Life, the Universe, Everything

 It occurs to me that there are still millions of people, if not billions, who don't think that space and science are cool.

This is very unsettling.

I've been keeping up with Curiosity, and the new deep space telescope that will be replacing Hubble, and every day I'm amazed by the nature of the universe - every day some new breakthrough or innovation happens somewhere in the world. 

Any minute now, some genius somewhere could come up with a plausible way to send humans into space. Any minute now, some earth-shattering breakthrough could be made that changes our lives forever, and yet there are still millions of people who think that THE WORLD IS ONLY 2012 YEARS OLD.

How can we as a species abide such a disparity? Why are we not falling all over ourselves to spread knowledge and ideas?

This question is mostly rhetorical... I have my thoughts on the matter and other people have theirs - but the sentiment remains. The fact that there are so many poorly educated people in the United States is sad and appalling - it doesn't really matter why, because there is no excuse.  Not while there are public libraries and wi-fi on cellphones. Even the homeless and peniless can be educated. Information is EVERYWHERE, yet people still allow themselves to be told what to think and how to feel. There are millions of people out there who could be studying medicine or quantum physics instead of watching Jersey Shore (which I think at this point everyone can agree is a waste of time). So, why aren't they?

I think when you can answer that question, you'll know why we haven't ended world hunger or brought about world peace yet.

Whatever answer we find, I don't think any effort will be successful unless it starts with - and focuses on - the education of young children.   Study after study after study has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the foundation for our personalities is impressed on us by the time we are 5 years old - and so many people just let their children run around totally knowledge-less until they go to school, thinking it's the teacher's job to teach their children everything, and it puts everyone involved at a disadvantage.

I think a community should revolve around the education of it's children and a sustainable food supply, with everyone helping everyone else on a local scale. I think if every neighborhood pitched in and pooled resources into a public library, gave it computers and volunteer teachers and mentors, and let any kid who wanders by participate in interest-driven "classes", the majority of problems that plague American culture today would disappear entirely in a decade.