It can be observed that not only programming, but also science, technology and engineering, are losing their popularity. Americans even consider it a national security risk.

It may be so because today is more about consumption (or taking) rather than creation (or expressing). We prefer to take everything for granted and avoid whatever seems unpleasant. Science is pretty high on the list – it requires discipline and concentration, and that seems to be too much.

What can we do? Show that science is not about books and study of no apparent purpose. Instead, show how it affects our daily life and can actually be cool. Don’t start with dull books and formulas. Show the goal and applications, fascinate, then teach and explain.

“Run, rabbit, run.
Dig that hole, forget the sun.”

I was happy to discover the TV & radio campaign which promotes maths in Poland. It hits the sweet spot. It consists of several professional short adverts which describe how mathematical concepts apply to apparently maths-free fields such as music, art, architecture, biology etc.

For instance, they tell how the quality of music is affected by theoretical intervals, or how everything in natural environment seems to follow the golden ratio. They also involve some renown professionals who describe how maths helped them in their work.

Now, if only the teachers followed. I wish they told me that before all the formulas.