Poll: Would you be the first man/woman on Mars if it meant you have to stay?

[firedfns13]

No. I would not.
Though it would give me more time to play games. Except the best part of my life right now is because of my friends. Without them theres only boredom, loneliness, and depression, which I've had enough of thank you!

 

[Jedoro]

Someone would have to, eventually, so I'd go. Hopefully they'd set me up with some internet, though, so I could chat with people here on Earth. Maybe give me something that sends signals to and from satellites.

 

[Czargent Sane]

As I'm starting to realise most mankind has been getting more and more aggressive by each passing day,(Just the other night, In my street that used to be so peaceful and calm, 100+ people were having a massive punch out) it's getting harder and harder to make new decent friends, and to simply walk the streets.

Would I move to Mars? If it was with other people, they would have to be scientists, which are so busy being, well, busy, they wouldn't have time to be dickheads, then yes.

you would be amazed at the ability to manage time for the express purpose of dickheaddom


as for my answer: no.

 

[SaunaKalja]

At first I thought "FUCK YEAH!", but then I started thinking more. No internets, or at least a huuuuuuge lag? Looking at rust covered rocks might be fun for a while, but it might get a bit boring in the long run. Maybe if I could get a computer with Dwarf Fortress and Minecraft on it... And the supply ship had better bring the latest updates.

On a more serious note:
I just might. Travelling to another stellar body is something I fantasize about, but I'm sure will never happen. My family (parents and siblings) is the only thing I'd miss (... apart from good internet access).

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

I would most likely accept.

 

[Therumancer]

In a move that would have been crazy twenty years ago, NASA has finally began research and investment collection for what is now known as the Hundred Years Starship, an incredibly ambitious project to colonize Mars. However, looking at the budget and the sheer impossibility, the first pioneers to land on Mars would have to realize that they're never coming back. There is simply no way for them to relaunch and return, and their only tangible connection with their home planet would be supply launches that would keep them stocked. The project plans on having around four people to be on the mission.

My question is, would you do it? I know many of us who play videogames have a special tendency to crave the unfamiliar and the amazing, but first weigh the pros and cons. Besides being world famous, the first exo-pioneer, and seeing the incredible sights of a completely foreign planet, think of what you would miss. I'm assuming the astronauts are well beyond the age to either be married or have a significant other. Maybe they have kids. But you know for a fact they have relatives, friends, favorite places, and favorite hobbies that could not possibly come with. So once again...would you do it?

After a lot of thought I decided...no (with a lot of grief). Although the very thought of colonizing another planet is the most amazing thing the human race can accomplish, I want a family and I want children, so I guess that keeps me out.

Here's a link
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1324192/Hundred-Year-Starship-Mars-mission-leave-astronauts-planet-forever.html

I'd do it, but then again I'm in sort of a unique position, which also means I'd never meet the qualifications.

As far as wanting to have a family and children, well I think that's a desire people need to start curtailing until after we manage to get some Mars colonies and/or terraforming up. One of the big reasons we need to get to mars is overpopulation.

Nothing offensive intended, I just find it vaguely ironic that you give that reason given part of the point of setting up expeditions like this to begin with.

Truthfully though, I think a 4 man team is too small overall. That doesn't give any room for crew losses. One guy goes, and your going to be missing needed skills that are virtually going to guarantee the deaths of the other three. I'd say you need to figure out what skills those four people are going to have, and then quadruple the recruitment to 16 at least. Anything less than that and your setting yourself up for failure. Things like this never go perfectly and 4 guys is relying on perfection.

 

[Frotality]

enlightened? how the hell do you know that? for all you know, one or more might go bananas or be a closet sociopath, or just be general jackholes.

in a general sense, of course; astronaut is a job with very demanding qualifications; as opposed to the ability to throw a football or act like an idiot on TV; one must have skills, knowledge, determination, intelligence, all that good stuff.

 

[doodger]

I'd go alone, or with a shitload of people. With only 4 guys(or girls), things would turn bad pretty fast.

 

[topwomble]

It would give me something to do at least.
I only have like 2 friends so being with 3 people on a spaceship wouldn't be much of a big deal, also i don't have much connection with anyone over here and being in outer space would give me an excuse for being distant from humanity.

I think that NASA know that this is a huge risk, but they have got to take it, even if there were an accident and people were killed, it would be a learning experience for future colonization. No pain no gain eh?
Too long have we waited for this opportunity, for it is now! Why, 41 years after landing on the moon; our first step into the depth of space, have we recoiled back to our little rock?
We can't stay on this planet and rot, the human race must spread its wings and take off into
the cosmos!

 

[Spacelord]

The article stated that it was technologically possible. Which immediately made me think: is it psychologically possible?

The social scientist in me immediately started thinking about selection criteria for applicants. I mean, I'm guessing that most people on this forum would not seriously consider living on Mars for the rest of their lives. And if they did, you'd have to wonder about their fitness: chances are they have some seriously misplaced expectations.

I think that apart from the technological feasibility we'd have to look at desirable characteristics of the would-be colonists. They'd have to be skilled at maintenance, of course, but what about interpersonal skills? Would they need to have a very high tolerance for frustration? Indubitably. But select for that and you'd have a relatively passive group of people. Then again, if we select for the adventurous segment of the population, the energetic bunch we put on the face of another planet might end up so frustrated they straight up murder eachother, setting space colonisation back for another few decades at least.

I think this is a very interesting and important issue the OP has addressed. What IS the psychological profile of a successful space colonist?

 

[cheese_wizington]

It just seems so.....

Unhuman, say, to do something like this. How can we just abandon someone on a planet?

That's fucked up.

 

[Ashcrexl]

away from everyhting i love on earth? HELL NO! a little paragraph in the history books for my happiness? HELL NO!

 

[Czargent Sane]

enlightened? how the hell do you know that? for all you know, one or more might go bananas or be a closet sociopath, or just be general jackholes.

in a general sense, of course; astronaut is a job with very demanding qualifications; as opposed to the ability to throw a football or act like an idiot on TV; one must have skills, knowledge, determination, intelligence, all that good stuff.

plenty of psychopaths have been intelligent and determined, in fact none of those three things you mentioned have any bearing on someone not being an arse hole.

 

[Frotality]

enlightened? how the hell do you know that? for all you know, one or more might go bananas or be a closet sociopath, or just be general jackholes.

in a general sense, of course; astronaut is a job with very demanding qualifications; as opposed to the ability to throw a football or act like an idiot on TV; one must have skills, knowledge, determination, intelligence, all that good stuff.

plenty of psychopaths have been intelligent and determined, in fact none of those three things you mentioned have any bearing on someone not being an arse hole.

who said enlightened meant nice and psychologically sound? i consider myself to be at least not stupid, and im a complete dickhead to be honest. id relish another self-entitled ponce to converse with, and a closet psychopath would definitely spice things up a bit; not like me and my fellow pricks (or NASA) haven't prepared for that possibility anyway.

 

[Czargent Sane]

enlightened? how the hell do you know that? for all you know, one or more might go bananas or be a closet sociopath, or just be general jackholes.

in a general sense, of course; astronaut is a job with very demanding qualifications; as opposed to the ability to throw a football or act like an idiot on TV; one must have skills, knowledge, determination, intelligence, all that good stuff.

plenty of psychopaths have been intelligent and determined, in fact none of those three things you mentioned have any bearing on someone not being an arse hole.

who said enlightened meant nice and psychologically sound? i consider myself to be at least not stupid, and im a complete dickhead to be honest. id relish another self-entitled ponce to converse with, and a closet psychopath would definitely spice things up a bit; not like me and my fellow pricks (or NASA) haven't prepared for that possibility anyway.

good point, in that case I would have to concede.