Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: diverjohn on 19/10/2019 03:06:32
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Thinking of a sci-fi movie where a big asteroid will destroy the earth next week, but NASA announces there are enough large rockets available to take 50 people with supplies to the Red Planet and start a viable colony. Here's the question: who do you choose, and why? Obviously genetic fitness, ability to cooperate, health, and practical intelligence are top traits needed. We might consider ability to survive on a starvation diet, withstand radiation and cold, and a diversity of immunity to ensure a simple virus won't kill everybody. Any more ideas? I would like to hear something creative, amusing, or simply pragmatic.
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25 men and 25 women, and they must NOT be related.
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People who are already qualified as astronauts would be a good start.
But a rocket and space capsule capable of getting even 1 person to Mars orbit alive has not yet been demonstrated.
And a landing vehicle that could safely take 1 human from Mars orbit to the surface of Mars is but a gleam in someone's eye...
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Important to have a spread of ages. Rapid colonisation demands a majority of 16 - 20 year old females, but this will produce a 20 year gap before the next generation. The cycle will gradually become indistinct but it might make life easier in the medium term if they began with a few older and younger people.
And just in case it turns out to be difficult to feed everyone, have a few really old blokes on board. By the time the next generation has developed teenage appetites, the old scientists will have done our job and died.
So a resilient and sustainable colony would look quite different from a "human blitzkrieg".
Now any feminist will tell you that a woman can do anything a man can do, and with only 0.38g surface gravitation, that will include heavy lifting. So just me and 49 chosen ladies - one pilot, then any Olympic medallist with a degree in medicine, agriculture or engineering is welcome to apply.
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The women must be of proven fertility and should have produced at least one child with the minimum of medical intervention also the men or man must be known to be capable of fathering children
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The women must be of proven fertility and should have produced at least one child with the minimum of medical intervention also the men or man must be known to be capable of fathering children
Interesting criteria.
Given that there's only 1 way to check and that we won't be wanting to transport children, what you have specified is
"Must be prepared to abandon their children".
I think that's a trait I'd select against.
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So just me and 49 chosen ladies .
er, chosen by whom??
Oh, let me guess ???
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So just me and 49 chosen ladies
Dude, do you want your kids to interbreed? I know they will be half-sibling, but still...
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The "Eve hypothesis" suggests from mitochondrial analysis that homo sapiens is entirely derived from one female. Despite interbreeding, we've managed to get from Ethiopia to Mars in 200,000 years and invented computer games, so maybe it's not really a problem.
I think BC is wrong - my projection is that we will need to bring some kids with us to avoid a big generation gap.
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25 men and 25 women, and they must NOT be related.
Given that this is true:
Now any feminist will tell you that a woman can do anything a man can do, and with only 0.38g surface gravitation, that will include heavy lifting.
Why not 50 women and a sperm bank?
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I have always advocated a one-way trip to Mars, and whilst the sperm bank is an excellent idea, I think the next generation might benefit from one adult male role model.
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Why not a good supply of frozen embryo's that would take up less space .
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I think the next generation might benefit from one adult male role model.
In general, part of the trouble with politics is that the people who want to get power are the last people who you should give it to.
I fear that in a similar way, anyone who puts themselves forward as a "role model" probably shouldn't be one.
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I wonder if crowding lots of women together for six months or more in the unhygienic space ship will have the same effect as the leather working had on the women of Lesbos and they will find that they are quite unattractive to men.
A sperm bank is certainly a good idea.
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...... they will find that they are quite unattractive to men.
I’m not sure that would be a problem.
You could always give them a photo of Alan ;)
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I still hate Margaret Thatcher, but I've yet to actually meet an unattractive woman.
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I still hate Margaret Thatcher, but I've yet to actually meet an unattractive woman.
Where do you live? Seems like it's a place full of pretty girls.