01/16/10
Darpa: U.S. Geek
Shortage Is National Security Risk
By Katie Drummond January 15, 2010 | 9:06 am
(Note: DARPA is an acronym for "Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency")
Sure, we’re all plugged in and online 24/7. But fewer American kids are growing
up to be bona fide computer geeks. And that poses a serious security risk for
the country, according to the Defense Department.
The Pentagon’s far-out research arm Darpa is soliciting proposals for
initiatives that would attract teens to careers in science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM), with an emphasis on computing. According to the
Computer Research Association, computer science enrollment dropped 43 percent
between 2003 and 2006.
Darpa’s worried that America’s “ability to compete in the increasingly
internationalized stage will be hindered without college graduates with the
ability to understand and innovate cutting edge technologies in the decades to
come…. Finding the right people with increasingly specialized talent is becoming
more difficult and will continue to add risk to a wide range of DoD [Department
of Defense] systems that include software development.”
The agency doesn’t offer specifics on what kinds of activities might boost
computing’s appeal to teens, but they want programs to include career days,
mentoring, lab tours and counseling.
Of course, Darpa’s launched student-oriented publicity stunts before. But events
like last year’s red balloon hunt were directed at pre-existing geeks — the
balloon-finders were a team of MIT aces.
Now, Darpa’s now hoping someone, somewhere, can come up with a way to make
future philosophy majors change course. And they want to get ‘em while they’re
young: Darpa insists that programs be “targeted to middle and high school
students, and include methods “to maintain a positive, long-term presence in a
student’s education.”
A long-term presence that includes evenings and weekends. Rather than
incorporate computer-based activities into academics, Darpa wants the programs
to be extracurricular, “perhaps as an after school activity, weekend, or summer
event.” Tween girls and minorities take note, because Darpa’s especially got it
out for you:
Finally, the decline in degrees in CS [computer science] is particularly
pronounced for women and minorities…. Proposals that have plans that
specifically increase the number of women or minorities in their activities are
encouraged.
* * * * *
Maybe the "Geek Shortage" is being caused by educators like the one in the story below:
from: Sign on San Diego
Science project prompts SD school evacuation
By Susan Shroder, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Friday, January 15, 2010 at 2:04 p.m.
SAN DIEGO — Students were evacuated from Millennial Tech Magnet Middle School in
the Chollas View neighborhood Friday afternoon after an 11-year-old student
brought a personal science project that he had been making at home to school,
authorities said.
Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said the
student had been making the device in his home garage. A vice principal saw the
student showing it to other students at school about 11:40 a.m. Friday and was
concerned that it might be harmful, and San Diego police were notified.
The school, which has about 440 students in grades 6 to 8 and emphasizes
technology skills, was initially put on lockdown while authorities responded.
Luque said the project was made of an empty half-liter Gatorade bottle with some
wires and other electrical components attached. There was no substance inside.
When police and the Metro Arson Strike Team responded, they also found
electrical components in the student's backpack, Luque said. After talking to
the student, it was decided about 1 p.m. to evacuate the school as a precaution
while the item was examined. Students were escorted to a nearby playing field,
and parents were called and told they could come pick up their children.
A MAST robot took pictures of the device and X-rays were evaluated. About 3
p.m., the device was determined to be harmless, Luque said.
Luque said the project was intended to be a type of motion-detector device.
Both the student and his parents were "very cooperative" with authorities, Luque
said. He said fire officials also went to the student's home and checked the
garage to make sure items there were neither harmful nor explosive.
"There was nothing hazardous at the house," Luque said.
The student will not be prosecuted, but authorities were recommending that he
and his parents get counseling, the spokesman said. The student violated school
policies, but there was no criminal intent, Luque said.
"There will be no (criminal) charges whatsoever," Luque said.
Police and fire officials also will not seek to recover costs associated with
responding to the incident, the spokesman said.
Luque said both the student and his parents were extremely upset.
"He was very shaken by the whole situation, as were his parents," Luque said.
* * * * *
So a budding young scientist, intelligent and talented enough to be attending a "tech magnet" school is so traumatized over the reaction to his science project that he'll probably waste his life and become a hippie poet or a lawyer.
Has anyone explained how the vice principal was qualified for that position in a technical magnet school when he could not determine at a glance that an EMPTY Gatorade bottle and a few wires and electrical components were not very dangerous and did not justify his trouser wetting response?
What school policy did the kid violate? The one that forbids scaring the shit out of ignorant vice-principals?