Some folks think it would be a great idea to send people to colonize a planet around another star, and have proposed (either as sci-fi or for real) sending a bunch of people for a long-term (multi-generational) trip. Since we do not presently have the technology to freeze people and then revive them, so that those who volunteer could sleep through the hundreds or thousands of years of the voyage; and we don't have the technology at present to reach relativistic speeds in a space ship, so that time and space dilation would allow the trip in less than a lifetime by local clocks on the ship; such a voyage would mean that those who embark would spend the rest of their lives on board the ship, and their children and maybe grandchildren would do so also, and only a distant future generation would ever land on the target planet. Assuming a suitable planet were identified with reasonable confidence, would you volunteer to go, and spend the rest of your life on a space ship, so that your descendants could start a new life on a new and virgin world, with all the modern technology, but a clean and unspoiled planet with resources for many generations to come? Assume also that the space ship is adequately shielded against cosmic rays, and that it's big enough to create gravity by spinning, while at the same time having recreational facilities at both 1G (on the rim) and weightlessness (at the center), as well as intermediate, so you wouldn't suffer bone loss but you could play in zero G. Only couples could sign up, but you would not necessarily have to go with your present spouse if you could find someone else that wanted to go as your partner.
I'll start. I'd only go if some extremely intelligent and totally hot woman would go as my partner. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth giving up my summer hiking in British Columbia. This means I wouldn't go, since my condition would never be met.
Daniel, interesting question, the fact the person taking the trip never gets to see the final destination, kinda sucks, that's a no. The fact that you could travel through space with a hot babe of your choice, and are the little blue pills included?, That's a ROGER! Would this be a "Free ride, or do you gotta pay as well..... Of course if I get paid, where am I going to spend it? If I have to pay you, Well... "The checks in the Magellanic Cloud" A little outer space postal humor.....
No. I'd go one-way to Mars, but not the stars. The reason being is that I'm too old (late 50's) to be a decent contributor to raising the next intermediate generation and don't have any skills particularly useful to the journey. If they want my genes, I might be willing to contribute to the sperm bank...there had better be one, along with a sizable egg bank as well.
Presumably it would be necessary to maintain a constant population on the ship. Therefore each couple could produce two surviving children. So birth control would be not only available, but mandatory. (... Oh, you meant THAT pill. Sure. Why not? All modern technology would be available.) For the purposes of this poll, you do not need to pay. This is just a "would you go?" poll. Not an "are you rich enough?" poll. Of course, you would not be paid to go, but on the ship everyone would have everything needed for life, and would be required to share in whatever work needs to be done. It would be a communal effort. I am assuming that out of six billion people on Earth, a few hundred would easily be found to volunteer, though maybe the idea would be so popular that the Earth-bound administrators of the project could auction off the places. But for this poll, no money changes hands. You volunteer or not, and then you are accepted or not. In fact, for the purposes of this poll, Prius Chat members get first crack, so even if you think you are not really suitable, you can go if you want. The rest of the colony will be made up of people who pass all the criteria.
Isn't the trouble sending a ship now that technology would advance so that when the original voyagers arrived, they would be greeted by those who set off much later but arrived much quicker?
The presumes we don't exterminate ourselves, and the next level of higher life forms that could evolve to replace us, before the faster travels methods are available.
I think it would get very old very fast. There would be a limited amount of information stored in the ship's computers and therefore a limited amount of books, videos, etc. Then there's also schooling the kids and the possibility of diminished knowledge transfer through the generations. At least here on Earth, I can always find new information, new books and new videos.
I know this is a thought exercise, but a multi-generational voyage to the stars would require quantum leaps in tech over the International Space Station or a manned mission to Mars. Everything would have to be 100% recyclable. Everything would have to last for centuries. The crew probably would have to be at least 100 to have every essential skill set with some redundancy...probably need a bigger crew.
Is there a big difference between the suggested scenario and our current trip aboard Spaceship Earth?
^ the biosphere would be a lot smaller than Earth....how small can it be and yet be sustainable? Made a big omission from my last post - would need a HUGE energy supply for a journey of centuries - solar cells are not going to cut it.
I know some people I'd like to volunteer for that trip. It would be a bitch if'n a few years after launching that vessel we discover FTL, thats been a theme in many SciFi stories. edit: Dangit grumpy ya beat me to it! What can I say, brilliant minds think alike! :yo:
As a child, I read a sci-fi novel or short story in which that happened. The first ship arrived at the planet only to find an entire human English-speaking population spread out over the entire world. Turned out faster space ships had been invented, left later, and got there a hundred years before they did. I was thinking a crew of a few tens of thousands. I did say the poll was silly.
Recently, it's been discovered that on average, each human has about 100 defective genes. Of these 100, 20% of the defects are on both genes (one from each parent). A very large sperm and egg bank would be needed to ensure that enough genetic variation was taken. Now take this same massive genetic variation to the 100,000 of other animals and plants that would be essential for establishing a defacto earth environmental system and you have either one big ship the size of the moon or earths entire industrial output wrapped up in the fleet.
I think the lesson to be learned from this thought exercise is that we have it pretty darn good right where we are, and we should start taking care of the place.
I'd be curious what it was called. Sounds interested. I suppose it would be like a Victorian liner suddenly showing up and docking at a modern port.
Those "defects" are the variation that allow evolution. And on a new world, with different conditions, we and our plants and animals will have to evolve in order to survive in the new environment. I think a few tens of thousands will be enough of a breeding stock to make a go of it. Of course, survival is not guaranteed. They might decide to have a war before they even get there and all that arrives is an empty ship. Or they blow the ship up. But none of us who start out will ever get there, so it's really just about having a shot at spreading the cancer that is the human race to other planets before we go extinct on this one.
