Elon Musk believes upto 1 million people to be living on Mars within 100 years

RobertKK

Elon Musk believes around 1 million people could be living on Mars by 2060.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/09/elon-musk-spacex-exploring-mars-planets-space-science/

In short, Musk thinks it’s possible to begin shuttling thousands of people between Earth and our smaller, redder neighbor sometime within the next decade or so. And not too long after that—perhaps 40 or a hundred years later, Mars could be home to a self-sustaining colony of a million people.

“This is not about everyone moving to Mars, this is about becoming multiplanetary,” he said on September 27 at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico. “This is really about minimizing existential risk and having a tremendous sense of adventure.”

So would you take the opportunity if it arose to go and live on Mars?
The opportunities would be endless given you would be moving to a new planet to live, leaving the madness on Earth behind, hopefully leaving the risk of a nuclear war behind on Earth.
But then Earth is a beautiful planet with people we love, the flora and fauna and beautiful landscapes and cities.

Then the government on Mars. Surely no country could claim governance, would it be a one planet government?
Would money exist on Mars?

I think it would be very exciting moving to Mars, but I expect most people would want to know they could return to Earth.

I expect most people would want super fast broadband.

Would you go on an adventure of a lifetime and move to Mars if the opportunity arose?

The only thing about "super fast broadband", is that Earth->Mars signals would take 40 minutes to travel, at the speed of light. No multiplayer earth vs mars co-ops.

uch

Lads I Just made a new Fruit Cake, isn't it coincidental

eeguy

Love that him and Jeff Bezos are putting their money into science, unlike so many other billionaires that just hoard it or fritter it away on sh*te.

c montgomery

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The only thing about "super fast broadband", is that Earth->Mars signals would take 40 minutes to travel, at the speed of light. No multiplayer earth vs mars co-ops.

About 3 minutes when Mars is at its closest, 75million km away

kneemos

Why is every shaggin thing about to begin in ten years?

matchthis

And what do you miss about earth?

Tayto crisps

Junkyard Tom

RobertKK wrote: »

Elon Musk believes around 1 million people could be living on Mars by 2060.

Like a scientific rapture.

The opportunities would be endless given you would be moving to a new planet to live, leaving the madness on Earth behind, hopefully leaving the risk of a nuclear war behind on Earth.

The madness you speak of exists because of humans. To think our madness wouldn't follow us into our space-colonies completely ignores the history of us as a species.

Would it be a one planet government?

There are a few regimes who sought that on this planet and were thankfully defeated.

Would money exist on Mars?

Yes? Why would a meat-and-veg bartering system from primitive earth follow our colonists?

ardinn

It'l take a hell of alot longer that 100 yrs for 1mil people to end up on mars - Now, he is more of an expert than me - but, the infrastructure to house the population of dublin would take decades, not to mention getting materials to build it, and getting the people there to build it! etc etc etc - If he'd said 300 i'd be like ok.

Unless they come up with a way for robots to go go there and build more robots to build all this - that'd be cool!

kneemos

ardinn wrote: »

It'l take a hell of alot longer that 100 yrs for 1mil people to end up on mars - Now, he is more of an expert than me - but, the infrastructure to house the population of dublin would take decades, not to mention getting materials to build it, and getting the people there to build it! etc etc etc - If he'd said 300 i'd be like ok.

Unless they come up with a way for robots to go go there and build more robots to build all this - that'd be cool!

Robots left to their own devices always ends badly.

ardinn

kneemos wrote: »

Robots left to their own devices always ends badly.

Dont you know the 3 rules!

What could go wrong???

topmanamillion

ardinn wrote: »

It'l take a hell of alot longer that 100 yrs for 1mil people to end up on mars - Now, he is more of an expert than me - but, the infrastructure to house the population of dublin would take decades, not to mention getting materials to build it, and getting the people there to build it! etc etc etc - If he'd said 300 i'd be like ok.

Unless they come up with a way for robots to go go there and build more robots to build all this - that'd be cool!

Your projection of 300 years is based on current technology.
An awful lot of the technology that Musk is basing his projection on is theoretical i.e it isn't available right now.

To use a simple example, the IPhone 6s computer speed is millions of times faster than that which NASA had available during the development of Apollo 11 in 1969.
A similar technological advancements inside the next 50 years, which I fully expect to happen and more, will make Musks 100 year projection very realistic.

Butters1979

There's too many immigrants on Mars!!

Duckworth_Luas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91dW9pUA1BI

X

1,000,000

Stigura

Who the f**k Is this Musk character

Genuine question. The name just seems to have been popping up on click bait sites, this last year. Out of no where.

Is he a messiah? Should I follow him? Has he got a ginger beard, and will show me how to speak any language in a week?

yermanoffthetv

matchthis wrote: »

And what do you miss about earth?

Tayto crisps

If there was a million people on Mars there would be more than a few Irish in there as we tend to pop up in the most unusual places. I can bloody well guarantee you that we would find a way to get Tatyos, Barry's tea, Dairymilk, Guinness, mcDonalds curry sauce and the rte guide in the resupply rocket, come hell or high water.

Wanderer78

News story only for the elites and their associate's, nothing to see here!

YFlyer

topmanamillion wrote: »

Your projection of 300 years is based on current technology.
An awful lot of the technology that Musk is basing his projection on is theoretical i.e it isn't available right now.

To use a simple example, the IPhone 6s computer speed is millions of times faster than that which NASA had available during the development of Apollo 11 in 1969.
A similar technological advancements inside the next 50 years, which I fully expect to happen and more, will make Musks 100 year projection very realistic.

Computer processing speed won't make the JCB work any faster.

The flying mouse

Would they have dole offices there ? If not I not going...

md23040

The flying mouse wrote: »

Would they have dole offices there ? If not I not going...

Yeah bet there will be ones that leave their prams outside the spaceship cause the social will get them new ones when they get there..

The flying mouse

md23040 wrote: »

Yeah bet there will be ones that leave their prams outside the spaceship cause the social will get them new ones when they get there..

Space buggies,it be space buggies they be using :D

VinLieger

Wanderer78 wrote: »

News story only for the elites and their associate's, nothing to see here!

Typical, human progress off the planet is always something to denigrate and try to put down

VinLieger

Stigura wrote: »

Who the f**k Is this Musk character

Genuine question. The name just seems to have been popping up on click bait sites, this last year. Out of no where.

Is he a messiah? Should I follow him? Has he got a ginger beard, and will show me how to speak any language in a week?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=elon+musk

Hardly out of nowhere that is unless you live permanently with your head in sand surrounded by nothing but news about kardashians and their ilk

Pepe LeFrits

YFlyer wrote: »

Computer processing speed won't make the JCB work any faster.

Advances in robotics, 3D printing, printed electronics etc might make manufacturing faster though...

Pherekydes

Isn't this the guy who believes life is a computer simulation?

Sure can't we all go to Mars as soon as he has the module ready?

kneemos

Think The Simpsons Movie or what was that series where a town was covered by a mysterious force field and they all killed each other.

Wibbs

ardinn wrote: »

Now, he is more of an expert than me

He is and he isn't. He is a very good promoter and has tapped into a certain strata of the nerdsphere who do seem to see him as a near messiah. He has put his money where his mouth is with his electric cars and they have improved. The proof of the pudding will be when the everyday type examples for everyday folks come along. However his hyper loop notion isn't his. It's been around for well over a century. His car company s on the constant brink of finance collapse. His powerwall is a major Apple like triumph of flimflam style over substance. Indeed I'd see him as a more agreeable Steve Jobs for some(who would almost be guaranteed to hate Jobs). His rockets are doing well, but scaling up to Moon shots, never mind Mars shots is one helluva lot different to low earth orbit. It's a different sport. Apollo was an enormous scaling up of low earth orbit missions and even then was a "get to moon and back in the cheapest fastest dirtiest way, wander around for a couple of days(at most) with time ticking away and get the tiny bit with the humans back. And don't die. God please don't die" mission.

I admire anyone hoping to make us a dual planet species and no doubt he's one of the guys likely in the mix, but take his pronouncements with a large pinch of salt, as he has a history of never making deadlines or fulfilling promises, merely making more promises.

*awaits flames from the faithful*

Wibbs

Pherekydes wrote: »

Isn't this the guy who believes life is a computer simulation?

Perfect example of the Musk effect(sounds like an aftershave ad ). The we're bots in a sim idea is around for decades, yet Musk repeats it and the media listen and no doubt many will think it's his idea. He's an Edison for the 21st century, minus the invention(little enough in Edisons case), but with modern media spin.

NIMAN

The man's mental.

silverharp

the difference in gravity alone would make it fairly toxic for humans. it would be much easier to build a city in the middle of the Sahara or in Greenland or under water, the quality of life would be cr@p on Mars

seamus

RobertKK wrote: »

So would you take the opportunity if it arose to go and live on Mars?
The opportunities would be endless given you would be moving to a new planet to live, leaving the madness on Earth behind, hopefully leaving the risk of a nuclear war behind on Earth.

Realistically you're looking at "Landing in Australia" levels of risk in this trip. You have a virgin landscape where you need to build everything you require for your own survival using only what you've brought and what you can find, and any semblance of help is several weeks away, at best.

The opportunities are huge, but the risks just as huge. You're far more likely to die a horrible and painful death building a Martian colony than die in a nuclear war on your comfy couch back on earth.

There's also a period where both are true. If a nuclear war breaks out on earth during the first 1/2 decades of colony building, you're fncked. You will die, just more slowly while the people on earth rebuild.

Then the government on Mars. Surely no country could claim governance, would it be a one planet government?
Would money exist on Mars?

Obviously any colony would need a system of governance. A military-esque hierarchical organisation is the most efficient setup until the colony is well established enough for a non-dictatorial government to exist. A one-planet government is obviously the most superior choice. But as any colony becomes larger, devolution of power becomes necessary, and humans being humans, there's always a chance that someone will try to take their ball and set up an independent "state".

In the early days the entire colony is reliant on supplies from earth. So whoever is paying the piper will call that tune and make high-level decisions for Mars.

Most of the technology required to make a colony feasible also tends to make money somewhat meaningless. But again, as colonies become larger, things get complicated. People get born who now don't have a specific role in the colony, so they need some way to "buy in" to the community. You can't force someone to be a good doctor or farmer, or whatever. Money and trade to a certain extent provides a level in any community where people get a fair return for the effort and skill they invest. In a moneyless society, the lazy farmer "earns" as much as the productive one. But then, when the hoarding of wealth is meaningless, envy somewhat also becomes pointless and meaningless.

Harry Palmr

I take it the first colonisers will be on the B Ark.

jester77

Watched the live feed last night, was impressive stuff.

But I felt sorry for him during the Q&A, the amount of idiots in that audience and the questions they were asking :eek: I can see why he would want to start afresh on mars.

Wibbs

silverharp wrote: »

the difference in gravity alone would make it fairly toxic for humans.

The gravity is the very least of worries TBH. The difference between worlds isn't that large and unlike orbit it has gravity. I reckon we'd adapt to that rapidly enough.

The radiation is a much larger worry. The radiation going there and back and while living there. Mars' atmosphere is so thin it's pretty much zero protection and Mars doesn't have a magnetosphere of any note so deep space radiation is constantly bombarding the surface. If you wanted to sterilise surgical instruments of all life leaving them out on the surface of Mars would work pretty well.

Low light levels might be an issue too. Mars is much further out so the sun is less bright. Forget the movies and enhanced pics from the surface, think dusk here on Earth equal to Mars at noon.

seamus wrote:

Realistically you're looking at "Landing in Australia" levels of risk in this trip

Eh no. This isn't some makey uppy episode of scifi on telly. Mars is an environment that is extremely toxic to all life, never mind human. There is almost nothing that isn't trying to kill you with the slightest exposure to it. Mars holds a very deep sway in the human psyche that resists the idea it's not a pretty shítehole. Mars is pretty, even looks like a high desert on Earth so it seems welcoming, but to all intents and purposes it's as "dead" a place as the Moon is. With the much increased extended distances and travel times.

Cina

it's a slightly depressing thought that we'll pretty much all be dead by then.

Still .. happy Wednesday everyone!

silverharp

Wibbs wrote: »

The gravity is the very least of worries TBH. The difference between worlds isn't that large and unlike orbit it has gravity. I reckon we'd adapt to that rapidly enough.

The radiation is a much larger worry. The radiation going there and back and while living there. Mars' atmosphere is so thin it's pretty much zero protection and Mars doesn't have a magnetosphere of any note so deep space radiation is constantly bombarding the surface. If you wanted to sterilise surgical instruments of all life leaving them out on the surface of Mars would work pretty well.

that would do it for sure but you might hear arguments about living under big domes to screen it out. Mars gravity is only 38% of earth so its big enough difference to mess with the human body and probably not in a good way.

osarusan

Seems to be a fairly pointless idea - just because it could be done (and I would have massive questions about that) doesn't mean it should be done. Whatever it would cost would be massive and could be used to accomplish far more on this planet.

I imagine it's all just waffle from a guy who stands to make huge amounts of money if anybody buys into it.

suicide_circus

silverharp wrote: »

the difference in gravity alone would make it fairly toxic for humans. it would be much easier to build a city in the middle of the Sahara or in Greenland or under water, the quality of life would be cr@p on Mars

Be grand, they have some kinda ancient alien contraption that'll melt the subterranean glaciers creating a breathable atmosphere. Saw a documentary on it.

kneemos

http://touch.boards.ie/post/edit/101182113

Wibbs

silverharp wrote: »

that would do it for sure but you might hear arguments about living under big domes to screen it out.

Aye SH and they'd be ballsology going on the best tech we have today. The thickness of lead you'd need to build such a dome… I suppose we could generate a magnetosphere but the power required would be enormous. It might be possible on a spacecraft but a colony? Another option is to live underground in caves and deep caverns which Mars has a fair few of, but typing it is easier than doing it.

howamidifferent

I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. Think about it every night and day....:D

Wanderer78

VinLieger wrote:

Typical, human progress off the planet is always something to denigrate and try to put down

Do you really think this option will be available to average middle or lower income earners? When the elites of this planet are done wrecking this place, their plan is to move on, but don't worry, we'll all play a vital role in preparing the technology that is required for their journey before we sink with the ship

screamer

I wish there billionaires would put their money into science to save and prolong earth instead of some never going to happen exodus to an inhospitable rock. Besides we share the same sun when it eventually goes bang whether on earth or mars everything will die anyway.

osarusan

osarusan wrote: »

Seems to be a fairly pointless idea - just because it could be done (and I would have massive questions about that) doesn't mean it should be done. Whatever it would cost would be massive and could be used to accomplish far more on this planet.

I imagine it's all just waffle from a guy who stands to make huge amounts of money if anybody buys into it.

He's risking his fortune on this, Tesla and batteries and all of them could fail and leave him with nothing. But let's throw our hate at the rich guy.

Rhys Essien

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Do you really think this option will be available to average middle or lower income earners? When the elites of this planet are done wrecking this place, their plan is to move on, but don't worry, we'll all play a vital role in preparing the technology that is required for their journey before we sink with the ship

He said he hopes to get the cost down to $100k per person and hopes to have people there in the next ten years.

BalcombeSt4

I'd prefer to live on the Sun.

silverharp

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

I'd prefer to live on the Sun.

it would be grand at night

Wanderer78

Rhys Essien wrote:

He said he hopes to get the cost down to $100k per person and hopes to have people there in the next ten years.

I better get saving then! Be an amazing adventure but it just seems to be a play thing for the elites. I'm all for the advancement of mankind, but we have bigger fish to fry on this planet. Very few would be able to afford this journey. By the time it becomes affordable, if ever, to most, this planet could be uninhabitable for most

osarusan

Deleted User wrote: »

He's risking his fortune on this, Tesla and batteries and all of them could fail and leave him with nothing. But let's throw our hate at the rich guy.

Eh, where did I say I hate him? I know very little about him, but I do know he is something of a philanthropist.

But I think this idea of colonising Mars is extraordinarily far-fetched. At a current estimated cost of $10 billion per person (his estimate) just to get there it is nowhere near feasible any time soon. Never mind the almost inconceivable expense of building from scratch a sustainable and inhabitable environment.

His rationale is that we face a choice between an inevitable extinction here or becoming a spacefaring people - I wonder whether the cost of becoming a spacefaring people could be better spent on facing challenges (such as, but not limited to, extinction events) here on earth.

Dohnjoe

Wanderer78 wrote: »

I better get saving then! Be an amazing adventure but it just seems to be a play thing for the elites. I'm all for the advancement of mankind, but we have bigger fish to fry on this planet. Very few would be able to afford this journey. By the time it becomes affordable, if ever, to most, this planet could be uninhabitable for most

You mean the elites like Elon Musk and Bill Gates?

Or the bad "evil" ones who are wrecking the planet and the rest of us are innocent

Dohnjoe

osarusan wrote: »

Eh, where did I say I hate him? I know very little about him, but I do know he is something of a philanthropist.

But I think this idea of colonising Mars is extraordinarily far-fetched. At a current estimated cost of $10 billion per person (his estimate) just to get there it is nowhere near feasible any time soon. Never mind the almost inconceivable expense of building from scratch a sustainable and inhabitable environment.

His rationale is that we face a choice between an inevitable extinction here or becoming a spacefaring people - I wonder whether the cost of becoming a spacefaring people could be better spent on facing challenges (such as, but not limited to, extinction events) here on earth.

Not a huge fan of Musk, but in fairness he's trying to kick-start interest in space travel and exploration

I'd say don't take the soundbites too seriously