There are many important reasons for students to learn science. It prepares them, as the next generation of workers, for careers in the ever-expanding science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It also enables them to understand scientific articles in a newspaper, make informed decisions about public policy, evaluate claims made in the media, and talk to their doctors. The most compelling reason of all may be because science has important implications for human society and the future of our nation and planet.