Two video clips that argue “we stopped dreaming,” trading in exploration and experimentation for hedonism, extravagance and, in some cases, expediency:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIZU8cQWXc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFO2usVjfQc
Narration by Neal deGrasse Tyson, with video by NASA, NOAA and a host of other sources.
It is worth noting that many of our nation’s fondest achievements were the result of periods of depression and recession. Hoover Dam and Grand Coulee Dam were built during the Great Depression, and the Empire State Building was not only built, but massively overbuilt. If you visit Empire State Building, with its massive stone walls and Art Deco panels, think of it and then consider the tasteless, odorless, utterly dehumanizing boxes currently being constructed because of “the economy.”
Tyson is right: our malaise is one of imagination, not spreadsheets and economic projections. We need to dream — big.
