Yeah, throwing money down a hole for the lulz. Just like space travel always was!
Seriously, are you so short-sighted that you cannot see how useful mining asteroids for water, air, and eventually precious minerals is? I'll give you a hint: absolutely, 100% vital to the continued development of the human race. This has nothing to do with doing something "for the lulz." It is all about advancing the state of the human race. Not for profit, but because humanity can and should expand. Asteroid mining is one step forwards in our expansion towards other planets, and if we intend to not go extinct, we need to do that. We may not need to now. We may not need to in a hundred years, but we will in a thousand, or a million, and we are only going to get there if we start at some point. Might as well do it now.
To quote from the article: "[Planetary Resources] want to make sure there are available resources in place to ensure a permanent future in space." Our future, eventually, is in space. Whether from global warming, resource exhaustion, or nuclear war, Earth will eventually not be enough. When that day comes, we will be glad some billionaires chose to spend their money on space expansion, instead of building/buying shiny new toys, or hookers and blow.
Not to mention that no matter how far off, we have a finite amount of resources, nobody can dispute that. Even if something won't run out for 100 years, how will we make advances and learn how to mine in space if we don't start now? It's the whole mindset of people that think we can just ignore something for a 100 years and then magically have the technology in 100 years. You can't from A to C without going through B. We wouldn't have any of the amazing things we have today if it was for people who accepted "It can't be done" or people that couldn't see past the short term and see the long term goal.
Because we're just about running out of problems to solve here on Earth
Anyone posting with a l33tspeak handle is immediately invalidated.
Well that's kind of strange. I've seen headlines describing the advent of sex in space before but this is two guys doing it to each other? Not that there's anything wrong with that I mean...
This would have been funnier if you had actually used the term correctly (hint: it's not two dudes).
The tree of research must from time to time be refreshed with the blood of bean counters. -- Alan Kay