Best way to inspire young scientists?

I guess I'm a minority -no surpise there. I picked "Shift culture so that science is celebrated, not feared."

To me, it seemed that, if this choice were true, then all of the choices would naturally BE part of culture.

That is exactly what I picked, fo rexactly the same reason.

1, 2, 3, and 5, are potentially (but not presently) means to accomplish 4. The caveat is that 1, 2, 3, and 5 are already being done to some extent, and while they are better than nothing, they are not working, perhaps because they are not being pursued with 4 as an important goal. Something more is needed. I picked 4. (Does anyone else read 1, 2, 3, and 5 and think of the miscounting King in Python's _Grail_?)

I'm a little biased as a homeschooler. I picked shift culture, but that wouldn't have been my optimum, way too in depth answer.

I think schools ruin science, inadvertantly making it something to fear. Science becomes one more test to take when science is, in a sense, the basis of what even the smallest children do each and every day. Is science at its most basic level really any more than a small child asking why and how?

I also don't think is feasible or advisable to assume that all kids can be made to love science as such, but we could all develop a better appreciation for how science affects what we do like doing. My appreciation of science has come as an adult both due to my children and due to an understanding of science as it pertains to cooking. It wasn't that long ago I was quite bewildered by even thoughts of science, memories creeping back of droning lectures about something or other and the question, "Will this be on the test?" or "Do we need to memorize this whole thing?"

Missing from the list was - good teaching.

I picked 2:

"Not being afraid to teach the subjects in depth"

As until we teach what science is and allow people to realise that depths it can and cannot get to, we will never achieve a cultural shift.

I think I also chose answer 2 as it was the closest one saying "teach science well", which Ian pointed out was missing.

I picked the popular one..! boy..people are passionate about books and movies ;-)

i also picked the popular one.

shifting culture is a nice idea: but how do you accomplish that? i'm more interested in ways to answer that question.

nearly everyone either reads or watches tv/movies.

I also picked the popular one - about books etc.

Then I wondered how many people responding to this survey are scientists, and how many think they themselves would make a good role model, and would enjoy being featured in the popular press or advising a movie production.

I'm a scientist, and I think I'd enjoy having a movie made about what I do... but I don't know how well that would help to "inspire young scientists".

I found the decision tough, actually - none of the options seemed completely useless. Can we do all of the above?

Nowadays kids are more and more interested in fictions and computer games. The best way to inspire them which makes them to turn towards science is to introduce great scientists like newton, einstein as fictitious character in games, movies, books etc. I picked up the third choice.