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If we look at the reasons why people have historically colonised parts of the Earth, many of them would now seem pretty crazy. But craziness was apparently no b
by grabbalacious 7y ago
If we look at the reasons why people have historically colonised parts of the Earth, many of them would now seem pretty crazy. But craziness was apparently no barrier to entry. Perhaps colonists just are morons?
(Myself I think we'll go when it's easy. The best way to make it easy is to work on relevant technology like nuclear fusion, automated manufacturing, CRISPR, and so on.)
- DoctorOetker 7y agoexcept they didn't truly conquer those places, they just colonized the populations (and sustainabloid life patterns) already present...
- fastball 7y agoWhat exactly does conquering mean to you?
- lovemenot 7y agoIn support of your parent, I am thinking of the Polynesians. Arguably the most successful colonists ever. They drifted to previously uninhabited islands. Likely most attempts would have resulted in death in open ocean.
- jacobwilliamroy 7y agoThey didn't drift. They knew how to sail. How to transport live fruit trees over vast distances. The history of the pacific is really long and complicated.
- lovemenot 7y agoI don't completely disagree. There would have been indications in wave pattern. And they knew how to read these, as well as meteorological hints and knowledge of tides. Nevertheless, in the context of this discussion, landing up on an inhabited island thousands of kilometres from here is a huge shot in the dark, and most hopeful colonists would have missed.
- echaozh 7y agoLanding up on an inhabited island thousands of kilometers from here is a huge shot in the dark, but you know you got air and fish, and you can survive even if your seeds don't grow, and you know you can leave if the island is not ideal for survival. But on Mars, you don't have proper air and you don't have wild life for food. And you cannot easily leave for other better places.
- lovemenot 7y agoI meant it's most unlikely to successfully reach said island. There'd have been many more who'd tried and died trying. Once the location is established, regular trade becomes much more feasible.
- grabbalacious 7y agoYes, there's no guarantee of finding a destination. That's one form of idiocy. Another, from today's point of view, is killing all the inhabitants (if any) upon arrival.
- grabbalacious 7y ago>But on Mars, you don't have proper air and you don't have wild life for food. Good point. It would make sense to send robots in advance to manufacture huge stockpiles of air and food. Which is of course beyond present technology.