Americans have forgotten how to dream about the future in the nearly four decades since they last set foot on the moon, and risk falling behind economic rivals such as China, according to a new book. In “Space Chronicles,” astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of New York's Hayden Planetarium, calls for doubling the budget of The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and argues that a country's ambitions in space go hand-in-hand with its long-term economic success. The US space program may be past its glory days but the investment in science and technology that culminated in the moon landings had tangible effects, from medical scanners to iPads. Europe has embraced scientific research and most of China's leaders have scientific training, says Tyson, who is creating a new version of the “Cosmos” television series for Fox.
