Science Dunces?

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Byline: Cheryl Wetzstein

America's legendary ingenuity and scientific know-how was demonstrated recently with the debut of "IT"-a human transporter that is intended to speed travel over short distances.

The device's New York-born inventor, Dean Kamen, is part of a long line of American inventors that stretches back to Benjamin Franklin.

There is growing concern, however, about whether there will be many American inventors lining up behind Mr. Kamen, given U.S. students' solidly mediocre science scores.

"American companies need workers who not only have factual knowledge about science and math, but the ability to apply scientific knowledge to a new situation," said Edward Donley, former chairman of the Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

But there simply aren't enough people coming from U.S. secondary schools who have these reasoning and application skills, he said, adding that American companies have been importing so many foreign technicians that their labs look like "mini-United Nations."

Recent surveys have confirmed lackluster American scores: