In the 50s and 60s, school children learned about fission, U-235, and fusion. Concepts of atoms, energy vs mass, and Einstein were necessary to understand fundamentals of new products and industries (as well as war). Today, that new concept is quantum phsyics or, in particular, sub-atomic particles and spin.
The myopic will say that big buck government spending on high profile government projects such as the Moon Landing resulted in the computers we have today. It did not make computers possible then and did not create our current technologies. Such activities were simply another consumer of basic science.
On most everyone's desk is a hard drive. What makes it possible? Breakthrough discoveries involving electron spin. The giant magneto-resistive head on virtually every hard drive today is a direct application of quantum mechanics. The 8 Dec 2001 issue of The Economist demonstrates basics of how your drive was developed and now works, in "The art of the quantum leap". This excellent article is also available for a small price at:
http://www.economist.com/displayStor...%29PQ%5B%23%0A .
However do we really teach our kids the names of basic subatomic particles that are combined to create electrons, protons, and neutrons? IOW do we adults even know of those laymen basics (quarks, bosoms, etc) that are fundamental to a growing American economy? Do our kids even know what fission and fusion are? Maybe that is why fundamental subatomic research must go to Europe for access to that research equipment?
Or do our peers claim to be 'computer literate' only because they are power users - another word for college student not yet technically sufficient to be called a technician? IOW how many of us really know or appreciate where all those new products come from?