"d.brin" wrote:
> ABSTRACT: What daring 21st century concepts or projects would you most like to see pursued, if money were no object?
Hello David!
Thanks for giving us all a ring. Here's my two cents:
> MY AIM in writing to you is to ask this; what frustrates you? What cool or potentially beneficial endeavors have been stymied that you would fund right now, if you had deep pockets?
There are a half dozen credible independent SSTO launcher development projects underway. These should be invested in. If even one works successfully, and cheaply, its money well wasted.
The burgeoning immunity of infectious diseases to common anti-biotics is of concern, though the recent discovery of a powerful anti-biotic in crocodiles as well as research with komodo dragons indicates that the reptiles have not been looked at sufficiently as a source of anti-biotics, and because these anti-bioltics are produced by the animals themselves, it hold out hope that we could splice such capabilities into our own genome. (crocodiles and alligators also have a gene for longevity, the now extince species of
crocodilia grew so big because they just lived longer than current day types).
If you want really far out ideas, I would put together a trillion dollar fund to terraform and colonize Mars, a la ideas proposed by Zubrin and Kim Stanley Robinson.
I also want someone to figure out how to implement the loopholes of Mach's Principle so that we can have constant acceleration space drives that only consume energy, no mass.
> EXAMPLES: might include the immense energy tower that some Texas and Israeli researchers proposed for desert regions, drawing both moisture and wind power from high-level air flows... or how about funding the solar sail tests that NASA (for some reason) has delayed for thirty years, potentially letting even high schools send cameras to Mars?
The energy tower proposals are good not only for water and wind power, but for teaching us how to build super tall structures, to prepare to build skyhooks.
> One of my favorites would be an international Henchman's Fund for whistle blowers, offering huge annual prizes (and protection) to uncover the secrets of corrupt cabals all over the world. If it worked even once, the swarm of cats, jumping out of bags, could be awe-inspiring.
Look at the model provided by RTMark. They've developed a good structure that helps provided getaway funds, and maintains anonymity for corporate non-violent saboteurs. This could be adapted for use in a whistle-blowing organization.
> Or consider the following; With the $25 Billion that Sam Walton left to just five people, he could instead have funded a manned mission to Mars! In exchange, how could the International Astronautical Union refuse to rename the moon Deimos "Walton"? Old Sam missed that bet, but some other multi billionaire may not.
>
> Here's another: consider how much wealth was generated in the U.S. by groups holding old-fashioned rights-of-way into big cities -- e.g. railroads and gas companies, who now profit by running fiber optic data highways into urban zones. Today there are plenty of 3rd world cities festering in poverty and low property values. But will they remain so? An optimistic squint can envision Lagos or Sao Paulo rising someday, the way Kuala Lumpur has. In which case rights of way, purchased now, might have inestimable value.
Yes, Qwest Communications was founded on fiber optics run along the rail corridors of the Southwestern US (and the guy did it cause he got paid to put fiber for either MCI or Spring, so he put his profits into his own fiber alongside theirs). However, development of such corridors will only be useful if the cities they lead to become technological development centers. I also feel that as far as asia is concerned, making long term investements is a waste. I see a major conflict on the horizon for asia in general,
China in specific.
-- TANSTAAFL!!!Michael S. Lorrey Member, Extropy Institute http://www.extropy.org Member, National Rifle Association http://www.nra.org "Live Free or Die, Death is not the Worst of Evils." - General John Stark
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