It was more than satifsying watching Meet the Press this morning, and hearing Barack Obama say that the White House is a bully pulpit for promoting the arts and sciences, including "elevating science once again, and having lectures in the White House where people are talking about traveling to the stars or breaking down atoms, inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about."
On this day in 1872, the HMS Challenger left Portsmouth, England on the first scientific voyage around the world.
On this day in 1972, Apollo 17 was launched to the moon, carrying Harrison Schmidt [right, standing next to lunar boulder], the only geologist to walk on that body.
All in all, a good day for science.