The public outcry over the cuts to Jodrell Bank and UK physics is genuinely encouraging. It is not often expressed this way, but people in the UK have a deep appreciation for the inspiration we draw from studying the cosmos and seeking to understand the fundamental laws of nature. You can see it in the crowds at public lectures, science museums and places such as Jodrell Bank. British astronomers and physicists have been at the forefront of discovery since the emergence of physics as a modern science and it has long played an important role in the life of this country. It is (unfortunately) rarely an issue coming up in elections, but when a government threatens the institutions and symbols of British science, the public response reveals just how deeply it runs through the nation’s cultural DNA. These cuts have plunged UK physics into crisis. But the strength of the reaction to them is really, really reassuring!