Listed in this article are some of the really hot areas of science and technology. Keep them in mind as you read the profiles in this magazine. Obviously, it will be a long time before you commit to a career, but it’s important to start following trends and learn how different disciplines combine to form new areas of study and research.

College is where hands-on learning really starts; where good programs get you thinking about real-world problems, not just textbook exercises. Part of what college gives you is a chance to experience what professional scientists and engineers really do every day. How do they discover new topics? How do they decide which research questions to ask? How do they put these questions to the test?

Working in laboratories, assisting in experiments, and interning at companies are ways of learning the challenges and joys of contributing to the world through science and technology. Internships and co-op programs are great ways to learn how to be part of a research team and to receive the mentoring that will let you know what kind of work you will most want to do. So slip on the asbestos gloves. Here are the hot areas you’ll be involved with in college:

Changing life’s basic code: biotechnology
Biotech research delves into and even changes the basic laws of physics, biology, chemistry, and ecology. Stem cells and cloning are in the news these days because they have the potential to alter life as we know it. Dolly (the cloned sheep) was only the first step. Scientists are now experimenting with changing genes in developing embryos to help cure them of diseases before they are born. Biotechnology got its start with the discovery that the DNA that guides our cells can also be manipulated to make new things, new tools, and even new creatures. Over the last 10 years, molecular biologists have discovered how DNA actually helps grow proteins, computer scientists have gotten ultra-fast computers to map the three billion or so amino acids that make up DNA, and a variety of engineers have created the tools and applications that turn this information into products. The result is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.

Designing molecules to order: combinatorial chemistry
From plastics to fertilizers, chemistry has always been one of the foundations of the modern world. Chemistry experiments used to be long, careful, laborious cooking projects involving hours or days of mixing chemicals, waiting for reactions to happen, and continuously measuring the results. No longer. Revolutionary changes are taking place in how chemistry is taught and how it’s applied.

“Combinatorial” chemistry is an example, involving the use of computers and robots to automate the production of millions of different but related compounds.

Did you know that there have been more chemicals made in the last five years than in the last 500 years of chemistry combined? These chemicals can even be barcoded so their exact makeup can be determined in an instant. Most importantly, this process allows chemists to concentrate on what the new chemicals do rather than on making them in the first place.

The teaching of chemistry has also shifted to a focus on how molecules actually look in three dimensions and imagining what to do with them. Computer simulations and molecular modeling software now allow researchers and students the excitement of seeing just how chemicals are combining. New testing probes are giving chemists of the future more time to work with applications such as drug design. The new chemistry is literally remaking the world. And you can be part of it!

Investigating crime scenes: forensic science and criminal justice Every fan of CSI knows that science and technology are the keys to truth and justice. Discovering a trace amount of paint on a pipe, using mass spectrometry to discover its molecular structure, and then locating the paint manufacturer in a database is fascinating; figuring out how to put all these pieces together and identifying the criminal is heroic. The fields of forensics and criminal justice are rapidly expanding, with opportunities in law enforcement and homeland security. Husson College offers a substantial mentoring program in criminal justice so you can learn from the experts. Criminal justice majors at Kentucky Wesleyan University have gone on to careers with the FBI and the police, and they have even become lawyers.
Developing a keen analytical mind and an attention to detail are only the first steps in becoming a top-notch investigator. Careers in forensics can begin with majors in criminal justice and psychology or in biology, chemistry, or computer science. If you major in one, then you should minor in one of the others.

In these fields, you will learn what DNA is, how relational databases are constructed, and how they each can be used to identify someone. You will also learn the basic principles of the scientific method, the organization of law enforcement in the United States, and how hard it is to make an airtight case.

Once you get started, try to take advantage of internship programs to see what life is like in the field. A bonus of this approach is that if you decide that forensics is not for you, the scientific and critical thinking skills you develop will enable you to go far in any field.

Looking and seeing in new ways: multimedia and interface design Multimedia means the combination of pictures, video, sound, and text. An interface is how people get in touch with their computers. Together these areas are at the center of business, research, and, of course, entertainment. During the last 10 years, games have actually driven the home computer industry. No one really needs a super high-powered computer to run a spreadsheet or word processor, but they certainly know the difference when a popular game like Unreal or a graphics program like Photoshop is run on one. Businesses also need power, but with power comes information––too much information–– and dealing with that information requires new kinds of interfaces.

The really hot areas of multimedia and interface design include visualization––the art of presenting thousands or millions of data points (or customer records) in an understandable form. Current work in this area is exploring three-dimensional screens, virtual reality, and voice-activated computers. Visualization requires cutting-edge mathematicians, as well as computer scientists, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers. Going beyond the visual, a couple of undergraduates at MIT are producing the next generation of “wearable” computers. They help design and test “tactile feedback systems” so that users can “feel” data as well as look at it. Often, the new multimedia applications require new hardware altogether, new materials, and new manufacturing techniques. Physicists, engineers, and material scientists have invented new devices and gone on to run their own companies. You could, too.

Neuroscience: brains studying brains The brain has been studied by scientists for centuries, but it still remains a tremendous mystery. Its complexity is astounding: a single cubic millimeter of the human brain contains 100,000 neurons and 500 million synapses. Figuring out how to study something as complex as the brain requires not one discipline, but an entire range of disciplines. Neuroscience is the combination of psychology, neuroanatomy, physiology, molecular biology, computer modeling, artificial intelligence, and philosophy. Many universities, such as the University of Rochester, have established a Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department to enable more interaction between these fields.

Neuroscience is one of science’s fastest-moving and fastest-growing fields. Because there is so much to find out about the brain, undergraduates are often able to experience laboratory research firsthand. At George Washington University, students are given the option to join a faculty member’s research project or conduct their own independent projects.

If learning more about the brain intrigues you, get a head start by reading as much as you can—in print and online. Because the field is so vast, you have the rare opportunity to indulge your curiosities, however broad or selective they are. And when you get to college, be sure to take a wide range of classes to start with. Most of the great discoveries in neuroscience—and science in general—are the result of applying knowledge from one discipline to another.

What you can do now

• Get passionate! These areas are just the beginning. Getting and staying informed about hot topics and new areas is not just a good career move; it will keep you motivated as you learn to be an expert in your field. Some great magazines to help you keep up with cutting-edge research are Scientific American, Science, and Science News. Websites worth a visit include Science Daily (www.sciencedaily.com) for news and Discover magazine (www.discovermagazine.com) for the latest in interesting research.
  
• Get skilled! If you haven’t noticed, almost every hot area these days involves computers. The more experience you get with them, now and throughout college, the better prepared you will be to integrate various fields and stay on top of the latest technologies. And learn to be flexible. Don’t limit yourself to a specialized field right from the beginning.

  The worlds of research and the worlds of work are constantly changing and recombining. Monster.com columnist Linda Sharpe offers this useful advice to students like you: “. . . anyone who is in school now should cut a wide swath through the course catalogue.” Don’t limit yourself just to courses in your chosen major.

  If you want to find information on salaries and job outlooks for science and engineering jobs, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov/oco/oco1002.htm).

  Keep a sharp eye as well on other “hot” areas such as:

  • environmental science
    
  • networks and communications
    
  • nanotechnology
    
  • chaos and complexity theories
    
  • data mining and information security.

• Get going! Be sure to look into internships, co-ops, summer research, and other hands-on learning programs available at the colleges you are interested in. Maybe not your first year, but often by your second, you can be involved in a critical research enterprise or contribute to a company’s growth while building your resumé. For a career in science, engineering, or technology, put yourself on a fast track and investigate 3-2 programs.

If possible, visit campuses, talk with undergraduates about their experiences, and get a sense of what they’re really doing and what they are passionate about. It’ll get you excited, too.

Article by Joseph Dumit, Director of Science and Technology Studies at UC Davis and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com