No career seemed insurmountable to me, as a teenager. Im not sure if it was sheer arrogance that got me into science--i'd like to think genuine curiosity and thirst for empiricism had something to do with it, too.

Yet, teens today struggle to see a science career in their future--but, not for the reasons you'd think (it's geeky/boring.)

In the 2010 Lemelson-MIT Invention Index, teens show a strong understanding of the creative and fun aspects of science, but less understanding of the societal implications of that tinkering:

An overwhelming amount of respondents wishing they knew more about STEM in order to create or invent something (85 percent); however, a majority might be discouraged from pursuing professions in these areas due to a lack of understanding of the subjects or what people in these fields do, and not knowing anyone who works in these fields (51 percent). In addition, with less than one-fifth of respondents feeling scientists contribute most to society's well-being, and even fewer selecting engineers (5 percent), many teens may lack a full understanding of the societal impact that STEM professionals have, further exposing the need for teachers and mentors in these areas.

In my second year of college, i remember having no idea what kind of science I wanted to study, and i think I eventually just closed my eyes and pointed.

The problem in our educational system is not that kids/teens aren't interested in science--curiosity and empiricism come naturally to kids. The problem is that kids have no idea what it's like to be a scientists today.

Science is not stuck in a 50s style lab with tools that were invented last century, picking apart frogs whose innards exactly match the textbook. It's uncertain, fun, messy, frustrating, challenging, and yes, sometimes it's a little tedious.

Somewhere along the way, we've succeeded in divorcing the empirical adventure of science from the image of the scientist. Most people think inventors = rich former Silicon Valley inhabitants, but the truth is that they are all around us.