How to Find Our ‘Sputnik Moments’

In his State of the Union speech, President Obama invoked the image of Sputnik, the Soviet satellite whose launch not only ignited the Space Race, but also led to a wave of investments for science technology. But how does the fear factor from 1958 translate into 2011? And will this generation’s “Sputnik moment” be enough to galvanize society in the way Obama envisions?

Toby Smith is vice president for Policy at the Association of American Universities and co-author of the book “Beyond Sputnik: U.S. Science Policy in the 21st century.” He examines why we still need good science to stay ahead.