[onewhippedpuppy]

PBH nailed it, becoming an engineer is not easy. Really, that's the catch, because most college students just don't want to work that hard. Of course, the guys I know that partied through college while in business school are regretting that decision now. Assistant manager of a retail store isn't the most rewarding job on earth.

There's no emphasis on math and science anymore, and I blame the continual "dumbing-down" of our society. There's a big chunk of engineers that came from the baby boomer generation, think of the heros they had back then. Astronauts and the space program engineers were national heroes, there was a real focus on innovation and invention as we tried to out-do Russia. 50 years later, we have a nation of fat reality show addicts that care more about Britney Spears than space exploration. Kids would rather play XBox than with Legos. Sure it's a broad, sweeping generalization, but in many cases it's true.

My biggest hope is for, ironically, TV inspiring our next generation of engineers. The success of shows like Myth Busters is promising, because it shows that math and science can be interesting. Maybe it's not the message, maybe it's the medium. Other programs that promote math, science, and creativity at an early age, especially in schools, are essential if we want to maintain our status as a world superpower.