Virgin Teams Up With Google to Form Virgle - An Effort to Colonize Mars

Want to be a Virgle pioneer?  Sergey Brin and Richard Branson were offering the opportunity all day Tuesday for the lucky few. 

Virgin, a Gambling911.com sponsor, teamed up with Google to form a joint venture that touts open-source development to establish Earth's first human settlement on Mars.

Cassimir Medford of Red Herring points out, however, this was more than just a "space hoax", it was perhaps one of the most elaborate April Fool's jokes ever pulled off.

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The April Fool's Day announcement spoofed Google's supposed goal of world domination, unveiling details of Virgle's 100-year plan, which includes an IPO along with the first manned expedition to Mars in 2016.

Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page said they will share leadership of Virgle City, the first Martian municipality, with Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group.

By making Virgle's Mars project open source, Google and Virgin will tap into Earth's global talent pool or "the Long Tail of human creativity" as they call it.

You were then required to fill out a 15 question application. 

Gambling911.com had our own Cuban transgender reporter, Sparky Collins, submit the application.  Who better to fly to Mars and start colonizing it than someone who escaped Cuba by inter tube floating for days across 90 miles of shark infested Caribbean waters.  And last week, Sparky was credited with filming one of the biggest swells (waves) to ever hit the island of Puerto Rico. 

 

 

So how did he do?

Okay, let's just get this over with quickly, like ripping off a medical adhesive: you did not do well on this test. You are not, by all available evidence, well suited to be a Virgle Pioneer, or any sort space explorer, really, or for that matter, any profession which requires leaving behind your creature comforts, your nice warm bed, your lovely wardrobe, your gourmet meals, your high-end home theater, your friends and family -- oh man, what have we gotten ourselves into here? We're kind of freaking out ourselves, actually. Help! We changed our minds! We don't want to go! [Clicks heels.] There's no place like home! There's no place like home! There's no place like -- [ Long silence. ] Hello. Still there? We're sorry about that unpleasantness with our previous reviewer. We can assure you, you tested just fine and would make a fine Pioneer; all you have to do is submit your video here.  

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Payton O'Brien, Gambling911.com

Originally published April 1, 2008 6:26 pm EST