Sputnik

On October 4, 1957, the news of Sputnik was shocking. I was just starting school at Cal Tech, a freshman math major, and the Russians' beating us into space was definitely a challenge that all of us, professors and students alike, heard and accepted. Space was a big deal. We had to beat the Russians to the moon.

I'm not sure when this kind of energy and vision came to an end. The recent last launch seemed a whimpering end, not a bang. Maybe we will regroup and start a new program with great energy, getting to Mars. Or maybe not. I think the space program brought out the best in us -- but also the worst in bureaucracy.

American hasn't felt like a visionary country, a true leader of great ideals and goals, for some time. I don't see us recovering that position in the world.