At one time in our history, Americans were the greatest dreamers in the world. We looked to the future with wonder and excitement, thinking about the cities and technology of the future.
That was the era of space exploration, when science was still a wonderful mystery to many people - something to be looked upon with awe. From the early '50s to the early '70s, we were the global leaders in science and technology.
Today, we're slipping. Ever since the end of the space race with the Soviet Union, NASA has been steadily atrophied. Now, the current agency is but a shadow of its former self.
Earlier this year, Obama released his budget for fiscal year 2013, and the damage to some NASA programs was crippling. While some parts saw increased funding, like earth science and heliophysics, some of the most important programs were gutted.
Education outreach by NASA was slashed from $136 million to $100 million, and Mars exploration was smashed with a 38.5 percent cut.
It's easy to see why government views NASA as expendable. We're in the middle of economic hardship with a high national debt and an unclear future, and politicians are looking for quick ways to get votes. Many people can't see the value of exploring other planets, and for good reason. The benefits from putting a rover on Mars aren't immediately tangible.
But to Neil deGrasse Tyson, famed astrophysicist and this generation's Carl Sagan, the problems of our economy can be directly linked to the damage that not treating science with wonder has done. He has suggested to Congress that doubling NASA's budget would help push our economy forward.
While it is irresponsible to simply double the budget without having any idea where the money is going, the idea that we should increase funding NASA's current projects is a good one.
The value of spinoff technologies and science arguably exceeds the input cost for space programs. Thousands of different inventions have spawned from NASA for all aspects of science, not just space exploration.
From artificial hearts, devices for easily testing water quality, effective thermal insulation, to machines that create microgravity conditions for cell cultures that allows for better cancer treatments, NASA has its hands in almost every aspect of scientific discovery.
The jobs created by these technologies are not ones that can be simply outsourced, and become valuable assets to our economy.
An equally important aspect, however, is the power NASA has to instill citizens with a desire to become scientists and engineers. As our world moves forward it becomes more and more apparent that the economy of the future will be based in science and technology.
Using NASA as a tool to convert our economy into a crown of the modern world is an invaluable investment in our future. We can't do that without strong numbers of scientists and engineers.
Yet NASA is not the only government agency that pushes science forward. There are many groups, like the National Science Foundation, that do equally valuable work. Those groups need funding as well to continue sponsoring and developing the technology of the future.
It's probably an unrealistic dream. Democrats are walking on eggshells trying not to seem fiscally irresponsible, and spending money on exploring Mars doesn't exactly ring well with fiscal conservatives, who are only interested in cuts.
But, in the words of Tyson, "How much would you pay for the universe?"
