Colonising Mars

"Google and Virgin Group today announced the launch of Virgle Inc., a jointly owned and operated venture dedicated to the establishment of a human settlement on Mars"

Read the rest here. Marvel at their 100-year plan here. If you read the FAQ (which you really ought to because it is seriously funny) through till the end, you will come to this statement: Virgle is real. Well, of course we all know from the beginning that it's not. We've lived long enough (ahem!) to not fall for such obviously elaborate April Fool's jokes. A simple "Hey what's that on your nose?" is more effective.

Still, you ought to check out Google's effort. Try the questionnaire for applying to be a Virgle pioneer. The questions are simply hilarious! This is my favourite:

A multi-stage heavy lift rocket built using established solid and liquid propellant technology with solid boosters doubled for increased payload capability could start a burn for insertion into a lunar trajectory and then back toward Earth for final insertion into a modified Hohmann Transfer Orbit, increasing its final Earth-to-Mars transfer velocity through a periapsis delta-v burn performed at the closest lunar and subsequent Earth approach, with the additional delta v gained on account of the potential energy from the mass of expended propellant,

o Actually, I would think fairly quickly and easily
o Only with significant time and fuel expenditure
o My SAT tutor said to always guess C if you aren't sure
o goo goo ga ga hee hee ha ha

Enjoyed the joke? Read this too. Happy April Fool's. How many did you fool today? Me - none, and (no, it's not a joke) that's the truth.