Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are the pathway for future innovations that lengthen life, solve world problems and power economies. In fact, STEM workers have a huge impacton the growth and stability of the economy, and are a critical component for the future of the U.S., according to the website Engineering from Kids. Those who work in STEM fields are likely to invent, build, drive and innovate future technologies that can benefit our lives for years to come. Check out these four ways STEM research will benefit us all.
1. It Will Help Solve Future Problems
According to Mariette DiChristina, Editor in Chief of Scientific American, basic STEM research is the key to helping us handle the issues of the future. “Our nation’s ability to handle today’s pressing issues, from providing energy security to curing illnesses to living sustainably in a finite world, will require the innovations that arise from basic research,” says DiChristina in an essay. Innovation is the key to driving progress forward, and without STEM research, our society will be ill-equipped to handle the pressing problems of the future. Through research, we can increase our ability to handle future obstacles.
2. Scientific Progress Will Lead to New Discoveries
Think about your cell phone. It has more computing power than all of NASA’s computers during the Apollo mission just 50 years ago. STEM research today will help build technology we can only dream of using. Last year, science produced a bionic retina for the sightless, an object-cloning device, a light that runs on gravity and a soccer ball that produces energy when kicked.
3. It Will Lead to New Applications
The discovery of the structure of DNA fundamentally changed medicine and other fields, and has fueled a variety of practical applications, like DNA fingerprinting, genetically engineered crops and revolutionary cancer treatments. STEM research today is working on new frame-breaking discoveries that will spawn future applications and innovations.
4. STEM Research Bolsters Our Economy
As the number of STEM occupations continue to rise, so does the need for research in technology, science, engineering and mathematics. Economies that invest most heavily in STEM research have benefited most from the innovations they produce, and those that haven’t have lagged. The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that STEM jobs are growing at about twice the rate of other occupations in the U.S. and estimates 1.2 million job openings in STEM fields in 2018. Research in these four areas is simply an investment in that future.
Interested in going into STEM research, or learning more about its benefits? Check out CITGO Innovation Academy’s high school program in Corpus Christi, Texas. The academy helps prepare students for college programs and future careers in STEM fields. Students that complete the program may receive 12-30 hours of college credit. For more information about the program, visit the CITGO Innovation Academy online or call (361) 878-7340.
Education and Social Investment
Through knowledge, communities are equipped to achieve long-lasting sustainability. That’s why we support educational social initiatives that create meaningful impact while addressing some of today’s biggest societal barriers. Our investments aim to empower people who contribute to the progress and economic growth in their own local communities.