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The Reference Desk => Organizations, Vehicles, Equipment => Topic started by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 03:17:11 PM

Title: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 03:17:11 PM
https://gizmodo.com/humans-will-never-colonize-mars-1836316222
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 31, 2019, 03:34:10 PM
https://gizmodo.com/humans-will-never-colonize-mars-1836316222 (https://gizmodo.com/humans-will-never-colonize-mars-1836316222)




well, that was cheerful
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: BanzaiCat on July 31, 2019, 03:49:23 PM
Clearly the author needs to play more Terraforming Mars (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167791/terraforming-mars).  :2funny:
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 03:57:41 PM
https://gizmodo.com/humans-will-never-colonize-mars-1836316222 (https://gizmodo.com/humans-will-never-colonize-mars-1836316222)




well, that was cheerful


Seemed like a realistic appraisal.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bbmike on July 31, 2019, 04:17:41 PM
Yeah. We shouldn't even try. (http://www.aarcentral.com/emoti/shrug.gif)
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Barthheart on July 31, 2019, 07:28:26 PM
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go there.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 07:33:27 PM
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go there.

Wasn't the point the author was making. He considers it likely that we will have bases/outposts on Mars, but not large colonies as is often predicted.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Barthheart on July 31, 2019, 07:41:36 PM
Colonization of another planet is so far out of our current possibilities that we can’t imagine it ever happening.
But in the 1600s flight was thought of the same way for the same reasons. Shit when steam engines came along no one thought the human body could survive going faster than 30 mph.
In 400 years, if the race is still around, who knows what we’ll be able to do.
Adversity and curiosity are the mothers of human invention and innovation. As long as there’s a drive there will be those that try and eventually those that succeed.

Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Barthheart on July 31, 2019, 07:55:00 PM
Ok now I’ve read the article. Basically a negative attitude but says what I said above.... no time soon. But I strongly believe the human race will do it... eventually.

That’s my only disappointment in dying in 25-30 years is not being able to see the future...
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 07:58:26 PM
I didn't see at as negative. More like a realistic appraisal. He makes compelling arguments. People climb Everest, but they don't stay to live. We have a few outposts in Antarctica, but we aren't building towns there. Both locations are more hospitable than Mars and easier for us to reach.


Anyway, I thought it was a well written piece with a different take than what you get from the Elon Musks of the world talking about how we'll have colonies on Mars in the next hundred years or so.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 07:59:57 PM
50 years ago everyone thought we'd have moon bases by now. Instead humans haven't been back at all for almost a half century.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bbmike on July 31, 2019, 08:04:31 PM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 08:07:05 PM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:

Stay put. A black helicopter is en route to you.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Barthheart on July 31, 2019, 08:12:34 PM
50 years ago everyone thought we'd have moon bases by now. Instead humans haven't been back at all for almost a half century.

And personal flying cars....

There will always be people who want things to happen faster than is possible but those people are necessary for any progress at all.
That’s why I found it negative. Poo pooing people like Elon Musk for dreaming big. He knows it likely won’t happen but it definitely won’t if no one tries.

Now that commercial interests have taken to space flight I think we’ll see a lot more advancement in the next 20 years than the last 50.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on July 31, 2019, 08:28:32 PM
Now that commercial interests have taken to space flight I think we’ll see a lot more advancement in the next 20 years than the last 50.

I don't disagree with that. I'm not sure what about Mars would make it commercially viable for colonization versus a few manned outposts for research.


Even if there are resources on Mars for commercialization, they could probably be best extracted by robots without the need for colonies.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bayonetbrant on July 31, 2019, 09:16:53 PM
And personal flying cars....

That's not a lack of technology.  That's a deathly fear of just how shitty people drive and not wanting them in the air over my house when they do.

I will vehemently fight any effort to open up the skies to that level of assholery
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on July 31, 2019, 11:21:25 PM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:

Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: BanzaiCat on August 01, 2019, 12:51:46 AM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:

Stay put. A black helicopter is en route to you.

edit: ninja'd by panzerde  :ROFL:
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Adam on August 01, 2019, 06:20:56 PM
Now that commercial interests have taken to space flight I think we’ll see a lot more advancement in the next 20 years than the last 50.

I don't disagree with that. I'm not sure what about Mars would make it commercially viable for colonization versus a few manned outposts for research.


Even if there are resources on Mars for commercialization, they could probably be best extracted by robots without the need for colonies.

It would happen more quickly if living space were to become a precious commodity. 

Even if mining robots are the main inhabitants of Mars, people would eventually follow.  Someone has to repair the robot - that repairs the robot - that repairs the robot - that mines the materials.  And the people who repair robots will need goods, which will set up secondary markets and populations.  Indeed, replace "guy who repairs robot" with "gold miner" and you get a repeat of how Northern California became populated. 

It probably won't happen as quickly, but it will eventually happen.  The Matrix's Agent Smith had it somewhat right when he called humanity a virus - we seem compelled to continually spread and propagate.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Adam on August 01, 2019, 06:22:45 PM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:



This is free to watch on Amazon prime.  Instant add to my watch list.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bbmike on August 01, 2019, 06:32:59 PM
I thought the Germans built a base there during WWII.  :whistle:



This is free to watch on Amazon prime.  Instant add to my watch list.

Ha! I'm gonna add it to mine, thanks for the heads up.  :bigthumb:
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on August 05, 2019, 05:16:43 PM
There's a sequel...

Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on August 05, 2019, 05:52:44 PM
Those movies were not as fun as they should have been.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on August 05, 2019, 06:02:01 PM
Those movies were not as fun as they should have been.

You were clearly not drunk enough when you watched them.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: bayonetbrant on August 05, 2019, 06:14:32 PM
Those movies were not as fun as they should have been.

You were clearly not drunk enough when you watched them.


The number of times in his life when Mirth has been told he was not "drunk enough" can't take more than one hand to count
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: mirth on August 05, 2019, 06:36:34 PM
I wasn't drunk enough when I went to Origins
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Barthheart on August 05, 2019, 06:53:55 PM
Hear, hear!
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on August 05, 2019, 06:56:29 PM
I wasn't drunk enough when I went to Origins

We could tell, since you didn’t end up covered in curry, or laying at the bottom of an escalator, covered in little airplanes .
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Staggerwing on August 05, 2019, 09:12:25 PM
What about a toga and an open jar of mustard?
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on August 05, 2019, 09:40:22 PM
What about a toga and an open jar of mustard?

That's normal work attire.
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: Martok on August 06, 2019, 02:08:52 AM
Dammit panzerde, you made me snort beer out (up?) my nose!  >:(  :ROFL: 
Title: Re: Humans Will Never Colonize Mars
Post by: panzerde on August 06, 2019, 10:26:51 AM
Dammit panzerde, you made me snort beer out (up?) my nose!  >:(  :ROFL:

 :bigthumb: