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From: Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Longest plan
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2024 08:58:59 -0000 (UTC)
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On Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:05:51 -0000 (UTC), Keith F. Lynch wrote:

> Charles Packer <mailbox@cpacker.org> wrote:
>> Did you mean specifically a financial instrument?
> 
> No.  Any intention by any person or organization that a particular thing
> will happen at a particular future date.
> ...
> What's the longest it took to build any cathedral?  Maybe that shouldn't
> count if it didn't have a specific completion date specified ahead of
> time.

The plans of that type that are known to the public are of
course the sending of probes to the outer planets. The completion
of some of those projects will be after the lifetimes of some 
of their originators. But none of these projects are as long as 
200 years -- yet. The most likely place to find really long-range
plans is probably in the realm of religion, perhaps the 
literal realization of religious prophecy. In fact, we are talking
cathedrals -- but metaphorical ones -- say, like the creation of
a world religion to succeed Christianity. In fact, I've been
researching that subject for several years. I think in terms of
the probability that such a project is ongoing and when it began.
If there is such a project, I think the most likely origination
would have been the late 19th century, when visionaries could have
tapped into the most highly concentrated wealth in history.
But that's still not 200 years...you've set a high bar.