Thinking about science and technology in terms of return on investment misses the point. Here’s what kids really need to know.

Blame the lightsabers. That’s what led me to become a professor. As a high school student, one of my major life goals was to figure out how to build an actual light sword. Doing so is all but impossible, so it didn’t really matter if I went into engineering or science, but I pursued STEM just the same. By the time I was an undergraduate, I’d settled on physics. After that, I went to graduate school to study even more physics until I finally earned a PhD.

No lightsaber ever came to be, but I’ve been teaching undergraduates science for more than 25 years. Genuine interest in STEM—and maybe (again) Star Wars—has brought many students to my classroom, but over time that enthusiasm has waxed and waned.

Particularly now. When it comes to pursuing an education, and ultimately a career, in STEM, there’s far more uncertainty than there was 10 or 15 years ago. Especially for 2025’s incoming college students. For one, the Trump administration’s attempts to curtail funding for “woke” studies has led to cuts in funding for lots of scientific research. For another, there’s artificial intelligence, which frequently gets touted as the tool capable of making the next big breakthrough all on its own.

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