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Happy President’s Day!!!

Explore the diverse contributions of Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the U.S., from his role in the Declaration of Independence to his inventions, mathematical scholarship, and advocacy for inventors' rights. Discover how his legacy relates to current challenges in science funding and education.

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Happy President’s Day!!!

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  1. Happy President’s Day!!! … and now for something completely different …

  2. Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826) • 3rd President of the U.S. • One of the primary authors of the Declaration of Independence • Diplomat, writer, inventor, philosopher, architect, gardener, negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, etc.

  3. Thomas Jefferson as an Inventor • In 1776, only 2% of the residents of America were NOT farmers • Agriculture – “a science of the very first order” • Introduced numerous new plants to the U.S. • Developed a new plow – dug much deeper into the soil, and helped avoid the erosion that plagued so many Virginia farms ….

  4. A Mathematical Scholar … • Many of Jefferson’s inventions were based on mathematical derivations, such as the plow shown previously … • This improved performance, but also allowed duplication of the various devices …

  5. Pasta, anyone? • In 1780, Jefferson became the American minister to France (N.B. The American Revolution was not won until the battle of Yorktown in 1783 … France recognized the U.S. as an independent nation even before the war was over …) • During this time, he developed a taste for continental cooking …

  6. Macroni Machine, ca. 1787

  7. The Wheel Cipher • Between 1792 and 1793, Jefferson served as Secretary of State … national security was a BIG issue …

  8. Jefferson – World Traveller • When Jefferson was travelling on his MANY international journeys, he often needed to be able to produce multiple copies of documents …

  9. Protecting your rights … • Jefferson introduced the notion that “inventors should have full rights to their inventions” • He created the precursor of today’s PATENT OFFICE. • There was a board of three people, of which Jefferson was one, who judged all new inventions … • He apparently LOVED this job, because he got to see so many new and cool ideas !!!!!!!!

  10. So where are we now? • In the most recent President’s budget, funding of basic research in the sciences has been SEVERELY cut. • "This administration has distanced itself from scientific information." – Kurt Gottfried, Cornell University • “… scientists in the Environmental Protection Agency have been pressured to change their research to keep it consistent with the Bush political position on environmental issues.”

  11. Neil Lane, former director of the NSF, regarding global warming: “we don't really have a policy right now to deal with what everybody agrees is a serious problem." • Of course, the U.S. is not part of the Kyoto accord, which went into effect last week: according the Bush administration, “it could hurt the U.S. economically”. • Rosina Bierbaum, dean of the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, said the Bush administration has cut scientists out of some of the policy-making processes, particularly on environmental issues.

  12. "Overall the R&D budget is bad news," said Bierbaum. • The National Science Foundation funds for graduate students and for kindergarten through high school education has been slashed. • NASA has gotten a budget boost, but most of the new money will be going to the space shuttle, space station and Bush's plan to explore the moon and Mars. What is suffering is the space agency's scientific research efforts – LIKE NASA Langley – 1000 Jobs LOST !!!!!!!!!!!! • "Moon and Mars is basically going to eat everybody's lunch," she said.

  13. What about science education? • Under the proposed budget, this is what you can look forward to: • Maintain the maximum Pell Grant at $4,050 per year, but forecasts that the average grant will decrease by $42, from $2,441 to $2,399, and that 8,000 fewer students will receive assistance. • Eliminate funding for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP), Perkins Loan Capital Contributions, and three other programs, trimming $239.2 million from the budget. • Cut $125.7 million from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), primarily from Congressional earmark projects. • Eliminate the Tech-Prep Education State Grants and Demonstration Projects programs and replace them with the new Secondary and Technical Education program proposed in the State of the Union address, cutting $315.8 million.

  14. So you don’t believe ME? • “The higher education community is more than disappointed in the president’s 2005 higher education budget request,” said Becky Timmons, director of government relations at the American Council on Education. “The budget proposal is thoroughly inadequate to meet the increasing need for financial assistance faced by America’s college students and their families. By continuing to level fund critical student assistance programs, we are closing the door to college for thousands of low-income students.”

  15. So what can YOU do? • Write to your congressperson … • Write to your senator … • Have your parents write, too … • It DOES make a DIFFERENCE !!!!!

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