The Secret Sauce to STEM Success: Humanities

As I researched for my presentation on Nazi Human Experimentation for my history class, I slowly gained an overwhelming sense of dread. Every time I scrolled downwards on an article, I braced myself for what horrible tortures I would have to read next, all done in the name of science. And these experiments aren’t the only example of mass human experimentation in history.

It shocked me especially as a student interested in STEM; how did other people interested in science go down this inhumane path? The scientists involved used the same scientific method, the same rigorous data collection, and the same pursuit of ‘innovation’ that we still praise and are taught today. The cruelty was not the work of the uneducated, but the exact opposite; they were the calculated outputs of some of the era’s most 'brilliant' scientists. They had the technical skill, but they lacked the empathy to ask themselves if they should.

This incident, along with many others in history, suggests that a STEM education with no or minimal inclusion of the humanities is not just incomplete, but dangerous. If we want to prevent events like this from occurring again, the next generation of innovators must be taught with an integration of ethics, history, and literature into the very foundation of their STEM training, starting in high school

Often, the misuse of science can be attributed to a flawed mindset. Instead of asking themselves, “Should we do this?”, scientists may find themselves asking “Can we do this?”, but just because something is possible, does not mean it should be executed. To better prepare themselves for their future in STEM fields, both mentally and in relation to their competency, high school students interested in STEM should take more classes in humanities. 

Humanities is a broad term, but the most useful for STEM students are literature, social studies/history, and ethics. When students don’t know the effect their actions can have on others and what can be considered right and wrong, harmful events like the ones stated before can happen. If they knew the impact of past unethical science experiments, it might discourage them from participating and getting involved with any similar endeavors in their future careers. This will become especially important in the future as the recent innovations in technology and AI have increased the need for scientists with some education in ethics.

STEM students increase their hireability and gain better access to job opportunities with an education in the humanities. Amanda Hirsch, Ph.D., a teaching scholar, states, “STEM majors might kick off their careers with higher salaries, but research shows that humanities majors often catch up by mid-career, thanks to their adaptability and critical thinking skills—qualities that industries are valuing more and more these days”. In addition, with the vast and ever-changing workplaces of today, abilities such as “problem-solving, teamwork, ethical decision-making, sociopolitical reasoning, and leadership” are also becoming high in demand. These qualities can be easily picked up by STEM students by studying subjects like literature, history, and philosophy. Gaining these skills will let STEM students climb up quickly in their workplaces and open up a multitude of opportunities to advance their career as a whole.

However, while having these skills greatly improves the career prospects of STEM students, they must be accompanied with good scientific, technical, and communications skills. At the core of any good scientist is the ability to educate someone who knows nothing about the topic. An advanced education in literature helps the most to improve writing and oral communication, which in turn greatly improves and reflects on the work of the scientist.

Also, science is always applied to real world concepts and problems, and in order to address this as a scientist, it is important to understand the surrounding social atmosphere and climate and utilize their technical skills and ethical instincts. Another very important benefit of learning about different and diverse perspectives is that it can aid in solving problems and creating new technology by allowing scientists to look at an issue from different angles. Crossing this bridge is the step between scientist and innovator.

STEM students putting more emphasis on their humanities education not only benefits themselves but also the world, people, and science around them. It is important to learn from the mistakes of STEM individuals in history and encourage students to become moral, rational, open-minded, critically-thinking leaders who will contribute to future innovations and the betterment of this planet and the people in it. As a high school student at a STEM high school, my humanities courses are much harder for me than my STEM courses, but that doesn’t take away from the benefits of them. So when it comes to choosing your classes for the next year or semester, try to fit in at least one extra course in the humanities.

Iona Nandy is a sophomore at the Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences. She has conducted independent research on the impact of exergaming on the cognitive function of adults with dementia. She is a Devil’s Youth Ambassador, a member of Stanford University’s Neuroscience Journal Club, and co-president of the New Jersey Chapter of Readability, which promotes literacy for neurodivergent youth. She also contributes to the nonprofit Marks Over Mind, advocating for student mental health. At school, Iona is co-fundraising chair of Relay for Life and participates in HOSA, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). She is also working to establish a Model United Nations club. Beyond STEM, she teaches younger children at Kumon, volunteers at a local hospital, dances at her studio, and plays tennis on the junior varsity team.