The science literacy crisis, philosophical issues, and the origin sciences.

Since 1983, when the National Commission on Excellence in Education released its much-awaited report, A Nation at Risk, the United States has perceived itself to be in the midst of a serious education crisis. While nearly everyone is in agreement that most areas of the educational enterprise are in need of some revision and revitalization, problems related to science education have clearly received the lion's share of reform-minded attention. The present essay reviews the various symptoms of the so-called science literacy (education) crisis; speculates on the unique role that the philosophical underpinnings of the "cosmic" (Weisskopf, 1994) or origin sciences may play in these problems; and offers some suggestions as to how academic research scientists interested in these areas might more readily and effectively involve themselves in efforts to improve science education at all levels of the educational system.