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YES! I would sign up immediately

22 (19.3%)

Yes. I would go, but only after a successful colony already exists

20 (17.5%)

No, it's too expensive, even if I had the money

14 (12.3%)

No, I don't think it would ever be safe enough to travel there

5 (4.4%)

No, for other reasons.

21 (18.4%)

[Kobold Noises]

32 (28.1%)

Total Members Voted: 113

[andrea]

don't forget engineers. both able to pay, and able to at least understand the machinery that will be in a space colony.

[mainiac]

Not blue collar workers, such as people who work in manufacturing or construction.

Construction yes but our manufacturing is starting to whiten it's collar.  Most of it is still blue collar work but that can go to china.  The white collar manufacturing that requires highly skilled technicians and operators is the future of American manufacturing.

That is until President Santorum abolishes the minimum wage.

[werty892]

Then we get a colony of nerds who STILL cant do hard physical labor IE construction outside in a space suit for hours on end.

[Scoops Novel]

On the one hand, there would be more then one lot of rich people who will expressly go to set up their own little empire beyond repercussions, and pay the fees for those who do the dirty work, though to stay at the top in such a case would probably need criminal and/or military connections. It would boil down to wealth meaning nothing there, and loyalty being the most precious commodity, or quickly, quickly, getting something that no one else has. Or you could always be the Hulk. On the other hand, the inevitable  air heads who don't understand never go back or are envisioning building a world in their image... i can imagine the horror stories both ways.

[brainfreez]

i bet most people wouldn't just give up their lives on earth to work on the mars , but if i could i would sign up.

cos that's how i roll.

[werty892]

On the one hand, there would be more then one lot of rich people who will expressly go to set up their own little empire beyond repercussions, and pay the fees for those who do the dirty work, though to stay at the top in such a case would probably need criminal and/or military connections. It would boil down to wealth meaning nothing there, and loyalty being the most precious commodity, or quickly, quickly, getting something that no one else has. Or you could always be the Hulk. On the other hand, the inevitable  air heads who don't understand never go back or are envisioning building a world in their image... i can imagine the horror stories both ways.

So we get either

"THE MARS IS MINE! MU HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!" *fires lazor that blows up earth*

Or

"What does this button do?" *entire colony depressurizes*

[PTTG??]

I'm pretty dang geeky and I can handle building a shed, particularly since I have such advanced, sci-fi tools as pneumatic nailguns and ropes. Think of what I could do in 1/4 G!

People seem to be discrediting the amount of pure science that would come from this. On the contrary, I think that a colony on mars would allow us a much greater ability to study the martian surface. Imagine that you had to do your regular job with a one-armed robot the size of an SUV, with a 15-minute delay. Consider the challenges to geology that having only this vastly remote approach brings with it. When there are experts there, on the surface, able to just bend down and pick up an interesting rock, we will learn more in a week of exploration than, I think, all our rover missions put together.

[werty892]

We could always genetically modify people to be able to breathe the martian atmosphere. There goes about (guessing) 20 billion from the costs. But no repression. Because we all know how well that goes. They are full citizens.

[Furtuka]

Is there any resource on Mars that people would find worth exploiting enough to move there? As far as I'm aware that's the main attraction for colonizing somewhere besides attempting to make utopian communities.

[Loud Whispers]

Then we get a colony of nerds who STILL cant do hard physical labor IE construction outside in a space suit for hours on end.

I rofle at you sirrah
Rofle with the force of a thousand batteries

Is there any resource on Mars that people would find worth exploiting enough to move there? As far as I'm aware that's the main attraction for colonizing somewhere besides attempting to make utopian communities.

A first step to establishing space colonies. I'd say colonize the moon first, then try Mars. Then, we go far. Though that's a species long goal.

[Flying Dice]

We could always genetically modify people to be able to breathe the martian atmosphere. There goes about (guessing) 20 billion from the costs. But no repression. Because we all know how well that goes. They are full citizens.

Because genemodding people to be capable of breathing unaided in a 0.087psi CO2 atmosphere is easier and cheaper than keeping things airtight. Hell, terraforming would be simpler. And then there's the whole issue with not having a magnetosphere; even if we could breath unaided, the whole "solar wind thing" would fuck us up.


Also, TAANSTAAFL. Selling air is so obviously profitable that I can't see any capitalist society with the potential to do so avoiding it (or related shenanigans like denying citizenship and independence). Until the revolutionary colonials threaten to use their mass drivers as bombardment weapons.

[PTTG??]

Realistically speaking, people aren't going to work, or sign up to work, without some assurance of fairness and social order.

[Euld]

Why are folks complaining about a one way trip to Mars, and 100% assurance of death at some point while being there?  It's not like you'll live forever on Earth anyway 

[PTTG??]

Why are folks complaining about a one way trip to Mars, and 100% assurance of death at some point while being there?  It's not like you'll live forever on Earth anyway 

Wait, crap. Hold on, I have to call a guy.

[Neonivek]

Why are folks complaining about a one way trip to Mars, and 100% assurance of death at some point while being there?  It's not like you'll live forever on Earth anyway 

Because chances are... You arn't going to be living on mars for years...