Journal Entry 2

Zhen 1

Kenneth Zhen

English 21003 Section M

Professor Matyakubova

4 September 2017

Journal entry 2

            The Article “Why We Need to Understand Science” by Carl Sagan offers significant information on why the United States is lacking in academic studies. I agree with Carl Sagan that the profession “teacher” is not as admired as it was once in the past. It is also true that a teacher’s salary is not as good as it was before. Which is why they’re not as motivated for the job, but not only because of their lack of motivation causes them to be a less admired teacher. Therefore, Carl Sagan recommends that a teacher’s salary to be raised, not only does he demand higher salary but he also requires the teacher to go through more training. Carl Sagan also demands more money to fund laboratories so kids can have some hands-on experience. 

            Carl Sagan also mentions on what the average person’s thought about sciences are in the beginning of the article. While on his way to the conference his driver asks if he would answer a few questions about “science”. The driver then asks about UFO’s, a way to hear what on the minds of dead people. Carl Sagan believes this is a problem because he claims the discussion about UFO’s and reading a dead person’s mind are not considered “science”. Questions like these have been asked frequently because people have been influenced by the television. As more people prefer to spend their time watching Vine videos or news about celebrities over watching science channels they are restricting their knowledge of what science really is.