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> A country like the US is not even self-sufficient, although we could be. The consequence would be a reduction in productivity and quality of life. For this r
by gnode 9y ago
> A country like the US is not even self-sufficient, although we could be. The consequence would be a reduction in productivity and quality of life.
For this reason, I think Mars isn't going to prioritise self-dependence. A civilisation which could thrive if the Earth stopped existing is a romantic ideal, but like most places, the people will prioritise their prosperity. Producing CPUs on Mars will likely be very low down the list; they're light enough to cheaply bring from Earth, and have a huge supply chain. Elon Musk likes to joke about pizzerias on Mars, but I think they'd be much higher up the list, if people want to eat anything other than canned food.
- Robotbeat 9y agoCPUs certainly will be produced on Earth for a while due to the very low mass (which makes transport costs negligible even over interplanetary distances). But Mars certainly will want to produce the vast majority of their own stuff due to very high transport costs. And as far as Mars being cut off, certainly Mars will want to trade with Earth for as long as possible. Self-sustaining will hopefully remain theoretical. That doesn't mean they won't have the capability to do so if necessary.