
Can America keep its innovative edge? - terpua
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11482838&fsrc=RSS
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geebee
These articles almost always end with two points. 1) The USA needs to make it
very easy for foreign engineerings and scientists to immigrate, and 2) the USA
needs to improve science and engineering education.

These articles seem to assume that if you open your doors, foreign engineers
will come, and that if you improve your educational system, your own students
will become engineers. Both are probably false in the long run.

First, there actually aren't all that many talented engineers overseas. A
recent study at Duke completely debunked the notion that China and India are
producing massive numbers of talented engineers. This isn't to knock IIT
grads, of course - they are a _very_ talented bunch. But 300,000 grads at this
level every year? Not even close.

Second, improving the US education system in math and science isn't going to
create more engineers if law, medicine, and finance remain more attractive. I
recently read an article about how Japan is starting to experience engineering
shortages. It was the first honest article I'd read in a while: unlike the
economist article, this one pointed out that engineering is really, really
hard, and doesn't pay as well as other like finance, medicine and law. In
other words, there are other paths that are easier, more lucrative, and more
stable than engineering.

Another problem, of course, is that if foreign engineers enter the US in large
numbers while law jobs remain off limits to foreigners, that creates an
incentive for US students to avoid engineering and go into law. Even if you
don't create special protections for Americans like law and medicine do, you'd
still expect people to steer clear of a field targeted for employment-related
immigration.

In many ways, the US has created the perfect set of conditions to deter
Americans from entering the field.

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Tamerlin
I fear that it's happening, because of our weak education system and the
decreasing cultural appreciation for intellectualism in American culture.

Our education system and our culture also discourage imagination and
curiosity, both of which are necessary for innovation as well as for R&D.

If you disagree, spend some time watching the Simpsons and see how they
present the intellectuals (e.g. Lisa Simpson, Professor Frink, Martin), and
look at how close to reality that is. (Satire doesn't work without a kernel of
truth.)

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eugenejen
I guess to create a great economy, the only way is to allow goods, capital,
good engineers comes and go.

But U.S. politicians have to work on different issues like voters anger on
potential job loss and I guess unless voters can feel the benefit from the
economy, they will choose to protect the existing benefits.

