Dr. Willard R. Daggett reports on trends and technology that will have an impact on education.

Tooth Phone

Nanotech refers to extremely small devices that are built at a molecular level. They can be as small as one one-thousandth as wide as a human hair. I frequently report on how nanotech will be used for a variety of medical purposes by implanting the devices in the human body. Two engineers in Great Britain are moving beyond that, according to Reuters News Service. They have developed a "tooth phone." The tooth phone has a tiny vibrator and a radio wave receiver. It can be implanted in a tooth through "routine" dental surgery. The phone receives a digital radio signal, which it transfers to the inner ear by bone resonance. Information can be received at any time, anywhere, and no one else can tell that it is being transmitted. Think about the implications.

Source: "Will 'Tooth Phone' Take a Bite Out of Mobiles?" ABC News.com, June 19, 2002

Using Light to Power Nanotechnology Devices

An experiment done at the University of Munich Nanoscience Center has important implications for nanotech. Scientists there have used the power of light to generate mechanical energy. Someday this breakthrough will likely be refined for application in the nanotech field. Thus, as we look at all forms of technology in the future, especially computers, we may find that light provides adequate energy to make them run. Engines, batteries, etc. as we know them may become a thing of the past.

Source: "Tiny Triumph for Science," by Guy Gugliotta, Washington Post, May 10, 2002

The Nanotech Revolution

Nanotech devices will not be cold and inflexible but rather as soft and supple as human tissue, according to inventor and author Ray Kurzweil. An interesting discussion about the implications of nanotechnology can be found in "What's the Purpose of Life?" by Ronald Bailey, Reasononline, May 1, 2002 at http://www.reason.com/rb/rb050102.shtml.

As nanotech moves from lab to marketplace, the National Science Foundation (NSF) estimates that 800,000 to one million nanotechnology workers will be needed in the U.S. To develop these budding scientists, NSF requires that its six university nanotech centers sponsor a K-12 outreach program.

Source: "Big Future in Tiny Spaces," Newsweek, September 23, 2002

Got Milk? Got Silk

Silk is one of the strongest materials in the world. On a farm in Quebec, scientists have taken silk-producing genes from spiders and inserted them into goat eggs. The result is a goat that secretes silk in its milk. When processed, this silk can be used for such things as fishing lines, sutures, tennis rackets, and body armor for military personnel. Lightweight and extremely strong materials created through biotechnology may become the centerpiece of manufacturing in the years to come. Expect to find them in the clothes we wear and the cars we drive.

Source: "Got Silk," by Lawrence Osborne, New York Times on the Web, June 16, 2002

Handheld Device for DNA Analysis

SRI International has developed a hand-held device, called Hermes, that simplifies and dramatically speeds up the process of isolating and purifying a DNA sample for analysis. The device uses a magnet to move the DNA from one well of fluid to another, making it ready for a clinician to identify. When accompanied by new ways to analyze the sample which have been developed at Northwestern University's Institute for Nanotechnology, Hermes can make the process 10 times faster and 100,000 times more accurate than previous DNA analysis permitted.

Source: "Handheld Delivers the 411 on DNA," by Kristen Philipkoski, Wired.com, May 21, 2002

Human Cloning Gets Green Light in England

The House of Lords in Great Britain has given approval for scientists to pioneer cloning of human embryos for research under strict conditions, as reported by Reuters. The country will also set up the world's first embryo cell bank. The research offers hope for sufferers of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, paralysis, and other conditions, but opponents claim it is "the first step on a slippery slope to reproductive cloning." Embryo cloning is restricted in the U.S. with respect to using federal monies for such activities. The pluses and minuses of this research are complex and emotional. Yet, this is the type of issue that today's students will have to face as adults.

Source: "U.K. Approves Human Cloning," Wired.com, February 27, 2002

Holding the Line on Tougher Tests

For several years, I have been pointing out that the academic requirements of the workplace are higher than and different from those of higher education. Recently, several states have found it necessary to raise the academic level of their tests, indicating that the academic requirements of the workplace are what is pushing them. Massachusetts Education Commissioner David Driscoll stated that standards must be high to enable graduates to succeed in an increasingly sophisticated workplace (The Boston Globe, 8/9/02). In Texas, Education Commissioner Felipe Alaniz has expressed his support for more challenging TAKS exams so students will not go out into the world unprepared (San Antonio Express-News 6/25/02). Similar comments have been heard from Michigan Governor Engler as that state looks at revamping its testing program.

Nothing is Standard about Standards

According to research conducted in six states by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a core element is missing from much of the discussion of expanded testing requirements under No Child Left Behind. State standards are far from standard. A student could receive a passing score in reading in one state, where passing is set at the 35th percentile, and fail in another, where students must be in the 72th percentile to pass. States use different procedures to set performance standards. Even within a state, an 8th grade student who achieves appropriate performance standards (i.e., 57th percentile) will be less likely to make the 10th grade standard (68th percentile). Passing scores also vary from subject to subject. One state's criteria for 4th grade are set at the 56th percentile for reading and the 79th percentile for math. It is "both surprising that these critical differences between states aren't yet a part of the national debate and frightening to know that a state could improve student performance simply by lowering its standards." The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is supposed to be the equalizer, but NWEA observes that the test "cannot account well for regional variations, nor is it the most accurate measure of student performance outside the average range of students."

Source: Assessment Standard (NWEA's Guide to Achieving Excellence in Learning), Fall 2002.