Fluke is a manufacturer of higher quality testing equipment, and has put in a lot of effort on brand recognition. It is not by accident that these units match. Now it may be that Sparkfun simply purchased a bunch of cheap Chinese units who had copied the trademarked systems, but it's not Fluke who is at fault here nor should be villanized.

As an employer of "STEM" individuals, I would disagree on the surplus. Now, the area is fairly specialized as an environmental testing lab, and I wonder if that is part of the issue. For our entry level positions, I expect to need to do considerable training, but if I need an individual with prior experience, it is highly rare for me to receive resumes from more than 1 - 2 individuals that actually have the experience necessary. As a $4M company with a staff of about 15 chemists (as in small to very small business) we are often looking nationally to fill experienced positions. If I had need for a larger labor pool as most of the discussion is really about, does that drive the need for a international labor pool?

So, the question that strikes me, is it that the field has so many very narrow specialties, that the university fundamentally cannot put together the program? Does a company want to drive labor costs down? I do not believe that question needs to be answered. But my perspective, the larger impact is not having qualified staff than the salary.

Finally, and I suspect I am the minority here (at /.) when STEM is discussed, it needs to be remembered that it extends well beyond the computer, and programming disciplines.

"An entire state of uneducated idiots is going to be detrimental outside that State's boundaries."

It is very rare for me to admit this, but you've run rings around me logically.

Exactly. But if we (and I mean that in the collective sense), allow dopes to get elected, who will enact laws like this, then who's to blame.

If you're sitting in the State of South Carolina, it's you and folk who believe a science based education 4 who need to fix this. If South Carolina, has literally the majority of its residents believing this is an appropriate, then there is not much we can do about it.

Sadly, I find your point highly accurate, humorous (I refuse to use the acronym LOL), and dispiriting; all at the same time. C'est la vie.

It seems that there is fairly strong sentiment on the issue, and if so, there should not be a State legislature voting this crap in.

It is very hard to relocate, and pick up a family, but if the State I were in, the true majority of the people believed this, I would think it time for a permanent field trip.

I think though, that those that feel strongly on the issue are getting to the polls in stronger numbers and tipping the balance in favor of these laws.

The religious right is very good at picking up bits and pieces of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and using it to motivate their followers to vote. The center and left pretty much suck at that.

But I like alchemy and heresy!?!

So, is the point Catholicism, the Church of England, etc have no issue here, or that the movement against science education is being driven by what I believe (and hope) is a very vocal minority.