Celebrating Invention in Flight

If there is one thing synonomous with the human spirit, it's that we tend to dream big.  We began exploring the moment we realized we were here - exploring the planet, the human body and the science of medicine, and of course - exploring the universe.  (Photo of the Spirit of St. Louis taken by Brian Finifter on Flickr).

It's an incredible thing that men would even dare to dream of flight, and yet we accomplished it.  It's almost absurd that we could ever go to the moon, and yet we did.  We love to reach ahead and beyond what we know already.  We love to stretch the imagination and hope that reality can top it.

This is the spirit that is celebrated at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.  The Smithsonian facilities are perfect for educational tours, because that's exactly what they were created for - the increase of human knowledge.

At this museum, knowledge and discovery are highlighted, but inspiration is the driving force.  Without the motivation to discover, we would never explore our world or our own limitations.  Inspiration is crucial for our future.  It is only when we get students inspired that we guarantee the explorers of tomorrow.