Would you colonize Mars?

[Perfection]

Being a pioneer/colonizer/imperialist without, most likely, having to deal with uncivilized savage natives sounds appealing, but I don't think it would be for me.

You'd still have to deal with uncivilized savage crewmates.

 

[Winner]

You seem almost personally offended by my disinterest in Mars.

If it was just that, I wouldn't care. I am offended by the arguments you use to justify that position.

Hmm. I think we need to think of insulting words for people who want to stay on earth. Earth-hugger? Earth-lubber?

"Down-to-Earther?"

 

[Bootstoots]

Mars may be fascinating, but living there permanently under any realistic scenario would probably be worse than living at the South Pole research station permanently, which I also would not do (although I'd gladly go there for a few months). Since there are apparently so many volunteers, I'd just stay on Earth and let them do the hard work while gobbling up the data they send back.

 

[Phrossack]

If it was just that, I wouldn't care. I am offended by the arguments you use to justify that position.

You're offended by them?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Really, I'd much rather colonize Antarctica or Baffin Island or the Rub al-Khali or something. So much nicer and closer to home.

Baffin Island already has people living there.

Stop being a coward, Phrossack! Adventure awaits in space!

Hmm. I think we need to tink of insulting words for people who want to stay on earth. Earth-hugger? Earth-lubber?

I have a button that says, "The meek will inherit the Earth. The rest of us will go on to the Stars."

 

[Phrossack]

Baffin Island already has people living there.

I know, but it's only about 10,000 or so. Baffin Island is bigger than many countries and the vast majority of it is uninhabited.

 

[Shaihulud]

I like the idea of going, but I am unsuitable for the rigours of the job. Also I am addicted to comfort and living.

 

[Commodore]

Sure I wouldn't mind going to Mars...unless the effort was being run by some shady corporation that wanted to use mining jobs as an excuse to experiment on people with nanotechnology or play around with inter-dimensional portals that allow the legions of Hell to invade.

On a more serious note though, I suppose it would depend on the legal status of the colony. Will it be beholden to its mother nation on Earth or will it be allowed to declare itself a sovereign entity?

 

[KmDubya]

I would go for sure. No one is guaranteed a long life on Earth, when it is your time it is your time. The chance to go to another planet and start a colony would be beyond anything anyone has ever attempted. It would be epic.

To ensure survival of the species, man needs to expand across the solar system and the galaxy. Colonizing the moon and Mars would be the first step.

 

[r16]

you wouldn't go ; if you have American or French ID cards . Since some NASA committee or something once declared only those two nationalities would be "allowed" and no "religious" stuff and so on to have an "amicable" situation . Hence No Passaran unless with double citizenship stuff .

american-French ? Well , Earth is a lovely place ...

 

[Kozmos]

I would go, but I'd step outside with limited oxygen and die as soon as I could. It was always my ambition to reach Mars and die on it.

 

[r16]

it's actually a scientifically discussed thing for the Moon , some USAF Colonel voluntering to risk his life to be sent to Moon on a one way trip and holding out for a year or two , trusting the American Industry to make bigger rockets that could cope with for a return trip . Must be early 60s , before Saturns were proofed .

 

[ArneHD]

I'd prefer Venus after we install a solar shade.

 

[Winner]

You're offended by them?

I am offended by their sheer wrongness, to be more precise

 

[salty mud]

I couldn't give up everything I ever had to go live on a planet-sized equivalent of the Grand Canyon, except replace the scorching heat with blistering cold. Living in a spherical dome and eating leaves for the rest of my life doesn't really excite me at all. Earth pride world wide!

 

[Mouthwash]

I suppose it would depend on the legal status of the colony. Will it be beholden to its mother nation on Earth or will it be allowed to declare itself a sovereign entity?

Why does that matter? It would almost certainly be the latter, for various reasons.

 

[El_Machinae]

Mother nation? More like Mother corporation.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I'd be happy to visit, to explore, but ultimately I'd want to go back to the green, green grass of home, its oceans, and its sky.

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Before my wife and I got serious when we started dating, I sat her down and explained to her that moving to Mars was a serious life goal of mine and she had to understand what that meant before we got serious.

So yes, I'd go.

On a more serious note though, I suppose it would depend on the legal status of the colony. Will it be beholden to its mother nation on Earth or will it be allowed to declare itself a sovereign entity?

That's a good point. I suppose it would have to be politically separate as I don't think people would like being politically beholden to any other country. But for a loooong time, they will be dependent of home countries for resources until they become self-sufficient. I have no idea how a private company led colonization will sort itself out politically, however, which I think in the long run is the more likely scenario.

I would go for sure. No one is guaranteed a long life on Earth, when it is your time it is your time. The chance to go to another planet and start a colony would be beyond anything anyone has ever attempted. It would be epic.

To ensure survival of the species, man needs to expand across the solar system and the galaxy. Colonizing the moon and Mars would be the first step.

I agree with all of this.

it's actually a scientifically discussed thing for the Moon , some USAF Colonel voluntering to risk his life to be sent to Moon on a one way trip and holding out for a year or two , trusting the American Industry to make bigger rockets that could cope with for a return trip . Must be early 60s , before Saturns were proofed .

Yup, that was a thing. The Americans were pretty desperate to beat the Russians at something in the early Space Race era.

I'd prefer Venus after we install a solar shade.

That won't help with the crushing pressure of the caustic, poisonous atmosphere. Also, I suspect it would take hundreds, if not thousands or millions, of years for the planet to cool appreciably even if 100% of the sunlight were blocked. Blocking all of the sunlight would also probably be a bad thing for agricultural efforts, though I suppose with all the heat on Venus you could find a way to (relatively) easily convert that into electricity and back into light though such an endeavor would be seriously resource-heavy.

Mother nation? More like Mother corporation.

Yeah, I think you're right. Anyone familiar with the history of private companies launching colonies in North America? How did that sort out politically?

As long as I had a gaming PC, access to the internet (yeah, lag is fine), unlimited download capabilities, access to good food, and a job good enough to give me the power to return home at some point.. I'd go in wave 4 or 5. That's assuming that by then there'd be maybe 100 or so colonists, with enough single women of my type present. I wouldn't also mind if all the other guys were dorks, so the women wouldn't go for them, but they'd be interesting to talk to about intellectual matters.

There would also have to be beer and medicinal marijuana present in easily accessible and legal capacity.

So yeah, there's no way they'd send me. But I'd go. I suppose I'm also assuming that the living quarters weren't super cramped and that there's privacy. And that max 7 hours a day are work hours, with no overtime.

Yeah, that's not going to happen. The living accommodations will probably be cramped for a while but will probably rapidly improve when they start building or importing
serious rock-boring machinery to clear out large spaces underground for habitats. And there will be a monstrous labor shortage pretty much forever on Mars - even with advanced robotic equipment. So you're in for seriously long work days but you'll be paid hella good. But there won't be anything to spend your money on (maybe coke and hookers?) and if people don't work, they won't eat or breathe as most of the labor will go toward physically setting up the colony infrastructure that allows people to live on Mars.

As for being allowed to go, I am fairly certain private efforts, which I believe will dominate colonization efforts, will take anyone with enough money in reasonable health. Government-led efforts will probably be a whole other thing as NASA won't send anyone who isn't in peak physical condition and even then will probably only send married couples past their child-bearing years. Which is stupid but NASA and government agencies are extremely conservative when it comes to this sort of thing.

Unless they want old, fat guys, (ballast?) I am out. But I would support "us" colonizing Mars.

Is it really wise for Martians to go out of their way to insult people who are physically much stronger than them (i.e., Earthlings?)

Good point.

I have to say while there were some oversimplifications to your objections to going to Mars, I also think Winner's responses downplayed the risks a bit much.

 

[El_Machinae]

Hell, I'd go in a heartbeat.

Here's my thinking. If you went first, the rest of your life you'd have to work very hard just to subsist. And so, depending on your age, you could actually work really hard to create a world where you eventually end up going. And, I betcha your time spent "working really hard" here will be massively nicer than if you were just one of the first people to go.

You've already mentally committed to living a very, very hard life just for the opportunity to go. So, it's more of a question of "How hard will you work relative to when you get to go?"