It's also exciting because it is potentially of cosmic significance. There may come a time when the entire universe is affected and altered by people, and this is an important step in the journey to attaining that level of science and technology. There are certainly medical steps along that journey and those will generate great excitement as well; for example, when a "cure" for aging is developed, I'm sure it will generate a great deal of enthusiasm on HN, if HN is still a going concern when that happens.