Re: The Parable of the Peppercorn


<skearney@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1138418438.234045.74130@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> It was not the drive to explore but the spice trade, principly in
> black pepper, that extended the boundries of the known world in ancient
> and medeval times. The shipping ports of Alexandria, Venice and Cairo
> became great cities based on the wealth generated by the change in the
> mode of transport, from caravan to sea. Mohamed's fortune and the
> routes, astride from which Islam grew, were 'paved with spice'. The
> voyages of Marco Polo, Columbus, Magellan and the search for the
> northwest passage were funded by the desire for this culinary and
> medicinal treasure. Yale university was built on the profit accrued by
> Elihu Yale's stake in this first form of black gold.
> At present, lunaites, meteorites originating from the breccia's of
> the highlands or mare basalts of the moon, command a price of from $200
> to over $60000 per gram, some five to 300 times the price of gold. At
> the lower end, $50 could put a peppercorn sized moon rock in the palm
> of your hand. What do you think the chances are that it will be the
> trade in exterrestrial rarities, and not tourism, that will fuel the
> commertial exploitation of space?


Pretty close to zero.



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