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Ask Slashdot: What Kind of Societies Will the First Mars Colonies Be?
New submitter nyri writes: I'm making a two-part study in what kind of societies humans will build on Mars when we start to colonize the red planet. In first part, I'm trying to approach the question sociologically as rigorously as possible. Sociology being what it is, this also includes informed speculation. So, what does Slashdot think: What sort of colonies will humans build on the red planet? How large will they be? How will they make decisions and select their leaders? What kind of judicial systems will they use? What happens if a colony's population grows larger than they are able to sustain? Will they be religious and if so, how? How will their internal and external economy work? And so on...
A second part of the study is of psychometric nature to explore the kind of personalities be present in first colonies. I also encourage you to take the survey.
A second part of the study is of psychometric nature to explore the kind of personalities be present in first colonies. I also encourage you to take the survey.
"The Martian government was directed by ten men, the leader of whom was elected by universal suffrage for five years and entitled 'Elon.' Two houses of Parliament enacted the laws to be administered by the Elon and his cabinet."
Wernher von Braun
The Mars Project, Page 177
You're probably correct. That's pretty much how North America was settled. See the Virginia Company. How pretty it turned out is left as an exercise to the reader.
Progressivism: Parasites helping parasites to help themselves - to other people's stuff.
You aren't making any sense. Even the worst case scenarios (just lichen can survive) are magnitudes more livable than Mars.
love is just extroverted narcissism
I guess you think you're suddenly in zero gravity in a swimming pool too?
Seems you don't know the difference between bouancy and zero gravity. Never mind, you'll get a clue one day.
OP here. Thank you for your feedback. I've been doing extensive literary review and I continue to do so. I'm also having discussions with people with "relevant PhDs." What makes you think that this is the only way I try to gather ideas, information and understanding?
Anyhow, it would be great if every reader took the effort and fills the survey: https://togowhowants.net/
Please also consider filling the long version. It would be really heplful! Thanks! :)
Actually, it was a great success - they had a couple of *major* problems with the first experiment (especially unexpected CO2 loss to the concrete), but were able to make it through by the skin of their teeth - though admittedly it was pure stubbornness that kept them going to the end of the mission. And I seem to recall a lot of people problems as well. Basically the problem (beyond the unexpected) was they had too many people for the size of the ecosystem - and not enough people for healthy social interactions - things were basically working, just not quite well enough to quite cut it.
There's also been at least a couple long-term Russian experiments using switchgrass and the like for atmosphere recycling, though I believe they ate stored rations. And I think I've heard of a few others, though I can't recall any details.
An actual colony could address the problems relatively easily - you have a decent population of at least several dozen people and growing, and eat mostly imported food for the first few years as the gardens expand, which they will do as fast as you can manage since there's no need to keep plant life in balance with animals when you have an unlimited supply of CO2 right outside. You make absolutely no attempt to maintain a sealed environment - you import resources and dispose of waste as needed - and the most vital bulk ecological resources, CO2 and H2O, are in plentiful local supply.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
Check out your sources. That article's written by a nutter.