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Florida GoogleX Team Offers To Send Your DNA To the Moon For a Price
First time accepted submitter Udigs writes "You might have heard of the Google LunarX Prize. It's a competition where private, often non-profit organizations race to build a vehicle capable of completing a short mission on the moon. But one of the problems facing these private teams is the issue of raising money to make the trip. However, one Florida team is taking an interesting approach: they are offering to send your DNA to the moon for a price. For the inclined, they've started a kickstarter page."
However, one Florida team is taking an interesting approach: they are offering to send your DNA to the moon for a price.
It'll save the aliens gas money to come here and get it.
While I understand that weight is key, 10k seemed a little high for the DNA sample. A single cell is sufficient to "get your DNA on the moon". I would think that a lower cost would result in many more people taking that option and increased financial contributions.
Granted, having to farm out the DNA collection and storage process is eating up money that isn't going to the launch, and the keeping the resulting samples small will cost more than just sending any cheek scrapings that come in. Even with the 10k price it's only $3500 higher than the next donor level that includes all but the DNA sent to the moon.
Their marketing department might want to revisit this. To be honest though, they're not likely to lower the amount enough to interest me.
Somehow I figured there'd be a joke like this in there. If there wasn't then I was going to make it...
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
to shoot a load.
How are they going to preserve your DNA on the moon, with all the exposed radiation, and freezing temperatures? It's hard enough to keep DNA preserved in a monitored environment here on earth! If you want your DNA preserved, better off just fossilizing it, like they do with Moose Droppings.
-- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
I am _so_ sick of hearing this shit. I'm leaving. And I'm taking Suri with me.
This is the NPR tote bag of space. The tote bag would actually be more useful. They're looking to raise money, and they want to give you a token of appreciation. It's like letting you put your name on it, only a little more personal and a little more sciencey.
You're not getting DNA delivery out of it. The DNA up there is going to be useless. You're getting bragging rights: "my DNA is on board that rover" when/if they actually make the news by succeeding. It's pricey for bragging rights, but it's cheaper than the $150 million somebody's asking to actually drive you past it (and that, too, is really just bragging rights).
The only immortality you get out of it is the story.