If they do go, I virtually guarantee a condition of participation is going to be surgical sterilization of some kind. No way they're going to risk anyone getting knocked up.
The nanny state come home to roost. Why are these idiots signing up for this?? Because they have been socially conditioned to be completely incapable of understanding the consequences. They may smile and nod when they hear the part about "you'll never come back, ever"--but deep down in their hearts they sincerely believe the government will come rescue them if (when) something goes wrong.
Sounds like the embodiment of the phrase "going to hell in a handbasket." I like forests and fields and lakes and our blue sky too much, I'd rather be dead than be shipped to a shitty desert planet.
It's all well and good jump into a non-political topic to advance a political agenda, but you are putting way too much thought into this. Idiots are signing up for this because they are idiots. Period. There always have been idiots, and there always will be idiots. The Nanny State, the Welfare State, the Military-Industrial Complex, the 1%, the Elders of Zion - none of them are responsible for the proliferation of idiots.
That's it, plain as day. Every beautiful thing about this planet, every thing you travelled to, saw in a photo or hoped of seeing... Gone. Replaced by brown tundra spanned planet-wide. That place will go Mad Max in a year. I know by that time I would be wearing a hockey mask. These nutbags don't I stand the definition of "50 million miles away" and a -125 C winter that lasts a an earth year, do they? Do they know Mars' sun revolution is twice the earth's, and we actually DON'T line up in a straight line like the poster they had on their bedroom wall as a kid?
So let me get this straight: There's a proposed mission to Mars. One-way - the travellers aren't coming back. Due to the staggering implications of such a trip, the only people volunteering for this are the stupid. So we have stupid people volunteering to permanently remove themselves from the entire planet. Tell me why this is a bad idea again?
Someone has to be the first to go. Let these idiots be the canon fodder. We can learn from their mistakes and hopefully eliminate their genetics. I wish this kind of thing had already been in process for a hundred years or so, to the point where there were return flights, and actual livable conditions there. Then it would be more like the old west, instead of like cliff diving without a chute.
Honestly maybe Im just an optimist on this subject, maybe I just watch too much Star Trek, but the underlying mission behind this idea seems pretty cool to me. Like that Purdue article linked suggested the original moon landings did not have the universal support the actual idea in itself had after the fact, plus no one seemed to care after the feat was accomplished. But we did the shit anyway because we wanted to push ourselves and mankind to a higher idea of ourselves and our place in the universe. Everyone is heaping shit on the fact that there is no return mission. Even with the moon landings mission to successfully return men from the moon they knew any fuck ups could mean a one way ticket, and it is almost fucking happened. They knew that risk going in and did it anyway. I don't see people making the choice to be certain of no return as being that different. Or worthy of the scorn. As for the reality tv aspect. I haven't read much in the way of how they are selecting them but I don't think they'll be choosing The Real Chance of Love level people we expect when we hear the words reality TV. If they were I too would be hoping for a spectacular launch pad malfunction as well. I think ideas like this and Space X are something we should be pushing for. It looks like this project's ambitions are way fucking far off reality. Shouldn't stop people from pushing for bigger goals in space than we currently do....
I'm absolutely, 100% in favor of launching a manned mission to Mars. I think it's absolutely pathetic that after being the second nation to put a man in space and the first to put a man on the moon we've basically dismantled our entire space program and are currently dependent on Russia to get men into space. However, I also think there's a big difference between "We're sending you into space and there's a pretty decent chance you'll die quickly but painfully in a horrific fiery accident" and "You're going to spend the rest of your life in a biodome on Mars".
The thing is that this isn't strictly a dangerous mission. Taking a huge risk on a mission that means you're gone from your family for 6 months and could die is one thing. At least that's clean. Knowing you are, in the best case scenario, walking away from the entire human race forever to die (mostly) alone on another planet is kind of a different level of crazy, though. I know lots of pretty normal people that like taking risks. This isn't just a risk, though, this is a commitment to almost total loneliness and alienation for the rest of your life, and the type of person who is going to be most inclined to be okay with that is probably not the type of person you want as a member of a tiny crew. I don't think they're worthy of scorn. I just think this kind of scenario self-selects for the type of people who aren't good with other people. I'd watch the hell out of a documentary on this, because it's pretty amazing, I just think it's going to be a really hard thing to find the right people for.
I'd never do this. Because those people are going to die. And that's a good thing, not because they're idiots, but because we'll learn from it. We'll be able to improve the process, and improve the technology for the second go around. Or maybe Aliens will finally deem us worthy and share the technology with us. IT HAS HAPPENED IN EVERY SINGLE SCI-FI EVAR!!!!! So let's start there. The people that want to go are the people that should go. Their single-headed determination might be the only thing that keeps them alive. And God Bless them and God Bless America. Wait? It isn't America? This idea is fucking stupid.
Send those selected to CFS Alert for six months and see how they fare. Make sure most of their stay is during the polar night. I can't be the only one here who thinks this scenario would be better for society at large than RotN sticking around and passing on his knowledge and values to a new generation.
Bolded the important part of that, which everyone seems to have missed. I don't like the idea of flying by the seat of my pants. I am not a natural risk-taker. But if this mission had the weight and support of the US government behind it, and utilized our scientists, yeah, I'd most likely apply. Someone has to go first. First person to cross the Atlantic. First person to cross the continent. First person to the moon. If you want progress, eventually, someone has to go first. Might as well be me.
I don't see how having the US government giving the OK changes anything CJ said. Sure, you'd probably have a nicer ship or whatever, but you're still dying on a desert rock without ever seeing your kid again.
If the government was sponsoring this whole thing I'd feel more screwed. Hopefully that wasn't too political. So you're willing to leave your child fatherless to progress humanity. I'm sure your wife will tell your son that when you're de facto killing yourself on the launch pad. I'm sure he'll think, "I'm never seeing my dad again, but thats OK because its for the greater good." Kinda fucked up. I don't have a family and don't really want my own kids but would adopt (because of my own fucked up insecurities) but I can't imagine the screwed up thinking it takes to make that OK.
Apparently nobody has read "Rocket Man" by Ray Bradbury. Ray Bradbury predicted all this by the way. Cool dude.
Jesus people don't any of you have a wonder for scientific advancement? I am seriously surprised at you people's reaction. I mean people throw their live away forsaking all their friends and family for absolute bullshit reasons, drugs, sex, video games. Shit! I just didn't expect everyone to jump to the "well they must be neck beard LOSERS who can't deal with human contact for wanting to leave Earth for good" conclusion. The success of this particular outing notwithstanding no one thinks an adventure of this nature would be absolute fascinating?
Adventure is great when you're a kid, its a little less fun when you've grown up and understand that some adventures mean a painful death and a lonely existence.