namo
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Post by namo on Jul 2, 2005 20:24:07 GMT -5
An earth-like planet is discovered two-hundred light years away, and you are part of an expedition to set up the first human colony outside the solar system. How would you go about doing this? Who would be the colonists and what would they bring with them? What would be their social structure, their political system, their religion, race, ethnicity, equipment, etc. etc.? For example, would you choose to send members of a single group or a cross-section of humanity? Would you send adults, children, a cross-section of all age groups, women + frozen sperm, or? Would they belong to the same religion, or would religion be unimportant? Would they be democratic and egalitarian or hierarchical, and governed by bodies of technocrats? Would they be chosen based on good looks, intelligence, health, or would you include a group that was variable in terms of these factors? Would you stock up the ship with all sorts of equipment and materials to ensure that they wouldn't miss anything, or would you take the bare minimum and maximize the number of individuals sent, hoping that they will be able to figure out a way to "live off the land". Add any more factors that you would consider. Note, that the goal here is not only to ensure the survival and success of the colony, but to build a society in which you would actually want to live in, since it will be impossible to go back or communicate with the Earth once your reach your new destination. The people of most importance would be very educated, intelligent people and very hardy and durable people. Who knows the specifics of the landscape and geography of the new planet... The people with the strongest immune systems and best ability to adapt will be prime. Intelligence and education are secondary by survival only. They are only important so that civilization can be established on the new planet. Because 1 male can impregnate 100 females, females will be more important on the journey. A good ratio may be something like 2.33 females for every male. (I'd love to be a part of that mission...) There can't be too few males, because the males will have to provide food and shelter for the females on the new planet. Care must be taken to make room for new births and children. I'm not sure about children, they are only more mouth's to feed... We need people who are at a reproductive age but also capable of self-support. Maybe teenagers would be best for the new planet. The women should generally be younger than the males since they will be the ones raising the children while the father's only have to provide (typical gender roles from a Darwinist and biological perspective). The women should be from 15-25 and the men should be from 18-30. Morals should be cast aside in favor of survival. Woman are most fertile from 15-25. Men are more agile and lean at younger ages but physically stronger and tougher at older ages (so 16-30 should be good). A relatively small pool of children can come along between the ages of 3-10. How many people exactly should be brought? I think the more the better. Maybe about one thousand or so individuals total. With the 2.33:1 female to male ratio taken into account, that would be about 700 females, 300 males, and 100 odd children. If there are no limits to human capacity on the spaceship, more is always better. My ratio stands at 2.33:1:0.33 (females, males, children). I guess if the males constantly hunt and build then the females can do all the cooking and serving. 300 males can probably take care of 700 females. If they can't, then some people will die. It will just have to happen. Ethnicity and race will not be that important because the humans will adapt and change to the new planet anyway... Ideally there should be a good amount of diversity so that the new humans have increased chances of survival. Once they arrive on the planet, survival of the fittest will come into full force. I would see no big rush to establish modern civilization like on Earth today. (By the time we get to the planet again anyway, modern civilization might have already evolved.) I am in favor of civilization about as sophisticated as (anywhere from the) 9-19th centuries. Not too advanced, but not too primitive either... You don't want to immediately begin building hospitals, etc., because first you need to establish a stable population of humans with a steady production rate. Civilization can be reserved for a later mission. Tools would be basic. Hammers, swords, bows, etc... We need tools capable (and people knowledgable) of metallurgy. Afterwards, existing prototypes will be emulated and copied by later generations. Among the people sent should be some "peace keeper" type people. They should be educated, strong, and equipped with weapons so as to stifle and prevent conflict if ever it may arise. The first priority is to get a stable population going which cannot be eliminated in war and conflict. After that, it won't matter anymore. Because happiness would be difficult to arrange, I say let it come naturally. Establishing a stable population should be all that matters. People will arrange their societies and civilizations to their own likings afterward. |
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Post by Dienekes on Jul 3, 2005 2:17:33 GMT -5
Because 1 male can impregnate 100 females, females will be more important on the journey. A good ratio may be something like 2.33 females for every male. First, how do you come up with that very specific number? Second, the argument in favor of more females works only in the first generation, since the 2.33 females per man will still give birth to a second generation with a balanced sex ratio. |
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namo
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Post by namo on Jul 3, 2005 2:46:57 GMT -5
Because 1 male can impregnate 100 females, females will be more important on the journey. A good ratio may be something like 2.33 females for every male. First, how do you come up with that very specific number? Second, the argument in favor of more females works only in the first generation, since the 2.33 females per man will still give birth to a second generation with a balanced sex ratio. It only has to work for the first generation. The whole idea of more females is just to build up a bigger population faster. I came up with 2.33 (2 and 1/3) by assuming a population of 1,000 individual adults. 700 female and 300 male. I created the ratio from there. However, perhaps my ratio should be closer. Maybe a more logical population division is 600 female and 400 male. So 1.5:1 might be better... |
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Post by Hairless on Sept 19, 2005 5:41:55 GMT -5
I don't have an elaborate thought about this at the moment (at least one I can commit to wriritng in a short time!) but I love this question! Dienekes, are you a futurist by training or just a very broad-minded person?
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Matthew
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Post by Matthew on Sept 19, 2005 12:12:37 GMT -5
For example, would you choose to send members of a single group or a cross-section of humanity? I would send members of a single group. Would you send adults, children, a cross-section of all age groups, women + frozen sperm, or? This is what I would do Would they belong to the same religion, or would religion be unimportant? Would they be democratic and egalitarian or hierarchical, and governed by bodies of technocrats? Religion, or non-religion would be concerned but not a requirement. It would be a mixture of both Democratic, and Technocratic. Would they be chosen based on good looks, intelligence, health, or would you include a group that was variable in terms of these factors? They would definitely be chosen by these qualities, as well as emotional stability, etc. Would you stock up the ship with all sorts of equipment and materials to ensure that they wouldn't miss anything, or would you take the bare minimum and maximize the number of individuals sent, hoping that they will be able to figure out a way to "live off the land." I would send lots of equipment. Especially farming equipment. Add any more factors that you would consider. Green, and Sustainable Note, that the goal here is not only to ensure the survival and success of the colony, but to build a society in which you would actually want to live in, since it will be impossible to go back or communicate with the Earth once your reach your new destination. ;D |
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Post by dorlandt on Sept 19, 2005 15:45:13 GMT -5
your 2.33 ratio totally rules out any semblance of human agency. unless you plan to men-in-black-mind-zap all of your pioneers, theyre probably going to be like me and want their man to be *their* man.
i will share/ not own material things, but the emotional balance of the community is not going to fabricate itself under those conditions.
i know its hypothetical and such, but... no no no.
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Post by Educate Me on Sept 19, 2005 18:18:21 GMT -5
how many people woud be necessary for the new community to not be a bunch of inbreds after a few generations?
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Matthew
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Post by Matthew on Sept 19, 2005 18:56:54 GMT -5
Through careful planning you wouldn't have to worry, what I would do though is send about 50,000 people. The trip is 200 light years, they could be in suspended animation except for shift work maintaining the ship, and life support etc.
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Post by cheiron on Sept 20, 2005 17:34:37 GMT -5
Whatever choise one makes, is inevitable that history of human race will repeat again, with all its good and bad moments.
Leaders you can't imagine at the beginning will appear, patriarchs will raise over others, heroes and teachers too! All plans in advance, will collapse during the long trip! And when they will land and the pilots will not be important anymore, revolutions and fights will be present again to reconstruct the hierarchy on a new basis!
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Post by augusto on Sept 30, 2005 23:41:03 GMT -5
1,000,000 mechanical robots (absolutely no AI, or faulty programming) , for hard labours, resource gathering, mining, processing, transforming, building.
500,000 humans, Asian, European.
Only required qualities: Honesty, Discipline
banned characteristics: Freedom-loving, Individualistic, any sort of mental disease.
Form of Regime: Authoritarian, Centralized Power under one or very few highly inteligent and knowledgable of all human areas, generalists as opposed to specialist individuals.
Punishment for anyone disagreeing with the leadership:
1 way ticket out the Airlock.
Few Laws, so that all may know them.
Comfortable life for everyone , harmony in social relations, absolute banning of any artistic activity that induces people into crime.
Ideal children per couple, 3-4. More than this risks bad education and sense of being left behind, or needs for self affirmation, which are harmful to the goal of the mission.
Prime concept: Selfishness, Self-Sacrifice, Group Above the Individual.
Long Term Objective: Control of the New Planet, and advancement in Technology in order to prepare for the establishment of contact with Original Planet (Earth).
If the Original Planet is determined to be a threat to the New Planet, it must be eliminated, so that a Replica of the New Planet is created upon it.
Crime rate 0%
Suicide rate 0% (except if for the benefit of the group)
Social layers:
1. Absolute Leader
2. People
No one is allowed to see the Leader, or to speak about him.
Upon arrival to the New Planet, a big emphasis must be placed on camouflaging, so that Alien species , residing, or living in a close planet, are unaware of the New Planet's new owners.
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