Neil deGrasse Tyson on the importance of funding scientific research.

Question: Is the U.S. at risk of falling even farther behind in science?

DeGrasse Tyson: What is certain is that innovations and investments in science and technology are the engines of tomorrow’s economic growth.  That’s a certainty.  If we don’t recognize that fact, certainly other developing nations do.  So the extent to which we restrict are own investments in our own future, our own technological, scientific future is the extent to which we will no longer be players on the world economic stage.  So one no longer has the luxury to think of science just as something that scientists do that keeps them entertained, we need to recognize it as that which separates nations that advance in their culture and their economy and their security and their health, and nations that recede.  So to whatever extent money is reduced, when it could’ve been higher, I’m disappointed in what that trendline might be.  Which own absence of foresight that is so desperately needed right now.