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Google and Virgin Announce Mars Expedition and Colony

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and LONDON, England (April 1st, 2008) – Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Virgin Group today announced the launch of Virgle Inc., a jointly owned and operated venture dedicated to the establishment of a human settlement on Mars. …

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For thousands of years,
the human race has spread out across the Earth, scaling mountains and plying the oceans, planting crops and building highways, raising skyscrapers and atmospheric CO2 levels, and observing, with tremendous and unflagging enthusiasm, the Biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply across our world’s every last nook, cranny and subdivision.

An invitation.
Earth has issues, and it’s time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars.

The question is, do you want to join us?
Ever yearned to journey to the stars? You can learn how to become a Virgle Pioneer, test your Pioneering potential, or join the Mission Control community that will help develop the 100 Year Plan we’ve outlined here.

Interested? Complete the questionaire to see if you’re a suitable candidata. Questions? Check the FAQs. Read the hundred year plan. More

Posted on Apr 1, 2008 at 11:00AM by Registered CommenterDoug in , , , | Comments14 Comments

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Reader Comments (14)

THAT's what I'm talking about!! I've submitted my application and can't wait to go!! What an adventure this is going to be, starting a new colony, helping to populate the planet. It's all good!!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterScottie

That's more like it! No longer disappointed!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterTodd E.

I knew it! gDay was just a warm-up!

Unfortunately, the quiz says I should stay earthbound! WTF? I would be perfect to help propagate a new planet!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterGarth

I'm going! I gotta get out of here! Wonder why didn't they ask me to be a partner? Could it be.....naw!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterBill Gates

Mars will be an all UNIX environment, no Windows allowed. They want an uncorrupted planet!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterTeddy

I believe this one is on the up and up. I heard about it a couple months ago on the news.

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterSherry

Sherry, I have a plot of land on Mars I will sell you for only $50,000 (cash only). You want to own land before you arrive. Those renting apartments will have to pay threw th nose! Better hurry, I have many interested parties. I'm just giving you the first dibs because you saw this in the news.

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterFrank B.

I am glad I saw this and got in on the ground floor! Thanks for posting!

April 1 | Unregistered Commentermandrake

Better jump on the offer, Sherry.

"Virgle's costs will be considerable -- we're planning on up-front investments of $10-15 billion in the first two decades –- but so too will the colony's long-term earnings. Whatever one's interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty, for instance, it seems clear that the initial explorers and developers will be able to claim ownership of some significant portion of 143 million square kilometers of Martian real estate, which, sold (or traded as open-source sweat equity) at an average value of $10 per acre, would be worth a cool $358 billion. Multiply that by 100x for its post-terraforming value and you get a figure of $36 trillion. Clearly, whatever model of real estate distribution our emerging society adopts, its worth will exceed the investments likely to be required to unlock that value."

See if he'll sell you some more!

April 1 | Unregistered Commenterhankthetank

I don't know about the living underground part. I think I would become claustrophobic.

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterValerie

These Youtubers are crazy! How is it that so many nerds have the time to make and submit these things? Although I have to admit I did like the one by AstleyRick. If he is helping propagate Mars, maybe it will be a fun place.

OMG! Some of these people on YouTube are serious! Mr Branson! Please! If you take them to Mars, don't allow them to breed!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterVirgil

Don't you get it? It is a brilliantly diabolical plot to rid Earth of YouTube nerds by dropping them on Mars and leaving them there!! Way to go, Sir Richard!!

April 1 | Unregistered CommenterTeddy

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