Would you volunteer to live on Mars..... Permanently?

[Stickler]

Yes I would, given certain conditions.

 

[TroutBum]

Yeah those new places and opportunities worked out great for those indigenous to the region. Quite frankly, I feel you're right. Mars represents what we once did. Took what wasn't ours, and later abuse the resources provided to the point that we feel we must go elsewhere to then abuse more.

<ducking>

Easy fix. We give them all Casino's and a lifetime supply of Fire Water. We'll also send them FREE MONEY (woot!1) for doing absolutely nothing. We'll continue to give that money to generations of fat lazy Martians, because, you know, we were big meanies n' stuff.

 

[Gyp Rosetti]

To whom does mars currently belong? Mother Nature?

Touche. But my point still stands. We ****ed the Indians out of their land and we abuse resources here, yet despite that still have plenty to sustain life for a very long time if utilized intelligently but we simply choose not to use them wisely and do so why? Because of politics. For me, it's mostly about the fact that the billions upon billions it would cost to send engineers and whoever to Mars to construct some housing that would hold a tiny population not even worth talking about, and then send the people willing to live there, there, is so insanely expensive, it would be better used here on Earth on oil, wind, solar, and other alternative energy outlets. Seriously, the cost would be so outrageous for so little return on investment that it's not even remotely worth it in my opinion.

 

[cowhide]

It would fulfill a life long dream of mine not only to personally live on another planet, but for humanity to spread beyond the boundaries of Earth and increase the chances of our species survival long-term. I also believe the expansion beyond Earth would allow many of the differences we face to be solved by allowing people to go their own way and do their own thing.

One of the greatest things to happen to humanity was the promise of the "new world" in America. New ideas, new places, new opportunities. I think Mars represents what America once did.

Did you forget about the Native American Indians? It didn't work out for them too well.

 

[moevillini]

It would fulfill a life long dream of mine not only to personally live on another planet, but for humanity to spread beyond the boundaries of Earth and increase the chances of our species survival long-term. I also believe the expansion beyond Earth would allow many of the differences we face to be solved by allowing people to go their own way and do their own thing.

One of the greatest things to happen to humanity was the promise of the "new world" in America. New ideas, new places, new opportunities. I think Mars represents what America once did.

no, no and no

I'd rather leave Mars for the intelligent life forms....

ok, I'm joking there, but I see more problems than benefits in mankind trying to colonize space

 

[unluckyseventeen]

On a more serious note, I wouldn't only because in the theoretical situation that I did, I wouldn't ever be able to return to Earth (or if I did I'd undergo some serious health problems, assuming I was fully acclimated to Mars and healthy living there). The difference in gravity between the two plants would make anybody born on Mars or living on Mars for a substantial time basically unable to return to Earth.

Living in Mars is most likely a pipe dream anyway. The amount of time and resources to terraform Mars and the risk you'd take doing so would be astronomical (no pun intended).

 

[VINYLONE]

Absolutely not.

 

[Gameface]

I think you folks are thinking in terms of the benefits a hundred or two hundred years from now. I'm talking about the difference between a species that survives one great disaster or one that is destroyed by it. There really is no price tag on humanities long term (tens of thousands of years to millions of years). We can sit here talking about how hard it is or we can start learning how to do it. The price will come down, eventually.

I think the example of the Native Americans is a good one. They ended up on the wrong side of the discovered vs discoverer relationship. Another reason I'd like humanity to start spreading into space is so that we might discover other intelligent life as opposed to being discovered by it.

 

[Deleted member 365]

Why?

Were scientists only kidding all these years about the atmosphere and climate of Mars?

Is it really actually breathable, warm, and has running water?

 

[Revolution 9]

I would love to go, would they supply me with a beautiful woman, a case of loko, and streams of the Jazz games?

 

[Gameface]

Why?

Were scientists only kidding all these years about the atmosphere and climate of Mars?

Is it really actually breathable, warm, and has running water?

Here's why:

Have you heard of the overpopulation problem on Earth? Is the solution to go the route China went and have governemnt control our reproduction? Talk about lack of choice. Do we just execute more people, again this involves a great amount of government control over who lives and dies. Do we just let things run their course and deal with the food shortages and the mass poverty? I'm sure the riots will help us get the popultation back under control.

Then there's the problem of our existing economic model of infinite expansion. That doesn't work forever here on a single planet, but seems to fit in quite well considering the size of the universe. Again, to solve this problem on earth requires governemnt to force a solution that will not be in everyone's best interests.

Then there's the problem of differeing religious/cultural views that are causing never-ending tensions throughout the world. If only the people who find the way other people live as unaceptable could go their own way and to their own place.

Then there's the less tangible aspect of the human "spirit." Adventure and discovery seem to be beneficial to the human outlook. The idea of the freedom of the frontier.

As mentioned, the long-term survival of our species looks a lot better when all our eggs are not in one basket. A meteor, a "super-valcano", nuclear war, etc. could wipe us out and end what as far as we know is the only intelligent life in the Universe.

There's a lot of learning to do. Learning how the best way to travel from planet to planet. Learning how to survive on other planets. Learning how to get resources from one planet to another. These are all things we can take baby steps on because we've got the moon to act as our training wheels for our earliest endevors into space and Mars as a near-by target for our first attempts at actually living on another world. It is almost too good to be true, yet we question the value of even gaining the experience.

I'm not sure that if we don't go to other planets that it will directly mean that we cure cancer or feed the hungry or give every child a good education. All I can say is that 5000 years from now we'll be a pretty sorry species if we're still trying to cram all of our sorry asses onto Earth.

 

[Jazz Spazz]

Why do people say they need someone to supply for them a beautiful woman, tv, and booze?
Are you incapable of finding those things here, and bringing them along, or are you just hoping someone can help you find a beatiful woman that cant run away?

Just curious.