It is not the space as currently is, to be colonized. It's the radically technologically transformed space we are after!
Then why not be after technological transformation of Earth first, and (much easier) expansion into space afterwards? Is it only the 'eggs in one basket' argument that supports early colonization?
r/Fitness does a weekly "Moronic Monday", a judgment-free thread where people can ask questions that they would ordinarily feel embarrassed for not knowing the answer to. I thought this seemed like a useful thing to have here - after all, the concepts discussed on LessWrong are probably at least a little harder to grasp than those of weightlifting. Plus, I have a few stupid questions of my own, so it doesn't seem unreasonable that other people might as well.