Education Subcommittee Report Education Committee Astronomy does't have much to offer in the way of practical benefits or applications - it is truly the least mundane of all the physical sciences. Yet public money spent on astronomy is money well spent.
Astronomy can also play an important role in science education.
It illustrates an observational approach to scientific discovery, and can be used effectively as a framework within which to study many concepts in physical science - light and atoms, gravity and motion, time and space. At a time when public perception of science's role in society is seen to be at low ebb, astronomy retains its tremendous capacity to interest the public in science and technology, and to attract young people to these fields. We do not need to try to produce thousands of new astronomers - but we may use the popularity of astronomy to raise the level of public understanding of major scientific ideas, and to convey some of the beauty and excitement of intellectual discovery. It is often argued that today's highly technology-dependent society requires its citizens to have some basic level of understanding of science, if they are to make informed decisions about science and technology issues. It is also clear from a number of studies that this basic level of understanding is not present in a majority of the public.