[bobdihi (OP)]

In its 10 years of operation, what did the scientists discovered on board of the International space station that effected our lives down here on Earth?

[simplified]

Your using of science effect your life.Did you use something of their discoveries on ISS? I think nothing. Some scientists use the discoveries for development of science.
Wait or work in science.

[dlorde]

In its 10 years of operation, what did the scientists discovered on board of the International space station that effected our lives down here on Earth?

What about this?

[evan_au]

How about this? 20M downloads would make it a major impact on the world stage...

The next generation of astronauts may be inspired by their participation in a school group which proposed an experiment, had it built, carried into space, and then participating in determining the results - like carrying tomato seeds into space, and germinating them on their return. Or questions they could ask an astronaut, and have them answered. 

There is also a continual parade of "serious" science experiments which have taken advantage of a platform which has power, and a team of astronauts to tend to them if they have problems.

But seriously, if you think back to the age of maritime exploration, being able to stay alive in a vessel for a period of 6 months is a major achievement in itself. This is a prerequisite to serious space exploration, which will involve sailing out of sight of land.

Even more important, the costs of space exploration are so high that it doesn't make sense for each nation to try doing it entirely on their own. In the ISS, there is some degree of international cooperation.

• I think a lesson we can learn from the last century is that it only takes one nation to destroy civilisation on this planet.
  
• I think a lesson we will learn in this century is that it will take the cooperation of many nations to create a civilisation on another planet. (OK, maybe China could do it by itself, if it is forced into that situation...)

But far from the heady realms of international politics, Chris Hadfield said that his most significant day in space was the day he fixed the space toilet.