I have a few questions for everyone that have been on my mind for a while now. So, here goes:
If you were picked to be part of a group of people to head off of Earth and start a colony on another planet, by yourself, would you go, and why or why not?
If it were possible that companies like Boeing or the Lockheed Martin Corporation began to take groups of people up into space and orbit around the Earth just for sightseeing, would you be willing to pay to do this?
Just curious as to what everybody else thinks about these. I myself would probably choose to go and be a part of a first colony on another planet if I was given the chance. As for the sightseeing trips into space, I’m not sure I would be willing to pay the extremely high amount this would cost just to sit in a ship to go up into space for three or four hours and look down on Earth. Anyways, tell me what you think.
Because I wouldn’t be very successful starting another colony by myself. Would I be expected to gestate pre-packaged embryos in an incubator? No thanks.
It would really depend on the risk and the possible benefits. I lead a pretty good life here on Earth right now so I’d need a lot of incentive to leave.
I’d go to Mars in a minute. Heck, even the Moon or a space station seem pretty nice. I’ve always wondered what reduced gravity feels like.
Yes. No, make that HELL YES! I’d be first in line. I’d also be first to look up the ship’s technical specifications, especially the propulsion system and avionics computers.
Maybe my answer sounded smart-assed. But the OP stated that an individual ‘by yourself’ would be fired off to another planet to start a civilization. I would go to Mars in a second, or take a ride on the Shuttle if I could afford it.
But the way the OP was stated, I doubt anyone would go. Just my opinion.
I’ll have to think about the colony question, but my immediate reaction is “Why on Earth not ?” - of course, I’m not sure that my qualifications are relevant - how any networking freaks will a space colony need, anyway ?
I think I’ll pass on the “pleasure cruise” - keeping in mind that the aircraft used to simulate weightlessness (flying in parabolic arcs) is called the “Vomit Comet”. Paying an exorbitant price to puke my guts out ? -I dont’t think so. If one had some days to adjust to zero gravity, I might consider it seriously.
Sorry to everybody that already posted answers. I guess my first question did seem kind of strange so let me try to fix it. What I meant about going by yourself was that only you could go, not anybody in your family or anybody like that. There would still be the other people going, but you would have to give up your family and loved ones to go. Sorry about that. Hope that clears things up a little bit.
That has to be the most inaccurate if not downright WRONG answer I’ve ever seen on SDMB. I happen to know this cuz I’D be the first in line!
As to question one in the OP I’d say no way as it was written. WAY too lonely.
Now, if you said that Heidi Klum, Cindy Crawford, Daniela Pestova and a few other of their ilk would be joining me to help in this colonization effort then not only would I be the first in line but I’d walk to the new planet if I had to.
Unfortunately, I’m subject to dropsickness (not the same thing as motion sickness, BTW), but if there were a way around that (Simulated gravity? How long does it take to acclimate?) I’d be there in a heartbeat, on both counts. 0n a colonization trip, the only folks I’d have to say a painful goodbye to are my Mom, uncle and sister… There’s plenty of folks I miss, but then, I see them seldom enough that I often miss them anyways. For that matter, I’d probably have a lot better chance finding myself a significant other on an interplanetary colony than on Earth…
I’d have to seriously think about going to Mars if I was going alone. I have too many living relatives right now that I care about. Perhaps once I’m more alone. Then I’d go.