STEM skills aren’t just for job-hunters in tech fields. As reported in SmartPlanet, Dr. Richard Larson of MIT believes that STEM literacy goes far deeper than understanding numbers, formulas, and gadgetry. “A person has STEM literacy if she can understand the world around her in a logical way guided by the principals of scientific thought,” says Larson. The engagement in most jobs of the Web-based thinking—integrating disparate information from a range of specialized sources—could make STEM subjects the core of an effective 21st century education. Says Larson: “Most STEM-literate students follow more regular non-technical careers, but with a rich STEM knowledge that can give them a competitive advantage in this increasingly complex highly connected world.”