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The Costs of Cutting NASA’s Budget

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  • Description

    Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson on the benefits of investing in the space program.

  • Duration 4:37
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NASA is already feeling the pinch from the president's budget cuts this will be the first -- in three decades that passes without NASA launching a manned space vehicle.

Now you may think we're saving money by doing this but my next guest says there is a cost to America giving up on the -- me.

The grass Tyson astrophysicist.

-- -- And the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History he's also the author of this new book you wanna check out.

Space chronicles facing the ultimate frontier.

-- I didn't really got me with this one what is the costs.

-- the cost is if you.

Don't go into space by MySpace is an enterprise that taps the frontier biology where we're looking for life on Mars chemistry physics Astro physics.

Geology among planetary geologist atmospherics.

Electrical engineering mechanical -- -- All the classic subjects that are the foundations of the stem fields -- science technology engineering and math.

Are represented in the NASA portfolio and so when you advance -- space frontier not just.

Boldly go where hundreds of gone before.

In lower -- -- if you actually go somewhere in advance of frontier you have to innovate in order to accomplish that its innovation.

That is that scenes of tomorrow's economy in this the 21 century.

You know look I think you have to say that were falling behind in the sciences for sure it's not just that we're not spending on manned spaceflight.

It's in America is falling back on science how far are we behind others in who's beaten this to the punch.

Well there's so they're all these nations -- if you look at a map of sort of the we're the wealth is being redistributed into the world you get.

Europe Western Europe in particular but you also get Asia you get Japan China India is rising up.

And so I don't mind a good competition that's good but what we -- sitting on our hands and doing nothing about it.

That's when -- I take notice and here's my biggest issue here that apart from just the spinoffs that NASA would give you.

Right there are some out there there's some good ones like.

Precision.

Accurate affordable laser surgery was enabled because there's precision and accurate docking between the space shuttle and space station that technology.

And algorithms got applied to what goes on in your in your eye doctor's office but it.

The list is long but that's not even the best reason.

The best reason is.

When you take on our major frontier such -- space.

Then it affects the culture.

Of innovation in your country and that's what happened in the 1960s.

But one of the most turbulent decades since the civil war with your hot war Cold War we -- assassinations.

But the shining pearl of that decade was the mission to the moon and everyone was a participant in that an emotional and intellectual protect -- Q1.

Astronaut.

All of us felt that that all of us felt like how exciting that was.

And then make you feel special to be an American the whole idea that we don't even have man's space light we're -- gonna go to the moon.

We send it wouldn't -- a little you know humans going to -- here.

-- it's depressing but you say we've got a double masses that.

Budget I want to show folks what's happened the share of federal spending on -- to take a look at this.

You after 1965.

It plummets like -- -- Do you have to double that do you have to double the budget could you go away with lesser what is that what it takes to operate the.

It's an investment.

Way way way it's an investment if you're an investor if if you're adventure capitalist you can look for a way to get a return on your investment -- -- -- And right now -- -- a half a penny on the dollar on the tax dollar if you double to a penny it's still just a penny and I submit tube you put in that pity.

And what comes back to you.

He's an entire culture of people who want to become scientists and engineers and out of that culture innovation Reid's new economies we have new economies -- jobs don't go overseas because they haven't figured out.

How to do what you can do yet.

So all of these.

All these piecemeal symptoms that we see and feel the nation is going broke we don't have as many scientists they're jobs are going overseas.

All of this that they're not just isolated problems are part of an absent of that is an absence of an ambition becomes a -- when you take on those.

I agree would really totally let me tell you you're the best astrophysicist I know you can really talk to people and I really appreciate your coming on I was also on.

Even beyond that really have no one astrophysicist -- what's.

But it could.

Maybe you only know one astrophysicist mature over now that you mention that I wasn't gonna say that they bitching cotton yeah I really thank you -- a fantastic job appreciate it thanks very -- be right.

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