[ExI] A possible X Prize

[spike]

>... On Behalf Of Eugen Leitl
...

>...Another Congo biggie is coltan (columbite-tantalite, ore for niobium and
tantalum). Generic term, blood minerals...In principle the costs would be
low if the system is largely self-maintaining, and also transcending our
local limits by tapping extraterrestrial resources (minerals, solar flux,
UHV) plus outsourcing "dirty" industries out of the local ecosystem.


Blood minerals.  Hmmm, so there exists places inhabited by people who for
whatever reason can manufacture little or nothing of value.  Fortunately
they have one valuable natural resource, which they can mine to great
profit, but they brutally kill each other for control of that one valuable
resource.  Our solution is to find an alternate abundant source for that
valuable raw mineral, so that their one resource becomes valueless, removing
any reason to kill each other over it, saving lives.  

Of course they then revert to killing each other for no particular reason.

I don't like the term blood minerals, because it makes it sound like it all
our fault, for buying the stuff from them.

I propose renaming blood diamonds and blood minerals by substituting the
word blood with any other bodily fluid.

spike