Apollo 11

It is easy to forget that the cigarette box-sized device in your pocket is a computer more powerful than the one that sent Apollo 11 to the moon. Smartphones, tablets and laptops now hold some of our most priceless assets. But let's put a price on them: The value of a wired American's digital life averages nearly $55,000, and it's at risk.

Earlier this week, Amtrak released its proposal to build a new high-speed rail line connecting Boston and Washington, D.C. The project will cost over $100 billion and take 25 years to build. While rail enthusiasts may be pleased, you have to wonder: why is it going to take so long? Here's a look at other great infrastructure projects that took much less time to build.

As America celebrates the fortieth anniversary of its first visit to the Moon, it seems reasonable to reconsider the broader significance of this event. On one level, the 1969 moon shot was the ultimate in hyper-expensive vanity projects, a bright, bold move that inspired the country, impressed the...