Okay, now that the election is well and truly over, I can tell you the truth. I kind of liked Newt Gingrich's straight-faced assertion that he would colonize the moon. Okay, so maybe Newt was a tad(pole) jingoistic in his sentiments that it would have to be an American colony, but I really did like that bold "to infinity and beyond" vibe. I have always felt that the exploration of space is a much better way to stimulate a moribund economy than finding a war in which to immerse ourselves. Perhaps we could even turn our economy around from a military-industrial complex into a space-industrial complex.
Maybe we could even do it without Newt. The European Space Agency study is investigating how practical constructing a manned base on the moon only using 3D printing technology could be, given that it would rely primarily on lunar dirt for building materials. Printers? These aren't your dot-matrix dinosaurs you may have hidden under your desk. These are the real deal: future stuff. And if you bring along a few reams of some of Boise Cascade's X-9, you'll be ready for any eventuality.
In the meantime, we wait. Patiently for the next visionary to step up and declare this a valid goal for our troubled world. Imagine a cooperative global effort that would take all our earthly frustrations and set them aside for a decade or so until the first condos become available. Maybe Newt could settle down there with wife number four.
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Wow, thanks for the link! The Escheresque cubes they "printed" (is that really the right word?) were cool, but in the suggested videos I learned you could print a flute or a gun.
And now I'll have that song in my head all day. You did that on purpose!!!!!
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