and you know every week that some new innovation is going to beproposed, new patents are going to accepted. Space is exciting. Theseinnovations make headlines, and these articles filter down the educationalpipeline, everybody in school knows about it. You don't have to set up programsto convince people that being an engineer is cool, they will know it just bythe cultural presence of those activities. You dothat it will jump start our dreams. And you know that innovation driveseconomies, especially true since the industrial revolution.Convincedthat weve stopped dreaming about tomorrow, Tyson argues that NASA is neededfor more than just scientific progress. A national effort to become moreinvolved in the exploration of the cosmos will, he claims, reinvigorate ourcollective culture as well as the economy. Despiteprovoking controversy from certain religious groups, Tyson has also frequentlyappeared on popular shows like The Colbert Report to promote the fundingof science and interest in scientific endeavors among the public at large. Hehas been a leader in using social media to engage with his fans, with more than3 million followers onTwitter.BillNye is another vocal advocate for science in mainstream culture. A formermechanical engineer at Boeing, Nye hosted a television show called, Bill Nye the Science Guy, throughout the '90s. He usedhumor and easy-to-replicate experiments to demonstrate to children howscientific concepts relate to everyday life. Since the conclusion of his show,Nye has frequently appeared in other shows and series with a scientific bent,including 100 Greatest Discoveries and The Eyes of Nye. In recentyears, Nye has used his stature and popularity to advocate for the reality ofglobal climate change, encouraging sustainable energy and the importance ofscientific literacy.Whileit seems impossible to construe better science education as a bad thing, theaforementioned champions of scientific rationality nevertheless face seriouschallenges. Because many of the issues that they care about most arepolitically charged, they often encounter opposition from people on the otherside of the facts. This has led some of their adversaries not only to questionthe validity of certain views held on specific topics, but overall value ofscience and its capacity to illuminate the natural order of the universe.Additionally, in certain subsets of the population, science is perceived to bea dull business, only of interest only to nerds and other sociallymaladjusted individuals.It'sclear that understanding facts about the world around us will likely becomeeven more important as scientific discoveries play an ever-increasing role indaily affairs. The strength of the United States as a society will hinge on theability of the electorate and government officials to enact policies thatpromote a better understanding of science and the natural world. Sciencecommunicators therefore have an important role to play in educating the publicon matters that affect every one of us.Space as Culture by Neil DeGrasse Tyson (Keynote speech at the 28th National Space Symposium) http://urania-josegalisifilho.blogspot.de/2013/10/space-as-culture-by-neil-degrasse-tyson.htmlBeth Kelly is a is a freelance writer from Chicago, IL. A lifelong fan of Carl Sagan, she has always nurtured a passion for both science and literature. In her free time, you can find her training for triathlons, shooting film photography or teaching her pet rabbit new tricks. You can find her on Twitter at @