Some of my earliest memories are of my grandfather reading to me from Sky and Telescope magazine (not that I was understand very much of it). I'm told that this

Some of my earliest memories are of my grandfather reading to me from Sky and Telescope magazine (not that I was understand very much of it). I'm told that this is actually how I was potty trained. Even if I didn't understand, there was a certain amount of romance, I suppose. And from my grandfather more broadly, I got a both an interest and some background. He was involved in the Hubble Telescope, spy satellites, and the like. So I think that the example and influence of someone knowledgeable and enthusiastic is very important. On my own, I read a lot of science fiction, which gave a mystique and romance, as well as some real information and knowledge, at least in the "harder" sub-genre. And I remember as a teenager subscribing to Omni magazine, devouring both the factual articles and the fiction. Unfortunately, I also remember teachers that fed us science as facts, rarely sparking wonder or amazement at how the world actually works. I think that institutionally, the educational system for science is broken.