Science research is expensive, and we may not see returns on investments in research for decades. This article tells the story of Sister Mary Jucunda, a nun working in Zambia, who wrote a letter to NASA asking how they could justify spending billions when there are starving children in the world. The response from Ernst Stuhlinger is incredible.

Discussion Questions:

• How do you benefit from past investments in science?
• How much of our economy is fueled by science and technology? Are the primary benefits of research economic?
• Do you find Dr. Stuhlinger’s response compelling? Have the events of the last forty years changed these arguments?
• Why does he list the “Earthrise” picture as perhaps the most important result of the space program?

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