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> Mars seems more like a high boredom environment. Something tells me that the first few thousand people sent to Mars won't be bored. There will be tons of thi

by fooqux 2y ago

> Mars seems more like a high boredom environment. Something tells me that the first few thousand people sent to Mars won't be bored. There will be tons of things to do in the pursuit of making a habitable space. Besides that, you have the constant death factor. I know we all live with risk 24/7. But, unless we're doing something outside our comfort zone, our brains largely ignore it. Living on Mars will not be like that for a settler. There are real risks that some piece of equipment will fail and kill you all. You'll likely be well aware of that because you'll be working on it. (Or worse, that idiot over there holding the spanner the wrong way is working on it.)

russfink 2y ago
Should we pursue such a simulation in an undersea environment instead? Real stress, real risk, real isolation - but could pull someone up if super urgent. Would also simulate the long voyage to get there.
- OnlyMortal 2y ago
  That might be a good idea if space suits are available. It would be risky, tbf.
- whyever 2y ago
  Analog astronauts are already doing this.
- fooqux 2y ago
  >but could pull someone up if super urgent This is the key, IMHO. We've simulated such things as human isolation and closed-loop ecologies before, numerous times. And we did learn some things. But I don't think there is much you can do, and surely not anything ethical, that would correctly simulate being months away from Earth. Just as you said, when you're on-planet, anything that goes wrong can be dealt with. Have a leak you can't fix? Someone just had a medial issue and is unresponsive? You just can't take it any more? Whatever the case, help is just a press of the red button away. I'm not sure if you've played many video games on Hardcore mode, but it's a totally different experience to know your saved game file(s) are in jeopardy if what you're about to do goes south. I would imagine the feeling is somewhat like this, but worse. A lunar base might simulate it. An undersea base (as you suggested) might work too if you put it deep enough. But again, you're entering unethical territory here by making something exceedingly dangerous just for the sake of increasing the risk/stress.

by fooqux 2y ago

russfink 2y ago

Should we pursue such a simulation in an undersea environment instead? Real stress, real risk, real isolation - but could pull someone up if super urgent. Would also simulate the long voyage to get there.

OnlyMortal 2y ago
That might be a good idea if space suits are available. It would be risky, tbf.
whyever 2y ago
Analog astronauts are already doing this.
fooqux 2y ago
>but could pull someone up if super urgent This is the key, IMHO. We've simulated such things as human isolation and closed-loop ecologies before, numerous times. And we did learn some things. But I don't think there is much you can do, and surely not anything ethical, that would correctly simulate being months away from Earth. Just as you said, when you're on-planet, anything that goes wrong can be dealt with. Have a leak you can't fix? Someone just had a medial issue and is unresponsive? You just can't take it any more? Whatever the case, help is just a press of the red button away. I'm not sure if you've played many video games on Hardcore mode, but it's a totally different experience to know your saved game file(s) are in jeopardy if what you're about to do goes south. I would imagine the feeling is somewhat like this, but worse. A lunar base might simulate it. An undersea base (as you suggested) might work too if you put it deep enough. But again, you're entering unethical territory here by making something exceedingly dangerous just for the sake of increasing the risk/stress.