The problem here is two-fold and also counter intuitive. First, the idea is that most people learn more by doing than they do from rote memorization or even sc

The problem here is two-fold and also counter intuitive. First, the idea is that most people learn more by doing than they do from rote memorization or even school lab experiments. If you want kids to be involved with the process of creating new food sources, have them start creating new food sources. Then they'll have a context for understanding how cells work and the value of organic chemistry and the other basic and advanced biology concepts. If you present it as just another boring thing that they're being forced a learn, a lot of creative and curious minds will shut down and just go through the motions of homework assignments and studying for quizzes. Many of us on hn are programmers not because we were forced to learn programming in school, but because we wanted to make a thing and set about learning the skills necessary to make that thing. That's what this article is saying, learn by doing. The second issue is that not everyone can or should become a biologist. One of the other commenters mentioned that his son wanted to be an air traffic controller. Why make him sit through a biology class at all? It's possible that he'll be so intrigued by life sciences that he'll change his mind and switch his career path. Certainly wouldn't be the first 16 year old to do that. But our method now is to force young people to sit through dozens of hours of instruction on topics that they will probably never recall or use again in order for a small percentage of them to go on to advanced study. There has to be a better way. What we're doing now isn't just a waste of time and resources, it's actively turning kids against the process of education in general. We need to allocate resources to hiring better teachers and to standardizing education across states and school districts. But pulling down even these low hanging fruit is highly politicized and controversial. The real core of the problem is to make young people excited enough about the process of education that we can't stop them from learning more on their own. Our current education system fails miserably at this. The one thing we don't need is more of the same. The only way to deal with the challenges of the future is to get the next generation so engaged and invested in solving them that our biggest problem becomes figuring out how to slow them down. Good luck doing that with a text book and homework assignments.