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BBooxx 117722888888 HHeelleennnaaa,, MMTT 559966224444---111772288 ((440066)) 444444--224443300 oorr ((880000)) 554411--33990044 wwwwww..oouurrffaaccttssyyyoouurrffuuttuurree..oorrggg TTaabbllee ooff CCoonntteennttss Introduction: Who Needs Science? ............................................................................................2 Going to College? Be Prepared ...............................................................................3 Interviews: Aviation Mechanic: Rena Smith ................................................................................4 Bridge Engineer: Stephanie Brandenberger, P.E. ...........................................................5 Chemist: Angela Belcher, Ph.D. ............................................................................6-7 Cosmetologist: Linda Pouliot ....................................................................................8 Diesel Mechanic: Ralph Rinehart ..............................................................................9 Fitness Trainer: Stephanie Younkin ...........................................................................10 Forensic Scientist: Gary Molina .........................................................................11-12 Geologist: Kitty Miliken, Ph.D. ........................................................................13-14 Hydraulic Engineer: Mark Goodman .......................................................................15 Neuroscientist: Lisa Cain, Ph.D. ........................................................................16-17 Polar Meteorologist: Rick Toracinta, Ph.D. ...........................................................18-19 Science Teacher: Julie Beaver .................................................................................20 Scientist: Alan Adams .........................................................................................21 Space Farmer: John Gruener .............................................................................22-23 Storm Chaser: David Gold ...............................................................................24-25 Welder: Tim Harris ..............................................................................................26 Branches of Science ..............................................................................................27 Activities: Biologists, Frogs, & Probability ...............................................................................28 Food Safety: It Adds Up ......................................................................................29 The Case of the Purloined Plant .........................................................................30-32 Contouring and Topo Maps ..............................................................................33-34 Answer to “Biologists, Frogs, & Probability” ..............................................................35 Answers to “Food Safety” and “Contouring and Topo Maps” ........................................36 Read This Publication If...  You hate science classes  You are barely passing science  You aren’t going to college  You are going to college but for a non-science related program  Your parents were poor in science  You think you will never need science in real life  You want to learn about some exciting careers WWhhoo NNeeeeddss SScciieennccee?? There’s hardly a student who has made it through a high school chemistry class without asking, This publication is intended to answer precisely that question. What you’ll find within these pages is a collection of interviews with real professionals in a wide variety of occupations, all of whom use science regularly. As you read, you’ll see that science turns up in some surprising places. Want to be a welder? Better not skimp on those chemistry and physics classes. What about a fitness trainer? You’ll need a background in both biology and chemistry to understand how exercise and nutrition affects the body. Simply put: science is everywhere! Twenty-first century jobs rely heavily on math and science, yet U.S. companies have trouble finding enough workers with sufficient math and science skills to fill all their technology positions. As a result, they must seek highly skilled workers from other countries. Most experts predict that today’s U.S. students will face stiff competition with foreign workers for American jobs. Perhaps you’ve already chosen a career path and you know you’ll never need science. Don’t be so sure. Athletes and coaches who understand basic laws of physics (like momentum, equilibrium, velocity, kinetic energy, center of gravity, projectile motion, and friction) gain an edge on their competition. Journalists with a background in science have more options in the types of stories they can cover. Some of the most exciting and important news stories involve medical breakthroughs, the environment, new discoveries, controversial research findings, Who Needs Science? 2 natural disasters, and other subjects dealing with from huge cosmic questions about the origin of the science. Reporters who have a background in science universe, to everyday decisions about whether or not can grasp technical issues quickly and communicate to buy the low carb chips. We encounter scientific effectively with researchers, giving them a competitive principles every day, and the more we understand edge over reporters with a more limited education in about science, the better equipped we are to make science.1 everyday decisions, and to solve everyday problems. Understanding science can help you in a thousand Even if you’re certain your chosen career does not small ways that you don’t even imagine. require science, what happens if you change your mind? Taking advanced science classes in high school Also, jobs that require scientific knowledge usually helps you keep your options open. If you haven’t pay well. Students who major in engineering, physics, taken enough science in high school, you may not gain health care, and computer science qualify for jobs that admittance to certain colleges or programs. Why limit consistently rank among the top-earning occupations. yourself by taking only the minimal requirements? Science occupations are some of the most exciting and important jobs out there. Intrigued yet? Then People who never use science in their jobs can still read on. benefit from science education. After all, science is 1“Physics is for You” - American Institute of Physics, simply a way to understand the world around us- www.physics.purdue.edu/career/physics_is_for_you.pdf Going to College? Be Prepared. For admission in the Montana University System (MUS), minimum core requirements include two years of lab science, one of which must be Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Students graduating in 2010 or later will need to complete the “Rigorous Core,” to qualify for MUS Honors Scholarships. The rigorous core requires a full year of each of the following: General, Physical or Earth Science; Biology; and Chemistry or Physics. Many out-of-state and private colleges require three or more years of science just for admission. Remember, even non-science degrees in the Montana University System require you to complete at least two science courses. If you make an effort to retain what you learn in high school, these classes will seem like review. If not, you’ll have to relearn everything, but at a much faster pace. Worried about those admissions exams? Take an academic practice test from MCIS! Practice tests include the SAT, ACT, PSAT, GED, ASVAB, & CLEP. Go to: www.mtcis.intocareers.org Username: visitor Password: visitor06 Who Needs Science? 3 AAvviiaattiioonn MMeecchhaanniicc RReennaa SSmmiitthh Aviation mechanics regularly service, repair aircraft, and certification. This certification is issued by the FAA and is perform routine maintenance and inspections. The Federal required for all civilian aviation mechanics. Aviation Administration (FAA) requires regular checks to be What do you enjoy most about your job? made to aircraft. Mechanics follow the FAA’s maintenance I love aviation, and take great pride in the fact that it is plan. They may also inspect aircraft after they have flown a my responsibility to ensure that the planes that I work on certain number of hours, days, or cycles of operation. Many remain safe while operating in the air. I fixed it, they are my aviation mechanics work only on preventive maintenance. They responsibility. inspect the engines, landing gear, instruments, pressurized sections, and accessories. Mechanics who specialize in repair Is science important in the aviation industry? rely on pilots’ descriptions to find and fix faulty equipment. Science is key to understanding the principles behind aviation Some listen to the engines to identify the problem. Others maintenance and technology. The basic understanding of may use blueprints to learn where repairs need to be done. the principles of physics is necessary in order to possess the After completing the repairs, mechanics run tests to make sure knowledge necessary to work in aviation. Mechanics must the systems or parts are working properly. Mechanics may have a basic understanding of aerodynamics, impacts of work on one or many types of aircraft. These may include gravity, and basic equations that concern motion or velocity. jets, propeller-driven airplanes, and helicopters. Mechanics Technical math or how to apply basic principles of math are may also work for many different types of employers such as: vital competencies needed for problem solving in aviation general aviation, corporate aviation, a charter service, or large maintenance. Measurements, calibrations, and math equations commercial airlines. Aviation mechanics are more likely to be are used on a daily basis in an aviation shop. specialized if they work for commercial airlines and more likely How will aviation mechanics and their to generalize if they work for a general aviation company. workplace be different 10 years from now? How did you become an aviation mechanic? Future aviation mechanics will need to have more training in the I started my on-the-job training as a helicopter mechanic when usage of computers to diagnose the more technical engines of I enlisted in the U.S. Army. After two years in the Army, the future. They will need to be able to use several different I enrolled in the Aviation program at the Helena College software programs in the process of doing their everyday of Technology. After completing the two-year program, I job. Currently, students that have a good understanding of tested for and successfully passed the Airframe & Power plant Windows applications are already a big step ahead. Who Needs Science? 4 BBrriiddggee EEnnggiinneeeerr SStteepphhaanniiee BBrraannddeennbbeerrggeerr,, PP..EE.. Stephanie Brandenberger is a structural engineer who designs How has your job changed over time? bridges for the Montana Department of Transportation. Computers have allowed engineers to analyze and design Whether it is a big highway bridge or a small bridge over a more complex systems, resulting in bigger, longer, taller, and creek, it has to be safe for drivers and must withstand all kinds more elegant structures than ever before. of forces, such as heavy trucks, high winds, floods, earthquakes How do people react when they learn what and impacts from trains. Bridges also have to look nice and fit you do? into the surroundings. They have to accommodate the needs They want to know why things are built the way they are. I of the public driving on it, as well as the environment around like answering their questions and helping them understand it. No two bridges are exactly alike, so Stephanie faces new and appreciate all the great things they use every day that challenges with every project she works on. engineers had a part in creating. What exactly do you do? Tell me a story about something odd that First, I get an idea about how the bridge will be used, what happened at work. it should look like, and how it will be constructed. I gather Sometimes, an engineer’s job is about solving mysteries! information on traffic, soils, and the environment around the Once on a construction site, a 6-foot tall, 145-foot beam bridge. I use math and physics to determine the forces on a that weighed 57 tons had just been set on piers. The workers bridge and how it will behave under these forces. Will it sway went home for the night, and came back the next day to find too much? Will it crack? This part is called “analysis” and the beam had fallen into the river! There was no wind and is a big part of my job. Then I draw the bridge plans and all no earthquake to push it off. Why did it fall in the river? the pieces that make up the bridge, so someone can build it. When concrete gets cold it shrinks a little, when it gets warm What’s your favorite part? it expands a little. The morning after the beam was set, the Engineering is a lot like putting a puzzle together. I take pieces sun came up and started heating up one side of the beam. of information and fit them together and create something That side started to expand. The other side was in the shade unique and helpful to a community. I like thinking of new ways and was still cold. Since the two sides of the beam were not to solve problems. expanding at the same rate, the beam bowed out toward the warm side. It bowed out so far, that the beam lost its balance and tipped over. After we figured that out, the beams were tied or welded to the piers until the deck was constructed. Who Needs Science? 5 CChheemmiisstt AAnnggeellaa BBeellcchheerr,, PPhh..DD.. “I have the best job in the world,” declares chemist Dr. Angela Belcher, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). When she’s not teaching, she gets to practice pure science-conducting experiments and developing theories. Her work has caught the attention of scientists and computer technology experts worldwide. She has figured out how to use genetically modified viruses to produce super-small “nanomaterials” such as nanowires and self-assembling films. Her techniques may one day help manufacturers to build nanoscale integrated circuits and other microscopic electronic components efficiently and cost-effectively.1 The idea to combine nature with human-made technology came about because, like most creative people, Angela doesn’t limit herself to one subject. While getting her Ph.D., she studied how oysters make pearls. She even grew her own (flat!) pearls in the lab. Later, she did work relating to electrical engineering-a completely different field. Her research combines those two areas- making a connection that others hadn’t considered. Angela says that science is for people who are “creative, curious, dreamers.” She definitely falls into those categories. “Sometimes I can’t sleep because I have so many ideas,” she admits. Someday, those ideas might change technology as we know it. The following interview was conducted when Angela was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. What exactly do you do? What’s the coolest part of your job? First, I teach undergraduates (college students who haven’t I get to travel all over the world. Also, I get to use graduated yet) from all majors, and grad students (graduates sophisticated equipment that few others do. pursuing advanced degrees) in chemistry and engineering. This part of my job includes developing lesson plans, overseeing teaching assistants, and holding office hours. Second, I’m an advisor of Ph.D. and master’s students as they work on their dissertations (major research projects). I oversee their work and guide them. In addition, I conduct original research, which is a lot like running my own business. It includes deciding what to study, writing grants to get funding, supervising the researchers (my grad students), writing papers about the results, presenting the results at conferences, and doing a lot of “on-my-feet” problem-solving. Finally, I consult with private companies. They ask me questions about my research and I give my opinion on ideas that they have. It’s fun and it pays well, although it requires a lot of travel. 1Source: “MIT researcher Angela Belcher named 2004 MacArthur Fellow,” www.smalltimes.com Who Needs Science? 6 What’s your favorite part? I can study whatever I want, as long as I get the funding. I tell the differences between two almost identical crystals. can pretty much set my own hours. Also, I get to work with That’s really good news for our research. others who are interested in science. I get to prove myself to How did you get into this profession? my specific science community, enjoy a friendly competition, At age 12, I wanted to be a medical doctor. I read medical and help push science forward. books and attended rounds (reviews of patients) at Rice Tell a story about problem solving in your job. University hospital when I was in high school. When I was in To successfully use viruses on computer chips, we need to be college, though, I realized that I really liked molecules, so I able to control them. In the body, small strands on the surface got into chemistry. of viruses let them identify and bind to specific cells. We What’s the next step on your career path? needed to know if they would bind to specific semiconductor I want to learn a completely new field every five years, so who chip crystals in the same way. knows where I’ll go? We found out by putting millions and millions of the viruses Any advice for students entering high school? into solutions with various semiconductor crystals.We washed You don’t have to be perfect. You need to get certain grades away the viruses that didn’t bind strongly to any crystals. Then to clear barriers, but don’t get so hung up on grades that you we identified the viruses that targeted only specific types of lose balance. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes; just learn crystal. We found that some were so selective that they could from them. The Job in Brief... Title: Professor/Chemist Travel: I travel frequently (about once a week) to attend conventions and consult with private companies. Hours: over 80 per week (by choice) Education: Bachelors of Science in Molecular Biology/Biochemistry Ph.D. in Solid State Chemistry Science: I use it every day. For more information on this career: www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/l/educatorsandstudents.html WWhho NNeedds SSciience?? 7 CCoossmmeettoollooggiisstt LLiinnddaa PPoouulliioott What exactly do you do? How did you become a Cosmetologist? I cut, style, color highlight, and perm hair. I also arch I always loved “playing” with hair. I did my sisters’, my eyebrows (we pluck chickens), apply artificial nails, perform friends’, and “creative up hairdos” on myself from a very early manicures, pedicures, facials and massages. As far as personal age. Also, there was a funeral home close to my house when I customer service goes, I boost people’s morale and self was growing up. A friend and I used to sneak in there and see esteem, encourage changes to their self image, teach aftercare how awful the dead person’s hair looked. We knew THEN techniques, and shower them with T.L.C. that we can’t be morticians. However, later we decided we wanted to work with “live” people. Now, I just want to make What’s the coolest part of your job? people beautiful “dead or alive.” Boosting people’s self image and one-on-one friendships. When your hair is “right” all is well in your world. I can make What surprised you about your job when you them feel so much better about themselves. first started? I was surprised at how very challenging it is to work with the What’s your favorite part? public, their moods and attitudes. You need to be patient I enjoy analyzing people’s hairstyle to fit their features and to with some who are very “picky” and hard to please. You need fit their life-style. Drastic changes are very fun! to be a good communicator and learn to know the difference Tell a story about problem solving in your job. between whether to talk or just listen to your customers. If a person hates to fix their hair, then for goodness sakes, give LEAVE YOUR OWN PROBLEMS AT HOME! them a “carefree” cut. If they make a mistake at home on their How has your job changed over time? own hair, we can correct it. If their problems are personal, I have followed trend releases (new releases) twice a year for really listen and brainstorm for solutions with them (if they 30 years. Trends have gone from razor cuts to scissor cuts, ask for your input). and from “huge” hair, to no hair, to spiked hair. Coloring hair Describe a funny story that happened on the job. has changed from normal to “funky.” At beauty college, after many practice hours, my first customer Any advice for students entering high school? knew me AND my family. YIKES! Sooo, I intentionally took You must graduate from high school, or have your GED to be a very long time to cut, roller-set, and comb out her hair (3 accepted to cosmetology school. I would advise you to work hours), so it would be PERFECT. Well, a year later she was on your social skills and take sociology courses. You have to assigned to me at the salon where I was working. She took be able to get along with personalities that you don’t like. one look at me and said “Oh my Gosh, I DO hope you are You must accept people for WHO and HOW they are. FASTER than you used to be!” The Job in Brief... Title: Cosmetologist Education: High school diploma or GED and one year of cosmetology school. You will need to attend hair Travel: You travel to state and national conventions yearly or shows once or twice a year for your whole career. twice a year. If you have a customer who is sick or home bound, you need to go to their home. Science: A working knowledge of chemistry is necessary. You need apply basic concepts like acidity and ph Hours: I work Monday through Friday, 40 hours a week. In the balance to understand the possible results of using beginning of your career, you need to work week days, the ingredients in all of the products you apply to evenings, and weekends to build up your clientele. people’s hair, head, and skin. WWhho NNeedds SSciience?? 8