 "Photo: Tyler Moore / DN")
As technology continues to advance and issues like global warming and nuclear power become more significant, it has never been more important for the voting public to have a general knowledge of science, according to one UNL professor.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Science and Education Partnership for Public Outreach gave a presentation on astronomy at the Eiseley Branch of the Lincoln Public Library on Wednesday.
Kevin Lee, a research assistant professor of physics and astronomy, said the public's knowledge on science is lacking.
"When most people hear the word science they think of UFOs instead of actual scientific issues," Lee said. "We need to increase science literacy so the public can vote on important scientific issues."
The Science and Education Partnership for Public Outreach is a UNL program funded by a grant from the NASA Ideas Project. The organization's goal is to spread science knowledge by providing scientific presentations, Lee said.
The partnership employs several students who give presentations at libraries and other public buildings around Lincoln, said Tim Miller, a sophomore astronomy major.
"It is a fun job that allows me to really understand astronomy," Miller said. "My ultimate goal is to work for NASA, and having this job can only help."
Miller, along with Ann Langemeier, a sophomore business administration major, presented a slide show and gave several science demonstrations. Their presentation was about astronomy and what scientists can tell about stars from their heat and color.
"I think what we do is important because science, and especially astronomy, can be vague subjects," Langemeier said. "There are people who want to know about science and we can tell them about it."
The science and education partnership started last August and is beginning to be more popular around the community, Lee said.
"We started giving only a few presentations, but now we are starting to get more set up through libraries and organizations like 4-H," Langemeier said.
Lee said programs like the Science and Education Partnership for Public Outreach have global importance because science is a big issue in the global market.
"It is important to educate people about science, and as far as our global competitiveness, we need future scientists and science teachers," Lee said.
