Every time we hear talk of cutting federal budgets, some say we should cut funds to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – NASA. They say we should use the money to solve our problems here on Earth. I think they are short-sighted.
Am I saying we should not solve our problems right here? Of course not! But moving stoutly to advantage in space exploration is vital to our national pride, spirit, and future.
Here are two very important reasons why we need to move forward with all possible dedication to space exploration:
First, like it or not (and I do not always like it), science and technology will be the engines of future economic growth, and the keys to solving many of our problems (health, infrastructure, and energy problems among them). We cannot develop the science and technology we need if we do not raise a generation of kids who are enthusiastic enough about the sciences to develop their skills. And what do you think can capture the imagination of the next generation of Americans so strongly that they will be dedicated to the sciences? Space exploration! Every time a NASA mission brings us stunning pictures and intriguing knowledge about the rings of Saturn, the moons of Jupiter, the mountains and canyons of Mars, or the asteroid Vesta, they capture people’s imagination. Doing so is crucial.
Secondly, you may have noticed that people do not seem to be getting along very well. This applies to one country versus another, management versus unions, republicans versus democrats, rich versus poor, and you versus the person who cut you off on the road this morning. Across the globe, people are not bound together by common language, philosophy, or goals. One thing every man, woman and child on Earth shares is we are all products of a Universe that went to great lengths to make our existence possible. Whether or not you believe our existence was guided by a conscious Creator is not the issue. Either way, Science has taught us that the atoms that comprise our bodies were cooked up in the cores of past generations of stars. I do not know if there is any possible way for human beings around the world to stop seeing one another as competitors and enemies and to start cooperating like common recipients of the gift of life. But if there is a way, I think it will come from a scientific appreciation of the wonder of our existence.
