An interesting TED talk on the role of ignorance in science.  This is, to me, a flawed presentation that's worth watching in it's entirety anyway.  The opening sets us up for an anti-science rant, only to clarify several minutes in that it is, in fact, a pro-science argument made by a practicing researcher.  The end of the talk opens the door to the impact of his points on education, but leaves mere seconds to explore what's on the other side of that door.  So.  Pacing issues.

In the middle, however, are some very salient points on what inquiry is for, how it works, and where it leads us.  "The point of knowledge is to be able to ask more interesting questions."  This, to me, justifies (at least) the science and education endeavors, and, at most, the human endeavor.  It's also something that we've been slow to accept in education.  Not just teachers or boards - everyone.  If I need to know a fact, I have Google.  If I need a description on something settled, I have Wikipedia.  But if I need to think outside the box, to solve a problem no one has solved, to ask more interesting questions, then I need something more.  And I think I still need a teacher for that.