that change in the future?

Despite fears of an AI takeover, where machines replace humans as the dominant intelligence on the planet, such a scenario seems unlikely. However, business network PwC predicts that up to 30% of jobs could be automated by robots by the mid-2030s.

Other reports suggest that the stock of robots worldwide could reach 20 million by 2030, with automated workers taking up to 51 million jobs in the next 10 years. So, while they may not take over the world, we can expect to see more robots in our daily lives.
How robots will change the world

According to a report from McKinsey, automation and machines will see a shift in the way we work. They predict that across Europe, workers may need different skills to find work. Their model shows that activities that require mainly physical and manual skills will decline by 18% by 2030, while those requiring basic cognitive skills will decline by 28%.

Workers will need technological skills, and there will be an even greater need for those with expertise in STEM. Similarly, many roles will require socioemotional skills, particularly in roles where robots aren’t good substitutes, such as caregiving and teaching.

We may also see robots as a more integral part of our daily routine. In our homes, many simple tasks such as cooking and cleaning may be totally automated. Similarly, with robots that can use computer vision and natural language processing, we may see machines that can interact with the world more, such as self-driving cars and digital assistants.  READ MORE...

A Soft Science

The big idea
One factor that influences the use of the labels “soft science” or “hard science” is gender bias, according to recent research my colleagues and I conducted.

Women’s participation varies across STEM disciplines. While women have nearly reached gender parity in biomedical sciences, they still make up only about 18% of students receiving undergraduate degrees in computer science, for instance.

In a series of experiments, we varied the information study participants read about women’s representation in fields like chemistry, sociology and biomedical sciences. We then asked them to categorize these fields as either a “soft science” or a “hard science.”

Across studies, participants were consistently more likely to describe a discipline as a “soft science” when they’d been led to believe that proportionally more women worked in the field. Moreover, the “soft science” label led people to devalue these fields – describing them as less rigorous, less trustworthy and less deserving of federal research funding.

Why it matters
Over the past decade, a growing movement has encouraged girls and women to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. This effort is sometimes described as a way to reduce the wage gap.

By encouraging women to enter high-paying fields like science, technology and engineering, advocates hope that women on average will increase their earning power relative to men. Others have hoped that, as women demonstrate they can be successful in STEM, sexist stereotypes about women’s ability and interest in STEM will erode.

Our research suggests this may not be the case. Stereotypes about women and STEM persist, even in the face of evidence that women can and do productively participate in STEM fields. These stereotypes can lead people to simply devalue the fields in which women participate. In this way, even science and math can end up in the “pink collar” category of heavily female fields that are often devalued and underpaid.                 READ MORE...

STEM Education Crisis in the USA

How does the US rank in STEM education?

From 2015 to 2018, US students improved their international standing, according to PISA. In 2015, tenth-grade students ranked 35th in math and 17th in science; in 2018, tenth-grade students ranked 30th in math and 11th in science. Despite that, actual scores have remained stagnant for over a decade, said ECE.Jan 3, 2020

What could be the apparent reason for the current state of STEM education in the US? And how are we going to address the issue? Here, we look at some of the hurdles and how we can tackle them.

Sean Mathew bailed out of his physics degree from one of the top colleges in the US in his senior year. He had been the kind of student that most employers would love to hire. His scores were excellent and he had planned to be a theoretical physicist like his role model Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. But as Sean sat in his major class of 2016, he realized, he couldn’t relate his class theories to real-life problem solving skills. And when he looked at the curriculum, he didn’t see any respite. He was completely disillusioned.

So Sean, a 23-year-old, switched to international relations, where he says “classes are a lot more interesting”. Of his five friends at the college, two of them have followed in his footsteps. While the other two, who are still pursuing their course, plan to do business after they complete their degree.

Sean and his friends’ experience shows how some of the best performing students are getting disillusioned by the way engineering or STEM subjects are being taught in schools and colleges, where there is more focus on theory rather than in hands-on learning.

Their stories are not isolated. There are many like them who are switching to non-STEM subjects citing the same reason. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2019 there will be a requirement of 1.9 million STEM educated professionals in the US, but roughly 40 percent of students, who intend to do a major in STEM, end up switching to other subjects.


STEM crisis in the US: Is it for real?
“Think about the America within our reach: A country that leads the world in educating its people. An America that attracts a new generation of high-tech manufacturing and high-paying jobs.” – Obama




During his tenure, Obama had pushed for STEM education and endorsed for more public-private partnerships, more career training at community colleges and for more American innovation. And now, carrying his predecessor’s legacy forward and recognizing the importance of STEM education in enhancing a new generation of American workers, President Donald Trump had recently signed a memorandum for STEM education funding.

It’s true that the educators, policy makers, politicians, businesses are waking up to the importance of STEM today, but we all know that our nation had always had a shortage of STEM workforce.

According to the third annual US News/Raytheon 2016 STEM Index, US continues to have a shortage of STEM professionals despite an increase in the number of STEM degrees. A Census Bureau report shows that about 74 percent of college graduates with STEM degrees are opting for non-STEM jobs starting from law to education and social work.

This is certainly a bad news for employers who want to fill STEM vacancies. According to the US Department of Commerce, STEM graduates are the most in demand and earn higher salaries than their non-STEM counterparts. The demand for STEM professionals is growing as the US economy has transitioned to a more focused technological-based economy from an industrial-dependent economy.  READ MORE...

STEM Education in the USA

VISION STATEMENT

“All citizens can contribute to our nation’s progress and vibrancy. To be prepared for the STEM careers of the future, all learners must have an equitable opportunity to acquire foundational STEM knowledge. The STEM Education of the Future brings together our advanced understanding of how people learn with modern technology to create more personalized learning experiences, to inspire learning, and to foster creativity from an early age. It will unleash and harness the curiosity of young people and adult learners across the United States, cultivating a culture of innovation and inquiry, and ensuring our nation remains the global leader in science and technology discovery and competitiveness.”

Rapid technological advancements and societal changes are our daily reality. While the future of work, the economy, and society is uncertain, one thing is not: To maintain the nation’s leadership in science and technology discovery, we must create an approach to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education that prepares and advances the U.S. for this future.

Experts agree that science, technology, engineering and math will drive new innovations across disciplines, making use of computational power to accelerate discoveries and finding creative ways to work across disciplinary silos to solve big challenges. To remain competitive going forward, our nation must continue to design and build a thriving innovation economy, supported by a citizenry that is invested in the STEM enterprise. To succeed, the nation must invest in new research and innovation infrastructures that include all people, regardless of their background.

HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THIS VISION?

We instill creativity, innovation, and a passion for STEM from an early age, and we maintain that engagement and enthusiasm throughout their lives. Doing so will unleash an innovation culture, teaching learners of all ages to take risks, be creative, and problem-solve. Today, we are far from this goal. 

Many Americans are entering the workforce without a basic grasp of STEM facts and approaches. Equally worrisome, amid the stagnant or dipping numbers of U.S.-born STEM workers, there is a critical lack of women, people with disabilities and African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans who remain underrepresented in STEM. This underrepresentation is especially evident in several strategic areas critical for U.S. progress and security, including computer science, mathematics, and engineering. 

We are in dire need of STEM role models and leaders for the future. By 2060,1 Black and Hispanic youth will comprise nearly half of all U.S. school-age children. However, STEM faculty from these backgrounds are currently scarce, and trends among the number of domestic students who pursue advanced research degrees in STEM disciplines—particularly computer science, mathematics, and engineering...  READ MORE...

Back Porch Pondering

 

This morning, like always, I was tuned in to FOX NEWS on HULU (I no longer have cable) and heard that the mayor of NYC before he leaves office has done away with the GIFTED AND TALENTED PROGRAM for public school children stating the following:  "IF ALL OF US CANNOT BE GIFTED AND TALENTED THEN NONE OF US WILL BE GIFTED AND TALENTED..."

Personally, I think this is the DUMBEST comment I have ever heard coming out of the mouth of a politician...  however, I would have expected this to have been voiced by bartender now Congresswoman AOC...

We want all our students to be MEDIOCRE...  no one should be stupid and no one should be smart...

HEY THERE MR POLITICIAN...  what about the STEM program?

Do you want to do away with that as well because only a few excel in those four areas?

AND...  while we are at it...  why not apply this same concept in sports, making sure we have no players that are any better than the average player...  boy, will that look good in professional sports...

WE ARE NOT EQUAL AND WE NEVER WILL BE EQUAL NO MATTER HOW HARD WE WANT IT TO BE SO...

Democrats and Liberal Progressives

 As far as I am concerned, these people can do whatever the hell that they want to as long as my taxes do not increase that much...  a little increase in taxes is fine and can be easily accommodated  but a substantial increase in taxes should only be directed towards the wealthy.

Conservatives believe that if you tax the wealthy they will not put as much money back into the society as they did before the tax increase in terms of jobs, investments, and donations...  I find that to be a load of horseshit...

The wealthy are going to invest their money regardless of their tax burdens into ventures and investments that are going to make them more money...  because they are financially greedy.  And...  their greediness will never slow down or stop...  it is their nature.

Since I am no longer working in the marketplace, I don't give a damn if jobs go to the unqualified or not...  yes, it does mean that the US will no longer be as competitive but that trend started a long time ago when this country lost its STEM focus.

While Democrats are fighting Republicans, and Liberals are fighting Conservatives and Blacks are fighting Whites, CHINA is gaining SUPERIORITY over the US in both the economy and in the military...  and, no doubt, it will soon be seen in SPACE as well.

Just HOW STUPID ARE WE?