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A little-noticed item in Science Magazine points out a whopper of a quantitative error in Rising Above the Gathering Storm, a respected National Academy of Sciences report on the nation's declining standing in mathematics and science.  According to Science, one important claim in the report--that "there were almost twice as many U.S. physics bachelor's degrees awarded in 1956 [pre-Sputnik] than in 2004"--is "dead wrong."

In fact, Science reports, "U.S. colleges and universities awarded 72% more undergraduate physics degrees in 2004 than in 1956--4965 versus 2883." Lest we rejoice too soon, however, we should recall that the U.S. population nearly doubled over the same period--and that the college-going population grew at an even greater rate. The smaller percentage of college graduates earning physics degrees, coupled with the woefully small share of science degrees awarded to students of color, certainly warrants greater investment in math and science education.

Still, trend lines since the late '90s offer real cause for hope. According to Science, "degree production has risen by 40% since hitting a post-Sputnik low in 1998 and is approaching levels not seen since the late 1960s, when a series of large graduating classes triggered a serious job crunch." Here's hoping that the National Academies (or others) investigate the cause of this surge.