History Made
I became a scientist because I wanted to see how things work. I needed the world explained to me. As I went through physics, it became about more than just the basics. It became about the theories, the concepts, the possibilities.
Today, I sat there, watching with the rest of the world as InSight touched down on Mars.
Every time we land on Mars (this is number 8), we learn more about who we are. Every time a probe passes Jupiter or sends back information on Venus or a telescope shows more and more evidence that we are (most likely) not alone in this universe ... we learn more about ourselves.
I heard it a lot on the campaign trail, questions from frustrated parents about school funding and why should we fund missions to Mars when we can't pave the streets. They were valid questions. But the answer is because if we can't dream, then why bother paving the streets to go forth? And if we can't watch us land on the surface of another planet, then it's a lot harder to contextualize why science funding matters so much in schools.
Today was the culmination of years of work from dedicated scientists. And it was sheer joy watching their success.
Today, I sat there, watching with the rest of the world as InSight touched down on Mars.
Every time we land on Mars (this is number 8), we learn more about who we are. Every time a probe passes Jupiter or sends back information on Venus or a telescope shows more and more evidence that we are (most likely) not alone in this universe ... we learn more about ourselves.
I heard it a lot on the campaign trail, questions from frustrated parents about school funding and why should we fund missions to Mars when we can't pave the streets. They were valid questions. But the answer is because if we can't dream, then why bother paving the streets to go forth? And if we can't watch us land on the surface of another planet, then it's a lot harder to contextualize why science funding matters so much in schools.
Today was the culmination of years of work from dedicated scientists. And it was sheer joy watching their success.