<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">There are many paths to the top of the mountain. Also, one might like to have a safe haven in case whatever comes next is not anything like what folks here are planning or hoping for. For instance, imagine one of the horror scenarios plays out -- nanotech gone wild or Skynet or whatever (e.g., someone doses me with caffeine again:). It might be good idea to have some people and assets off world.</SPAN></div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">By the way, I think the costs you're estimating are high even for a government space program. But if one works at this via non-governmental programs -- i.e., voluntarilty, costs might be much lower (and development might proceed along many fronts, e.g., building up capabilities piecemeal as opposed to one monster project that sucks in gobs of resources and people).<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR></SPAN></div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Regards,</SPAN></div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto"></SPAN> </div>
<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Dan</SPAN></div>
<div><BR></div>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: times new roman, new york, times, serif; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=hr contentEditable=false readonly="true"></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Kevin Haskell <kgh1kgh2@gmail.com><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> extropy-chat@lists.extropy.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Tuesday, July 26, 2011 4:50 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [ExI] Moon Bases Not Needed (Kevin Haskell)<BR></FONT><BR>
<DIV style="RIGHT: auto" id=yiv1972811950>Why would we need moon bases if we hope to evolve, soon? Who would pay for such an expensive venture? I think we should be focusing on spending our resources on bettering humanity through Transhumanism and working toward the Singularity. Wasting money on moon bases would only divert trillions of dollars from money that should be otherwise be directed at something productive for the human race.</DIV></DIV></DIV></div></body></html>