American Science on the Decline?

Abstract

[evdate 2011-03-07] Distinguished Lecture Series on Inequality and Poverty.

Abstract: In their forthcoming book Is American Science on the Decline?, Prof Yu Xie and his coauthor Killewald rigorously investigate claims and counter-claims concerning the current state of American science. Responding to ongoing policy debates about the health of American science, the authors provide compelling evidence for rejecting simplistic extremes. American science, they point out, may be robust by some indicators but face decline by others. After conducting in-depth analyses of eighteen large, nationally representative statistical datasets, the authors provide a nuanced, objective assessment of science in America that embraces the full complexity of their subject. In doing so, they demonstrate that American science is continuing to grow, to recruit youth, and to receive strong support from the public. At the same time, the authors also point out areas of concern, such as the stagnation of scientists’ earnings since the 1960s, increasingly intense international competition, and the formidable challenges to young scientists aspiring to academic careers.

Prof Xie is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and an academician of Academia Sinica.

Duration: 85 min.