Are we approaching the end of the West's innovative era?

Ask a 10 year old kid what he or she wants to be when they grow up, and I bet that the top answers include: doctor, teacher, astronaut. Ask a 17 year old kid, and I bet that these words are hardly mentioned. The reason is simple. All of those professions require science credits. In general, science classes like physics, maths and biology have always been difficult and require dedication and enthusiasm from the students.

Unfortunately, the Western teenage population has become complacent and decadent. They only care about their new iPhones and Playstations and, of course, their junk foods. I bet that obesity and luck of interest for studying and sciences are directly related. Kids are just not interested in sciences any more. That is reflected by the number of students taking sciences at the higher education level. A 2006 report by OECD showed that the number of science and technology students have been increasing in absolute terms, but decreasing in relative terms in disciplines like mathematics and physical sciences which shows particularly worrisome trends. BBC's web site has reported that foreign students are propping up the numbers at British universities in key subject areas like science and engineering with more than half of postgraduate students coming from non-EU countries. I bet that only a handful are Americans, Canadians and Australians.

Let's face it people, the field of science and technology is not 'cool' any more. Even computer science is not. Teenagers will spend an endless amount of time in front of their computers playing with known web apps such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace, but they will leave to the 'nerds' to develop them. Sciences are for the nerds - for the underdogs. In a society constantly bombarded with advertising, the new role models are pop stars and sports players. How many 'cool' scientists have you seen in the news?

Of course, I do not need government reports to see the problem. I have spent many years as a physics researcher in a leading UK university. I have seen many things and one thing was apparent. Most students study sciences as a means to an end and because they are naturally good at it. Most of the brightest graduates won't stay in sciences to do research. They will get 'kidnapped' by financial institutions and consultancies, that is, airy fairy jobs which pay a lot of money. At the end of the day, why would they stay for research? Research does not pay. Postgraduate students are underpaid and getting hammered with a heavy work load. It is not a coincidence that they are called 'slaves.' Even when they finally get their PhD their employment power is reduced.

Most of us get a scientific PhD because we are into research. We want to know how things 'tick.' Unfortunately, most of us end up feeling used, underpaid and overworked. When I was doing research I felt significantly less important than a faking administrator. I was getting paid crap in relation to the number of years I had spent studying. If I wanted tenure I had to bring millions of pounds into the department and needed to have the right connections within the university.

But even people who got tenure some time ago because of their scientific excellence, tend to suffer these days because it all comes down to how many grants they bring into the university. This is what truly matters. The bean counters only care about money. Universities have more administrators than researchers/lecturers. Academia is run by managers.

The results are starting to become obvious. Nearly half of lecturers have been ill because of their job, regardless of discipline, a poll suggests. Just over half (52%) had considered leaving the profession for the private sector, while 55% said they would not recommend the job to their children. My ex is a very capable scientist with excellent publications. But she is getting squeezed and stressed by admin due to the lack of significant funding. I personally left academia and I have no plans to go back. FAK THEM. So, kids avoid sciences because not only is not cool but because they know better. I bet that if more scientists were getting paid well, kids might be compelled to choose a scientific career.

What happens when a country does not have basic research and industry but it relies on services instead? What happens when the bubble bursts? No country can solely rely on the service industry for a very long time. Kill science and you kill innovation and technology. Kill those and your country ceases to be a dominant world player.

There are things that we all take for granted these days, like electricity, fridges, engines, CD players. If it were not for scientists and engineers, we would have none of them. If it were not for people who understand thermodynamics, quantum physics, materials, we would still be climbing trees. Lose the ability to innovate and be at the forefront of cutting edge technology and you will become a puppet on the international stage.

This is exactly what it will soon happen for the Western countries. At a time when Western universities suffer from lack of funding, the Chinese government is heavily investing in higher education. How long until Oxford and the Ivy League cease to be top schools? China is very clever and they have a plan. Initially they educated their people abroad to import the know-how and, at the same time, started to manufacture everything the West needs. Now, they are mass producing doctorates, according to BBC. PhDs mean research, mean innovation, mean world dominance. I have nothing against it. Perhaps I will try to get a tenure position there instead of in the West. At least, they respect scientists. What annoys me is the lack of action from the West to counterbalance this phenomenon and continue being innovators.

But perhaps not all is lost for the West. According to the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, China suffers from the world's most severe brain drain. About two-thirds of Chinese who have studied abroad since the 1980s have chosen not to go back home, according to state media. So, for the time being, the West can perhaps feel relatively safe. However, for how long?

Competition is good and that is why I like China. They have shown the world that if there is a plan, a country can be successful. What I am wondering about though, is when will the West wake up and keep up with the competition? What is at stake, is perhaps the world's dominance.