And you never know who will come to Atlantis. Old faces, new faces. We have the luxury of time here.
The curse is magically based - a consequence of a very old, very cruel war. I suppose there's a point in finding a cure, but I am not the person to do so. Magic's never been a strong point. But... yes, you're right about starting over. A friend and I were successful in buying the world more time once already, but I'm not certain if it was the wisest action.