Quote:
Originally Posted by MentalAvenger
I disagree. “Terraforming” is necessarily on a scale too large to undertake anywhere in the foreseeable future.
|
Note he didn't say we'd
start terraforming now, but rather to examine Mars with an eye towards future terraforming. Which is kind of a moot point; we'll be there gathering as much data as we can anyway, no matter what it's eventually used for.
Quote:
|
Almost by definition, an “Earthlike” planet will have to be the result of millions of years of evolving and changing life forms. There really is no shortcut.
|
Mars is never going to be Earthlike, it's not Earth. But a few centuries work could get it up to "human-habitable without artificial aids." Millions of years is nature's way. Humans have innovated quite a few shortcuts.
Quote:
|
They are artists because they are not qualified to be scientists.
|
There are quite a number of people who are both.
Quote:
|
IMO, it is almost certain that Martian colonies will be underground, in excavated tunnels, or natural caves and lava tubes. The extent of the underground agricultural areas will be, by necessity, equal to the task of supporting the contemporary population.
|
Most likely some will, but that has nothing to do with population levels. And agriculture will still require sunlight; the level of shielding needed to produce viable food crops is, IIRC, much lower than that needed for human beings. Most food plants live only one growing season anyway, and can tolerate a bit of radiation and still survive well enough to produce food (I'm not sure, I think so. Anyone here an expert on radiobotany?) So growing crops aboveground is no problem.