Livre d'Or

You know, I actually have something of a problem with scientific illiterates existing.

We're working on it. I don't want anyone leaving my classroom as a target for scientific duplicity.
"Science will remain compulsory at KS4 and every young person will have a new statutory entitlement to science study leading to two GCSEs, and we expect that, as now, at least 80% of students will continue to take at least two science GCSEs . . . We have worked with the science community to develop a new programme of study for science at KS4 to be taught in schools from September 2006. The revised programme of study has a core which focuses on scientific literacy." [1]

Re pride in scientific ignorance, I think it's a while before we'll get that to die out. It's the same with maths. Sometimes a ditzy-blonde reaction (she says as a card-carrying ditzy blonde), the group that worries me more is the humanities lot who think science is too technical and geeky.

Science as gnosticism - the science community needs more Feynmans. It's too easy to think that we can't explain things in simple terms, to hide behind jargon and symbols. It's academic sloppiness, no better than some of the pseudo-sociology that uses long sentences to conceal lack-of-content.

[1] See notes on the new GCSE syllabus (http://www.ase.org.uk/htm/homepage/notes_news/february_05/14-19.php), under "Strengthening GCSEs"