National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, MD 20771

TELEPHONE: (301) 286-6885

FAX: (301) 286-5558
INTERNET: John.C.Mather@nasa.gov

Reply to Attn of: Code 443 October 8, 2023

Observational Cosmology Laboratory and James Webb Space Telescope

Dr. Pablo Da Silveira

Minister of Education and Culture (MEC)

Dr. Robert Silva

President of the National Public Education Administration (ANEP – CODICEN)

Montevideo, Uruguay

Dear Minister Dr. Da Silveira, President Dr. Silva,

As a Nobel prize winner in Physics (2006), I am writing to you about astronomy. Astronomy
is one of the most popular sciences among the general public, and among students at all levels.
Its images are beautiful, its questions are profound, and its influence on our perception of our
place on Earth and in cosmic history is immense.

Nevertheless, I have learned through colleagues that Uruguay is planning to stop teaching
Astronomy as a standard subject in its high school curriculum. In my opinion, it is extremely
important to educate the younger generations in science, and Astronomy plays a unique role in
that context.

We live in a time when understanding science and technology is of paramount importance for
individuals and societies: from finding a job, to creating industries and wealth, to taking key
decisions on the future of countries and the planet. Astronomy is a proven, effective vehicle to
kindle the interest of students in STEM disciplines. It does that by asking profound questions
about nature and the cosmos, and, in the process of answering them, capturing imaginations,
awakening the curiosity of audiences, and introducing them to related scientific topics. It
certainly did that for me. Already at age 9 I was fascinated with astronomy. In high school I
read everything I could about astronomy and physics, even though there was no school
curriculum about it. In a day when many students are only waiting to escape from school to
get their first low-paying job, would it not be valuable to offer a science course that they really
like?

Perhaps there is no better demonstration of this power than the dazzling images obtained by
space telescopes, which continue to inspire new generations to follow careers in science and
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engineering. In my personal experience as Senior Project Scientist (1995-2023) for NASA’s
James Webb Space Telescope, the most complex telescope ever built, I have directly
witnessed the public interest in the images we obtain. Besides producing scientific results, one
of the goals of NASA is to generate inspiring images and educational material (available to
everybody throughout the planet) to instill the interest in STEM in young audiences around
the world. NASA is proud to be a world leader in this.

In the United States the school exposure of students to Astronomy happens late if at all,
frequently in the first years of university for those who pursue higher education, where it
immediately becomes one of the most popular science course offerings. Uruguay, by contrast,
already has a long tradition of teaching Astronomy in secondary education, so it is in an
excellent position to use it as a gateway to reinforce the teaching of other sciences,
technology, and mathematics. I hope this letter moves you toward considering maintaining
Astronomy as its own subject in the common curriculum, both as a powerful STEM discipline
on its own, and a great vehicle to motivate students to learn more about nature and the
sciences.

Sincerely,

John C. Mather
James Webb Space Telescope, former Senior Project Scientist

Cc: Dr. Julio A. Fernández, President, Uruguayan Society of Astronomy