For almost twenty-five years the National Science Board has surveyed the
American public as part of its Science and Engineering Indicators study to determine
the state of interest in and awareness of fundamental issues in the sciences and
technology. The results of this study included the conclusion that the “level of
interest in science and technology in the U.S. has remained relatively stable over the
past 16 years with approximately 40 percent of Americans expressing a high level
of interest in science . . .” (National Science Board, 1996). This finding may be
encouraging, but further probing indicates that although Americans may be
interested in science they have no clear idea how science operates.