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Author and Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says we need to revitalize the space program or the economy will slide back to the Stone Age.
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Star economy joining me now after physicist and author of -- chronicles facing the ultimate frontier -- -- Tyson so.
Everybody is watching the space program.
Gold this way I mean just absolutely imploding what -- -- -- it that way you are writing about it you're concerned about lot of was a concern about a but then immediately we go back to the thing about the fact that.
We all want the government to cut back -- with the one and all that debt and everything else.
But don't cut this don't cut that this is a program though that you say we can't Begin -- what we're cutting where we're shooting ourselves.
The -- yeah exactly exactly the plane programs that we need to fund no matter the consequence to our economy.
-- certain.
Support programs for the -- -- disenfranchised whatever sure but there's a whole other set of programs to people just want because they want it.
And -- identified are.
Place and space is very different kind of activity because in order to advance space frontier you have to innovate.
And all the innovations that -- brought to bear to advance that frontier become.
Illusions of tomorrow's economy.
But even more important than that is when you advance of frontier and the nation embraces this.
It it works its way through our culture.
So that we've had become a culture of innovation.
Not a culture -- however problem and we put a band in on it.
And when you innovate you think about tomorrow much more deeply.
So this this is more than just president Kennedy say let's go to the moon.
And do -- -- button and say are we great right right exactly effect when Kennedy said let's go to the moon it was military basically driven although we don't.
-- often remind ourselves of that fact that same speech were so let's go to the moon and bring him back and and you said boy he had courage and charisma but two paragraphs earlier -- that same speech he says.
We have to show the world the path of freedom over the path of tyranny.
Who's like a battle cry against comp -- was like kill the company's let's go to the movement of the paraphrasing a statistic know what Clinton but notice the climate put -- But for when you get into the politics of the left of the right I mean you can get into -- -- -- -- -- -- over the right side and go wait a minute the military in China and they're building all these things.
Are we gonna be sitting ducks with everybody being able to do whatever I want what.
I would hope that our next.
Ventures into space or not militaristic we driven I would hope that -- -- be but that funds a lot of things of course a of course and it's -- that I -- got us to the moon and when we stop going into space it was because Russia wasn't going to the moon.
And so who the space enthusiast of the day said we need current rate leaders today so that we can go to Mars no we never went to the moon on charisma.
We went to the moon on war so.
So that we just need to be honest with ourselves and -- and -- certainly going to space that we were militaristic and threatened but there's a better reason to go to space we have it.
An economy that's tanking.
And an innovation economy are the seeds of tomorrow's economic growth.
You talk about it if you go back prior to NASA.
And and somebody stuck into my house and took all the innovations that have been post NASA.
That I would like up a technological.
Media can't.
-- -- -- little section of the book that talks about -- let me sneak into European into the dead of night and remove everything from your room.
That was inspired by triggered by orders were director in direct result of space technology that you wake up the technologically.
Impoverished human.
And you would you would you wouldn't even know how to.
You would you know how to function.
As a human and I'd have to get a Paper map again because my GPS would now we're number one -- and and who who's telling the number of people who are not dead.
Because they didn't get into an accident having to try to read a full -- map on the -- it would not I'm overlooked a real and we remember this summer or something or read about.
So so that's not specifically -- -- -- GPS is military but nonetheless -- space technology and you'd be taken for granted you can walk out the front door after you saw.
Let's satellite map of a weather system is on its way towards your location -- to decide whether or not to take an umbrella.
The miniaturization.
Of electronics the original push for that.
Look back in the day when your radio was furniture in your living room there's anybody saying -- carried out on my hip wanted to expect that to.
No ordinary or the Dick Tracy watched witches and that have -- -- radio and every situation to -- rip yeah the miniaturization of electronics was was driven regionally.
By NASA's need to shave weight off of payloads because you pay a huge cost in fuel try to get something into orbit around in space.
My biggest concern is when you and I -- young guys were little in the -- you.
Some fulfilled your dream was a lot of -- that I wanna going to work in space I wanna work in although that's all of the NASA thinks and so forth.
We're gonna get a gap of kids who won't know about that or won't have an opportunity to go do that.
I think it'd be a yes -- -- gap but.
You just jump started again we jump started it when we first right there was no gap which -- -- No one thought about it until it became a national directive and when it does you innovate for space in the culture of innovation.
-- Spreads across society in a way that everybody.
Wants to prevent -- tomorrow.
That they can then make happen in the people who bring tomorrow into the present these -- the scientist in the engineers and the technologists.
And not everyone has to be.
The scientist and engineer could -- -- poet journalist.
Comedian.
An actor but.
If you're in an innovative culture.
You will vote.
Out of regard to what that brings to -- you will recognize the value around the world but right now they're they're voting to cut cut cut so so so all I can do is his ring the -- America twist anybody's -- -- -- -- you if you do not do this.
Here is the consequence will slide back to the stone age.
As the rest of the world passes -- by because they reckon that they've they recognize the value of innovations in science and technology and what.
The -- that space -- we should say let's just innovate you wanna forget space which speaks to us it is it is a vision statement.
That has -- power to influence ambitions like none other I have seen.
A fire truck I've I've said this before might stand up in front of an eighth grade classmates -- who wants to be an aerospace engineer.
So they can make a plane that's 10% more fuel efficient.
Than the one their parents flew OK -- -- get a few -- -- say who wants to.
The design an airplane of them navigate the rarefied atmosphere of Mars I'm getting them who wants to find life on Mars they're coming.
Who wants to do geology on one of the moons of Jupiter I'm getting them probably get the best students in the pipeline and stimulated -- -- Generation wanna do that look -- -- to just.
Although source makeup because again going back to the kids over dreaming they want to be astronaut someday.
But now we're going wait a minute that's of hope what we don't know how to get there it takes many many years to get way past.
The moon Mars those sorts of things is it going to be were were basically sending out all these.
Satellites.
Robots out and outer space -- what's out there.
Got -- -- robots and as a scientist that there are stock in trade robot speak -- robot you have to bring him back.
-- think yes you find grabbing some life in doing their thing -- joystick from around it's the galaxy around at least the solar system.
That that the value of the man program is that I don't know anyone who's ever.
-- named a high school after robot.
I don't know what ticker tape parade it's ever been given for robot people say we all like robots of course we get to fund rovers on March -- may they rest in peace they've been long -- there there there their contract but.
Wheat we're excited about -- because they were advancing frontier -- demand program was not.
If you have humans go to Mars and robots.
When are we going to know that the robots are there because humans will be getting the headlines we're gonna wanna know yet what they have for brokers who was there elementary school here are they eating well are they do what they saw metals tumultuous morning song -- This morning new.
