It sounds fantastic and grand and all that. But the fact is science is hard.

I agree, and to get science done they could use some funding.

And the grand problems that are presented as justifiable goals and reason to increase spending are too few to satisfy the tens of millions of citizens who may be capable of contributing.

the ability to cure more disease? Better health? the ability to make more of your time useful? The ability to open up frontiers for the future? A safer country from enemies foreign and domestic?

All the research projects he presented: genome research, military research, astronomy, all that could probably be covered by the 100 Nobel Lauriats still living in the USA, and 400 selected research assistants.

I don't beleive you. In fact I think you are full of crap to put it bluntly. I can stand around and throw outrageous numbers like, but it doesn't mean that they mean anything.

The remaining 250 million people will have to be content reading about it in Popular Science magazine. Why do you think movies like Titanic, and Mummy Returns are such huge successes? People like me, millions of us, *know* that we will never get a chance to be a part of all that science stuff.

I aree, *you* will never be part of it, not with an attitude like that. the other 250 million(sic, latest census put it at 280) . . . ? well I am not that prejudiced to write 280 million americans off as dead weight.

Just keep in mind, if 280 million americans don't support science as much, then they won't see anywhere near the sci-fi come true that they would have if 280 million supported it.

-Justin Kelly