Whenever the topic of dangerous asteroids comes up, I remind myself how much money was raised to save civilization [1] from such a threat. If that were really a concern for Musk, he could pay for something like this many times over.

[1]. https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-defend-earth-against...

How many billions of dollars will it cost to start a Mars colony? How many people could be lifted out of poverty here on earth with that same money?

The only thing this project would really achieve is further inflate the ego of a few billionaires.

It's such a messed up system of values. It makes me wonder if humanity is actually worth saving.

Half a trillion dollars is spent every year in advertising to those poor people to buy things. Trillions of dollars were spent on chasing jihadis around the desert for 16 years. There is enough money floating around currently spent on nonsense to achieve both yours and Musk's goals.

And if you do not see the potential for positive externalities created here on Earth by arguably the most ambitious project mankind has ever endeavored to undertake, your aperture on the world is quite narrow.

>your aperture on the world is quite narrow.

May be that is why they can filter out the bullshit....

Historically speaking we are exactly the kind of species that would sacrifice the lives of many to satisfy the lives of a few.

You could say that about most advancements - they started out being laughed at as foolish wastes of money and time.

There have definitely been many more foolish wastes of time that were laughed at than there have been advancements.

> Are we the kind of species that would sacrifice the lives of so many of its own just to satisfy the ego of a few billionaires?

yes

I hope that scientists will soon prove that the universe will end... It might change our system of values if we know for sure that everything we do amounts to nothing.