Wendy Zukerman

So is this just about winning?

Today on the show, we're returning to an episode that we ran a few years ago to ask, why are we really going back to the moon?

And when you listen to politicians and bigwigs in this space talk about why we are doing this, two big things come up a lot.

And that's what we're going to rove through today.

One is this idea of a lunar gold rush.

Some say that there are trillions of dollars of resources up there in the moon waiting to be mined.

And the first country to grab them will be one step closer to global domination.

The second thing is going to Mars.

People are arguing that going to the moon is crucial to getting to our ultimate destination, the red planet.

But is that for real?

When it comes to the moon, there's a lot of... Why are we doing this?

But then there's science.

Science vs the Moon is coming up just after the break.

Welcome back.

Today we're asking, why are we going back to the moon, really?

Well, one reason is this idea of a lunar gold rush.

That the moon is a treasure trove of valuable stuff just waiting for us to dig it all up.

And the first country to get their hooks in, wins.

Now, we know that the moon does have untapped resources in it.

When the Apollo astronauts brought back moon rocks, scientists discovered that, yes, they contained rare earth elements, which are super important to our lives today.