Students are unaware: a scholar highlights the crisis in education.

The head of the applied physics laboratory, Sergey Sharapov, recently expressed serious concerns about the level of knowledge among modern students, likening the situation to the book "The Ethical Engineer" by American author Harry Harrison. In his depiction, the future world becomes a society where fundamental knowledge is lost, and technology remains in the hands of closed groups that guard it like a religion.

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The scientist compared today’s students with those who studied 10–20 years ago. Previously, anyone entering the physics faculty was required to take mandatory courses in higher mathematics—linear algebra, mathematical analysis, as well as core courses in quantum physics. Now, Sharapov states, the level of mathematical training has declined so much that students opting for experimental physics struggle with these subjects.

According to Sharapov, one reason for this is that mathematics is taught in insufficient depth for those engaged in experiments. High school graduates often arrive with significant gaps in knowledge. Higher mathematics becomes a daunting barrier for them, forcing universities to simplify their programs.

This situation alarms many in the scientific community. Science requires deep and precise knowledge, especially in experimental physics, where one must understand not only the theory but also have the mathematical tools for its application. Sharapov even jokingly noted that such students would hardly be able to create complex technical systems or cutting-edge weapons, which diminishes the state's capacity for technological advancement.

One proposed solution to the problem is to revert to the old approach where all physicists take the same mathematics courses, regardless of whether they are theorists or experimentalists. However, this is not simple: universities strive not to deter students with challenging courses, as they risk losing interest in the specialty.