newsweek:

What’s more dangerous: a nation full of science illiterates or a nation with one less aircraft carrier?

If you read one thing today (and I really, really hope you do much more) make it this article. The importance of science literacy in the U.S. spans a huge number of fields, not to mention a major economic requirement.

I think you have to increase the budget to allow for better paid teachers. No amount of ideology and training will sufficiently motivate the shift in education priorities if legislatures like Florida’s are seemingly against proper science education.

In just one year, the expenditure of the U.S.’s military budget is equivalent to the entire 50-year running budget of NASA combined.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (via anticapitalist)

Yes, the military budget is really important, and not just in the “pay oodles to shoot up another country” sense. Mahan knew what he was talking about when he said the most powerful navy would rule the world, and the US Navy takes up a huge chunk of the budget. As does R&D, which the military has some really great success in. 

But that the funding for one year of military activity is greater than that of the entire history of our space program, one of the greatest factors in inspiring a nation of intellectuals and scientific achievement across all fields is extremely depressing and something I hope is rectified soon. Dr. Tyson’s interview on The Daily Show last night was really good, and you should definitely check it out of they ever get their flash player working correctly.