The Scientific Approach to Teaching Science

Nobel laureate Carl Wieman has left his physics lab and has halted his cutting-edge research to rock the academic world with some frank news. Universities are doing a terrible job of teaching science, he says. It's time to try something new. "This seems like such an obvious thing to do, but people never see a problem unless things change for the worse," Prof. Wieman, 56, explained during a brief stop in Toronto. It is no exaggeration to say Prof. Wieman, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 2001, is on a mission. This year he pulled up stakes from the University of Colorado to establish the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. The move was prompted by a $12-million commitment from UBC to his vision for transforming science education. Prof. Wieman has put $50,000 toward the project.