Science Literacy and Curiosity | StarTalk

for each one of my guests if they’re
clearly not otherwise a scientist I try
to find out what kind of science
encounters they had as children judging
whether some moment with their maths a
teacher or a science teacher left it
good or bad impression on them and then
see if we can trace the trajectory of
their life from then onward to the end
of loving science or hating it and so of
course I ask that of Bill Clinton Bill
Clinton is I would count them among the
scientifically literate presidents and
so I don’t think you can underestimate
the value of having a fun or interesting
science class as a kid because it could
set you on a path that who knows one day
you might be leading a nation and that
science literacy would be kind of
necessary going into the 21st century
the issue and childhood is not knowledge
that’s how people normally think of
science literacy how much do you know
it’s not even in my opinion it’s not
even about that what science literacy
really is it’s the ability to question
what’s going on around you it’s to be
infused with a sense of curiosity about
things you don’t know things you want to
figure out what they are and how they
work in childhood if you have curiosity
that all kids have curiosity but the
challenge is keeping that curiosity
through middle school into high school
and then into adulthood and I’ve said
many times in many places I think a
scientist is just a kid that really
hasn’t grown up yet if we define growing
up as losing your curiosity because
scientists and children alike look
around the natural world and just wonder
how it all works
you