Catch the Buzz

Buzz - what a wonderful name for an astronaut. For a time, John-John was amazed with space travel, and even knew that Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon. When I told him that the second man on the moon was named "Buzz" his eyes lit up. At first he didn't believe me, thinking I meant Buzz Lightyear. Buzz - what a great name - a name that appeals to the imagination of a child.

Buzz Aldrin has a new children's book out.

But Aldrin says when he sees kids raised in this high-tech age, they seem more interested in going to space in a virtual reality game than in reality. And if they ever made it to space, they'd be expecting nonstop action and one-eyed creatures.

''Unfortunately, kids are led to believe things are easier to achieve than they really are. ... They want instant gratification, they're not waiting for the bigger and better prize,'' Aldrin says.

He's not done, however, with his own dreams about the possibilities of space travel. Some time between now and 2035, Aldrin would like to see man visit Mars.

Why 2035? Because it took 66 years for science to progress from the Wright brothers' airplane to Apollo 11, and that would allow another 66 years between man landing on the moon and man landing on Mars. NYT (reg req)

[orginal credit: Instapundit]