My physics professor sent us the link to a really neat Web site, the Astronomy Picture of the Day (Click HERE).
It’s exactly what it sounds like. Each day, a new picture from the universe is posted and an astronomer writes an explanation of it. They’re all pretty neat. I particularly like the “The Seahorse of the Large Magellanic Cloud,” “Tycho’s Supernova Remnant” and “A Prominent Solar Prominence from SOHO.”
The site is sponsored by NASA, and it got me thinking about funding for NASA. I remember a couple of years ago getting into a debate with my grandfather about NASA funding. He argued that we should cut NASA funding; I argued against it.
I know times are very different now, and funding is tight all around. So NASA will probably see its funding cut.
During the campaign, Obama announced a plan to cut NASA’s funding in order to increase funding for science and math education.
Politically, it made sense. NASA has had some very high-profile and expensive screw-ups. And who can be against teaching kids about math and science?
Two things struck me about the argument. Space is still “the new frontier.” The possibilities are still unexplored and limitless. And we should attempt to figure out how our little planet fits into the universe as a whole. It’s important to know where you are and how you got there.
On top of that, though, the idea of being an astronaut and going into space is still thrilling for tons of kids. We need to harness that energy and encourage those kids to pursue science. Over the summer, my family spent an entire Saturday morning glued to the TV because MSNBC was broadcasting an image of a space ship as it journeyed into the universe. Simply put, it was awesome.
The excitement about space, and going into it, is here just as it was in 1969.
We should fund NASA in a smarter way. NASA should focus its energy and talent on a few specified projects. It should make a budget and stick to it. And maybe a few NASA scientists could visit elementary schools and explain all the cool things you can do if you study science.
