We Stopped Dreaming

Neil DeGrasse Tyson‘s speech enhanced with historic NASA footage. Powerful.

(thank you @patrickeotoole)

16 Comments leave a comment below

  1. Powerful video. Every time Neil DeGrasse Tyson opens his mouth I like him more and more!

  2. Beautiful…though the part about the world’s fair made me nervous.

  3. Has NASA fixed the big problems on earth? Like hunger, disease, war?

    The video sounds more like the rant by a spoiled kid that had his toys taken away.

    Oh and another message for Neil DeGrasse Tyson. The days of the baby boomers nearing it’s end. With that comes a decline in economic power. It’s basic economics. Less people with spending power equals less economic stimulus equals less money for nice to have projects like NASA.

    But don’t get me wrong I too like to dream. I always thought I’d be an astronaut when I grew up.

  4. It’s not and either or. It’s not like we can’t do more to fight poverty (for example) AND invest in scientific research and endeavors. There are so many different ways to create value and beauty and to solve problems in the world.

    It’s absurd to suggest that every decision be utilitarian, and it is unimaginative to fail to see how great human endeavors lift everyone’s sprit.

    I don’t see how you could find Neil DeGrasse Tyson “spoiled” –his perspective is at odds with most boomers who don’t want to pay taxes for anything to improve the public sphere, yet still expect the system to remain robust enough to support them.

  5. @ Tom – NASA is solving problems on earth. NASA has to solve a lot of interesting and difficult problems to get people in to space, to the moon, put things in orbit, etc. That technology and innovation doesn’t stay in space, it gets retro fitted for use on Earth.

    NASA Spinoffs (I started with the PDF on the left for a good run down of the major things)
    http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/

  6. What do believe humanity deserves or should aspire too? What price would you pay, what would you sacrifice for that future?…

    I think the biggest things that the space race did was not put a Man on the Moon…but rather:
    1) Creating a new, modern, respected group of scientist, technologists, technicians, engineers, and mathemeticians (STEM folks) – NASA.
    2) Proving that humanity is not done doing big, complicated things. It catylized interest in young people to aspire go do the same…which leads to #3:
    3) Creating millions and millions of STEM folks. Like that iPhone, Android, etc. smartphone of yours? The first affordable, consumer versions of those may not even have existed for another 10 yrs it if it weren’t for the space race and NASA.

    We don’t have enough money for a space program? We don’t have enough money to do hard things? …maybe the critics have don’t sufficient imagination, maybe the science and space enthusiasts don’t have sufficient ties to more immediate benefits on Earth with their grand plans, or maybe there’s just two kinds of folks – those who believe all of Earth’s problems need to be solved first and those that believe we need have a kick in the pants to do big things of which will aid in solving those problems. There might be a “give a man a fish…” analogy to make here too…

    Personally, I think things like the X-prize is a modern response to the deep seated, and somewhat dormant interest, in the human spirit to do big, complicated things that humanity will benefit from. They’re attacking all sorts of problems from transportation, ecological health, and personal health – really, this is something I think deserves as much attention as NASA did in the 60’s and 70’s: http://www.xprize.org/

    –S
    Former Ops Engineer w/NASA Space Shuttle & Station
    Engineers W/O Borders member
    Former Vol. Firefighter

  7. It’s also interesting to note that, at least for most of Western nations, fear is a much bigger driver than curiosity. Consider the difference between the amounts of spent on defense/security vs. science/research/arts…

    –Shalin

  8. Not saying that’s a good or bad thing (fear vs. curiosity, budgets), but that seems to be where things are at…

  9. Futurebird, Shalin +1

    …I have never seen anyone ranting science except people who do not know anything about it.
    So simple it is.

  10. Maybe someone know what building is shown in 1:18. Thank you!

  11. @Gabija – I don’t know, but I don’t think it’s at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. If you find a match by searching for “spiral walkway” let us know! :)

    @Gergely – happy to add my two cents! I love design. My mom is an artist and my dad is now a retired engineer – out comes me :-P

    –Shalin

  12. I managed to find one picture by Julius Shulman (http://pinterest.com/pin/111182684520763982/) ! It’s spiral ramp at Convair Aeronautics by Pereira Luckman. In love with this ramp!

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