Prestige, Technology, and Accomplishment: There is much more to be given to the world by science and technology than a space race victory, and the needs are fundamental

We find an increasing number of statements that the future prestige of the U.S. rests heavily on scientific research. They usually refer first to the space race and draw comparisons with the U.S.S.R. We agree with those who feel that the Soviet may be more spectacular than solid; that the U.S., aiming more rigorously toward sound scientific work, may come off better in the long run. Good scientific work is likely to get better space achievements in the long pull than is a massive effort to gain a quick lead in the hope of cashing the bets before the race is really over. But there is a great deal more than that to the over-all race. There is quite a list of things the world needs more than it needs a man in space. The U.S.S.R. is our political competitor but that competition is not the basic problem most pressing ...