A Mars Colony in Our Lifetimes?

[Blind groper]

Before you get all pessimistic about humans breeding on Mars, you gotta at least do the experiment.

Gawdzilla's suggestion of breeding animals first might be the smart move. Until humans are breeding there, we do not have a colony.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Until you have families there, you don't have a colony, you have an expedition. It may be that humans adapt to the planet and no long look much like us.

That could happen, but not by evolution.
Evolution works by the death of millions of unsuitable individuals, leaving just the most suitable.

Really? That's not true.

I don't think we would have the time or the stomach for that.

That you don't like doesn't mean we won't do it.

You would have to do it by engineering the dna.

Or by getting Darwinian on them.

And then they wouldn't be fully human any more.

That's what I said.

[amused]

Practical problems aside, I think it's a bad idea to think in terms of 'lifeboat' for either Mars or the moon because it encourages more irresponsible destruction of the only viable spaceship that we have - earth.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Practical problems aside, I think it's a bad idea to think in terms of 'lifeboat' for either Mars or the moon because it encourages more irresponsible destruction of the only viable spaceship that we have - earth.

I think it point out the fact that Earth is now spelled T-I-T-A-N-I-C.

[Cormac]

I read a report of some research lately which indicates that the earth's population is likely to decrease into the future. This, the researchers say, is that the Western World is largely on a trend of population reduction (by failure to replace the dying with newborns fast enough).

This pattern is being followed in developing economies, as soon as the people are able to secure access to reliable and cheap contraception, they engage in "Family Planning" and limit the birth rate significantly.

Ultimately, if these trends continue, the earth's population will dramatically reduce. They're view, iirc, is that the earth's population is already near its peak.

Ireland, for an example from the developed world, has the highest population growth in the EU. Yet, we're not reproducing at a rate that will replace the population.

So, presuming that we don't render the earth uninhabitable, there'll be no need for lifeboat earth from a population point of view.

However, from a "survival of the species" point of view, we should do our best to colonise Mars. And indeed, to terraform it as much as possible. Ultimately, this might even create a separate species, adapted to lower gravity and so on.

The threat - same thing that wiped out the dinosaurs. (Aliens).

[Gawdzilla Sama]

As long as we're on one planet, we're vulnerable to extinction. At the Wolf Center we are lifeboating three species and ambitiously breeding two more. We have two female South American maned wolves, and we hope to get a male for them soon. We also brought five African painted dogs here ten years ago. All males from the same litter. When we lost the second one to disease it was decided to save their genes and we got a female in. The APDs are antipodian monestrus, meaning they breed once a year on the Southern Hemisphere's Spring, despite being up here. She is two years old, and the boys, having never seen a female since they were weaned, are quite interested. It has been noted that she has more stamina than they do, changing partners when one gets exhausted.

[Cormac]

As long as we're on one planet, we're vulnerable to extinction. At the Wolf Center we are lifeboating three species and ambitiously breeding two more. We have two female South American maned wolves, and we hope to get a male for them soon. We also brought five African painted dogs here ten years ago. All males from the same litter. When we lost the second one to disease it was decided to save their genes and we got a female in. The APDs are antipodian monestrus, meaning they breed once a year on the Southern Hemisphere's Spring, despite being up here. She is two years old, and the boys, having never seen a female since they were weaned, are quite interested. It has been noted that she has more stamina than they do, changing partners when one gets exhausted.

I often think about the job you do, and how interesting it must be.

[mistermack]

There's a lot of uncertainty about what the world population might go to :



World population estimates from 1800 to 2100, based on UN 2010 projections (red, orange, green) and US Census Bureau historical estimates (black). According to the highest estimate, the world population may rise to 16 billion by 2100; according to the lowest estimate, it may decline to only 6 billion

[mistermack]

I often think about the job you do, and how interesting it must be.

Sounds to me like the dogs have got the best job.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I often think about the job you do, and how interesting it must be.

Sounds to me like the dogs have got the best job.

I get to leave the Center, they have to hang out there. I wish they could all be in the wild. Everybody needs to hear a wild wolf howl in the night, just for perspective.

[mistermack]

I often think about the job you do, and how interesting it must be.

Sounds to me like the dogs have got the best job.

I get to leave the Center, they have to hang out there. I wish they could all be in the wild. Everybody needs to hear a wild wolf howl in the night, just for perspective.

Just play the harmonica to the dogs. Works every time.

What would REALLY get me quaking would be hearing a lion roar at night.
Especially as I have recurring nightmares about lions.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Just play the harmonica to the dogs. Works every time.

I'm not going to ask.

What would REALLY get me quaking would be hearing a lion roar at night.
Especially as I have recurring nightmares about lions.

For our anniversary we're going to spend the night at a tiger sanctuary near here. $175/$275 per night, but you get to see a lot more of the tigers than the normal tour. The sanctuary is owned by U. of Missouri.

[klr]

...

The threat - same thing that wiped out the dinosaurs. (Aliens).

[Cormac]

...

The threat - same thing that wiped out the dinosaurs. (Aliens).

Well, aliens or tobacco.

[klr]

The big question is, what to do with the extra 40 minutes a day?