Diane Auer Jones suggests that cash-strapped US universities should reserve some faculty positions just for teaching (Opinion, Nature 465, 32–33; 2010). But a university's power and efficiency comes from combining research and teaching. The best way to learn science is to do science.

Universities need teacher-scholars who can incorporate the excitement of research into their classes and bring students into research projects to give them a sound understanding of scientific practice. This will widen and deepen the pool of talent for graduate school and benefit the teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, business leaders and citizens of the future.

Science as taught at US secondary schools is prone to emphasizing static, authoritative facts. Science in practice focuses on open questions, competing explanations and new discoveries. Undertaking research at university will seal this gap.