[greenwolf]

You know, if those sites turn out to be the ruins of old civilizations, we're never going to know anything about them: the archaeology won't start until after our lifetimes.

And I'm 19.

If the dems win in 04, you're right. Bush wins, I'd say about five years.

[Terpfen]

Even if Bush wins this year, I think it would take a little longer to get Alan Grant over to Mars, to create the science of astro-archaeology, and all that. Just imagine having to invent tools for hand-digging in Martian gravity--in those bulky space suits, even!

If Bush wins, and if he privatizes the effort... okay, maybe 10 years after the initiative is announced, we'll be able to launch an archaeologistnaut off into space.

Sometimes I wonder when they're going to invent faster-than-light travel.