Who wants to be a Mars colonist?

[Czechanada]

I was fascinated with space travel as a kid in the 70s. Ironically, all of the near sci-fi things I watched iwere supposed to be taking place now: flying cars, colonies on Mars, sending ships to nearby Alpha Centauri, domed cities, etc.

Unfortunately we seem to have turned inward, instead with the rise of the internet and all of our money being spent on entitlements. We also still burn dead plants for fuel and dismiss space exploration as not cost efficient. For quite some time, it's made me wonder if our world was evolving in a radically different way that delays space exploration for a long, long time.

This development is long overdue. I'm glad this is finally happening. Men like Bas Lansdorp and Elon Musk might be regarded as some of the greatest in history someday.

Go private enterprise and capitalism!

Private enterprise and capitalism impede progress.

You know, planned obsolescence and the disregard of more efficient or environmentally friendly technology in favour of more profitable ones.

[The USOT]

I was fascinated with space travel as a kid in the 70s. Ironically, all of the near sci-fi things I watched iwere supposed to be taking place now: flying cars, colonies on Mars, sending ships to nearby Alpha Centauri, domed cities, etc.

Unfortunately we seem to have turned inward, instead with the rise of the internet and all of our money being spent on entitlements. We also still burn dead plants for fuel and dismiss space exploration as not cost efficient. For quite some time, it's made me wonder if our world was evolving in a radically different way that delays space exploration for a long, long time.

This development is long overdue. I'm glad this is finally happening. Men like Bas Lansdorp and Elon Musk might be regarded as some of the greatest in history someday.

Go private enterprise and capitalism!

Private enterprise and capitalism impede progress.

You know, planned obsolescence and the disregard of more efficient or environmentally friendly technology in favour of more profitable ones.

This actually leads to some interesting issues for the potential martian colony. Would capitalism be remotely viable? Potentially if enough colonies sprawled the surface of mars, but it seems like it would be most rational to have colonies managing their resources politically untill such a time.

[Czechanada]

Private enterprise and capitalism impede progress.

You know, planned obsolescence and the disregard of more efficient or environmentally friendly technology in favour of more profitable ones.

This actually leads to some interesting issues for the potential martian colony. Would capitalism be remotely viable? Potentially if enough colonies sprawled the surface of mars, but it seems like it would be most rational to have colonies managing their resources politically untill such a time.

Ah, Mars, the new future for humanity: post-capitalism.

[Winland]

Maybe... does Mars have Wi-fi?

[Conscentia]

Maybe... does Mars have Wi-fi?

No, not yet.

[Towson]

Sure i whould love to be a major part of the story of mankind.

[Great Nepal]

Maybe... does Mars have Wi-fi?

No, not yet.

How hard will it be to create Martian internet which is faster than earth one... and have secret system where I know everything everyone does with the internet?

[Multiflow]

No, not yet.

How hard will it be to create Martian internet which is faster than earth one... and have secret system where I know everything everyone does with the internet?

Not that hard, I already ... oops got to go ...

[Great Nepal]

How hard will it be to create Martian internet which is faster than earth one... and have secret system where I know everything everyone does with the internet?

Not that hard, I already ... oops got to go ...

Hey wait, we could share the profits and information 50/50. How much?

[Multiflow]

Not that hard, I already ... oops got to go ...

Hey wait, we could share the profits and information 50/50. How much?

... actually I shouldn't have said that, puts a bad perspective on the foundation of the Interactive Holographic Network ...

[Winland]

I bet the lag would be horrid if I tried to log on to Earth interwebz from Mars.

*looks it up*
8-18 minutes, damn

[Conscentia]

I bet the lag would be horrid if I tried to log on to Earth interwebz from Mars.

Mars is 4 light minutes from Earth, so it would be over 4 minutes of lag at best.

[Stelarus]

Sure i whould love to be a major part of the story of mankind.

I'm waiting until we colonize Europa, there's more ice there, and I like ice. And it's farther away. If I'm going to go out and be a part of the greater story of humankind and live and die on a planet far from earth, I'm going to want to make sure it's as far away from earth as possible. I totally would want to go if Mars was the only other place in the solar system that was interesting to explore aside from earth, but there's so much out there that I wouldn't want to miss out on the next colonization effort either in or out of our solar system just because I promised to die on Mars. I'd like to sign up for the job of permanent space explorer, I have no problems leaving earth behind, but if I'm going to do that then I immediately have a problem being tied down on any planet.
a side note do you think anyone will eventually write an actual hitchhikers guide to the galaxy if we do get out into space? It would be cool to be one of the first writers for that.

[The USOT]

Sure i whould love to be a major part of the story of mankind.

I'm waiting until we colonize Europa, there's more ice there, and I like ice. And it's farther away. If I'm going to go out and be a part of the greater story of humankind and live and die on a planet far from earth, I'm going to want to make sure it's as far away from earth as possible. I totally would want to go if Mars was the only other place in the solar system that was interesting to explore aside from earth, but there's so much out there that I wouldn't want to miss out on the next colonization effort either in or out of our solar system just because I promised to die on Mars. I'd like to sign up for the job of permanent space explorer, I have no problems leaving earth behind, but if I'm going to do that then I immediately have a problem being tied down on any planet.
a side note do you think anyone will eventually write an actual hitchhikers guide to the galaxy if we do get out into space? It would be cool to be one of the first writers for that.

Tbh I think if colonization begins to happen en mass that other places are being considered, going from colony to colony will likely be less of a big deal.

[Stelarus]

I'm waiting until we colonize Europa, there's more ice there, and I like ice. And it's farther away. If I'm going to go out and be a part of the greater story of humankind and live and die on a planet far from earth, I'm going to want to make sure it's as far away from earth as possible. I totally would want to go if Mars was the only other place in the solar system that was interesting to explore aside from earth, but there's so much out there that I wouldn't want to miss out on the next colonization effort either in or out of our solar system just because I promised to die on Mars. I'd like to sign up for the job of permanent space explorer, I have no problems leaving earth behind, but if I'm going to do that then I immediately have a problem being tied down on any planet.
a side note do you think anyone will eventually write an actual hitchhikers guide to the galaxy if we do get out into space? It would be cool to be one of the first writers for that.

Tbh I think if colonization begins to happen en mass that other places are being considered, going from colony to colony will likely be less of a big deal.

good point, still, I kinda want to skip past Mars. I'm about 80% want to go and 20% wait a few years and see if things get even cooler.

[Northwest Slobovia]

This is where space nuts completely lose me. When asked to explain why we don't do something that makes no sense, they explain it in terms of something that makes no sense.

So you think we should forever stay on Earth, limited by its space and resources, with our understanding of the rest of the universe limited to what we can see from here or what a few probe can tell us, and at risk of specie extinction if a dinosaur-killing meteor strikes us ?

No... you must have missed the post where I said I don't object to a space-faring future. I object to nonsensical reasons to justify it, though, because they lead to the possibility being dimissed.

But even if all those don't appeal to you, space exploration is fundamental for the "fallout" it gives to live on Earth. Who would have thought, when Sputnik was launched, about satellite TV and Internet, or space weather observation ?

A. C. Clarke, a science fiction author, had already thought of the geosync commsat by then (1947?), and the possibility of weather sats was obvious pretty quickly. First weather sat was TIROS 1, launched a little less than three years after Sputnik 1. Any other questions?

Who would have thought, when they started the Apollo project, that the material developed for atmospheric re-rentry would become used by firefighters all over the planet, saving countless lives ?

Which material is this?

Building colonies on the Moon and later on Mars will force to develop technologies for recycling, hydroponic farming, new materials, ... that we just wouldn't develop without having this high aim forcing us to. And those technologies will profit everyone, even those who will never leave Earth.

Cart, horse. If we want better recycling or hydroponics or anything else, we should spend money on those. Like I said, I really hate nonsensical reasons for justifying spaceflight. If you want to go into space, find a sensible reason for doing it, such as making money, acheiving military advantage, or pushing a particular ideology. Those kinds of methods have convinced people, private organizations, and governments to spend huge sums on all sorts of projects.

Columbus didn't go to the rulers of Spain with some handwaving about making a better future, he told them he'd find a faster way to "the East", in order to trade more profitably. Think that way, and you too might get three little ships to go distant places with. (Despite the similey, I'm serious about that advice for space fans: reach long-term goals with short-term payoffs.)

[The Skyheld]

So, what else?

The sun.
We either get space colonies or our species will go extinct. There is no other option.
Yes as it is right to point out the sun will kill off life on the other planets in our solar system too. However the more we get used to space travel the better we will be at utilising it in the event of a solar exodus.

Fortunately, we have over a billion years before the sun actually kills all life on Terra.

[Vareiln]

No thanks, I'm good here on Earth. Let me know if you find Monster Zero, though.

[The Skyheld]

Sure i whould love to be a major part of the story of mankind.

I'm waiting until we colonize Europa, there's more ice there, and I like ice. And it's farther away. If I'm going to go out and be a part of the greater story of humankind and live and die on a planet far from earth, I'm going to want to make sure it's as far away from earth as possible. I totally would want to go if Mars was the only other place in the solar system that was interesting to explore aside from earth, but there's so much out there that I wouldn't want to miss out on the next colonization effort either in or out of our solar system just because I promised to die on Mars. I'd like to sign up for the job of permanent space explorer, I have no problems leaving earth behind, but if I'm going to do that then I immediately have a problem being tied down on any planet.
a side note do you think anyone will eventually write an actual hitchhikers guide to the galaxy if we do get out into space? It would be cool to be one of the first writers for that.

See, the problem with that is fuel. The Mars guys would be stuck on Mars forever because there would be no way to bring them a rocket and fuel to get off the planet. Until we build big spaceships that just float around and send drop pods to planets, there won't be space explorers. But if you went and lived on Europa, it would probably be much more interesting there than on Mars. Tiny gravity, moving ice, the possibility of an under-ice ocean harbouring life. You could possibly be the first person to discover extraterrestrial life, seeing that we'll never build a robot capable of drilling through that Europan ice without outside help.
And the Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy must wait until we leave the Solar System.

[The USOT]

The sun.
We either get space colonies or our species will go extinct. There is no other option.
Yes as it is right to point out the sun will kill off life on the other planets in our solar system too. However the more we get used to space travel the better we will be at utilising it in the event of a solar exodus.

Fortunately, we have over a billion years before the sun actually kills all life on Terra.

So we have a billion years untill out species and its descendants go extinct unless we start venturing out.

[Capitolinium]

Private enterprise and capitalism impede progress.

You know, planned obsolescence and the disregard of more efficient or environmentally friendly technology in favour of more profitable ones.

Yep. Ford, Edison, Gates, Jobs... they thought capitalism really sucked for innovation.

Try to debate from a slightly less dogmatic point of view.

[Divair]

Private enterprise and capitalism impede progress.

You know, planned obsolescence and the disregard of more efficient or environmentally friendly technology in favour of more profitable ones.

Yep. Ford, Edison, Gates, Jobs... they thought capitalism really sucked for innovation.

Try to debate from a slightly less dogmatic point of view.

Gates actually isn't a big fan of capitalism.

Just saying.

[Capitolinium]

Yep. Ford, Edison, Gates, Jobs... they thought capitalism really sucked for innovation.

Try to debate from a slightly less dogmatic point of view.

Gates actually isn't a big fan of capitalism.

Just saying.

Funny how he relied on that system to build his empire.

[Potlimitomaha]

no thank you. it sounds like an endless trip to hell.

This.

[Divair]

Gates actually isn't a big fan of capitalism.

Just saying.

Funny how he relied on that system to build his empire.

So? Do rebels in a country not use their government's weapons to work towards a better environment?

Gates, unlike the vast majority of rich people, uses most of his money to actually help the world.