Science is one of a handful of things that defines us as a very special species. It is amazing how far we have been able to get and how accurate our predictions are. I think understanding how the universe was born is very important. It really gives us a perspective on many things.
When the news is good the BBC view is: 'Get the government out of the picture quickly don't allow them to say anything about it.' When the news is bad: 'Let's all dump on the government.'