Here are some further thoughts.

Mars will initially be comprized of the elite of the World. This trend will continue up to some point. I don't know if we'll ever hit that point, though.

Maybe colonize Detroit first? Probably cheaper.

most people prefer to be around other people in some manner or form — Posty McPostface

This is true.

You are young enough that you may possibly see a Mars landing and (with a good deal of luck) a successful return of the astronauts. The problems of actually living on Mars are rather large:

1. Not much air (like, almost nothing)
2. No magnetosphere, meaning lot's of hard radiation
3. Not much heat (-195F at night, maybe 70º at high noon on the equator in the summer
4. Mars is a 6 month high speed trip from earth

On the other hand, there is water. That's a plus. The planet is (apparently) very stable. That's good.

In order to live on Mars, one would need to construct underground facilities to protect from radiation and severe temperature fluctuations. One would have to haul a lot of materiél to mars: heavy machinery, food stuffs, building materials, solar panels, and so forth. Lifting equipment into earth orbit and then landing it on Mars in excellent working condition is hugely expensive and extremely difficult, both in terms of developing technology, energy use (to power rockets), and lost opportunities to pursue other goals.

I love a good science fiction story, but science fiction is... fiction.

We should probably colonize Detroit first, per @tim wood

Mars will initially be comprized of the elite of the World. — Posty McPostface

Earth must be a pretty awful place for the Elite to want to move to Mars. I'd move to Antartica first before Mars. It's still breathable, has lots of water, there is life, protection from cosmic rays, and the rest of civilization is not far by boat or plane. Also, the gravitational difference. We evolved for Earth's 1g. Not sure how well suited we are for significantly less over a life time.

I think Detroit would be my first choice also. Then Antartica. Then Mars, assuming Siberia isn't an option.

But, can anyone give me legitimate reasons why they would want to move to Mars? — Posty McPostface

It seems foolishness to me, at least at this point in history. Maybe some where far down the road it would make sense. My take is that the Mars mission is much like a Moon landing, a publicity stunt designed to build public interest and NASA funding. We might note that we haven't been back to the Moon in decades, probably because it was never worth visiting in the first place.

Most people are nice (an attitude that I've been struggling with in thinking otherwise). Most people like other people. Most people are trustworthy, and so on. — Posty McPostface

We don't really need to concern ourselves with "most people" too much because all most of us really need is a very small number of folks we can be close to. But, if we're talking most people I would argue what most of us are is pretty darn boring. It's nobody's fault, just the human condition, but honestly, the squirrels my wife is raising down the hall are often far more interesting.

Why are we here on this forum? Probably because the majority of folks we meet in the real world are almost entirely focused on a wandering random review of the mechanics of every day life, a discussion which has been assigned 97% of all conversational air time.

I'm sure this has happened to most members here. Something in a conversation inspires a philosophical thought, which you foolishly begin to share. Your friends and family smile (there he goes again), roll their eyes, and after 30 seconds you are given the "stop hogging the conversation" signal so that the chat may return to 7 more hours of wandering random review of the mechanics of every day life.

But at least I'm not bitter about it. :smile:

the squirrels my wife is raising down the hall are often far more interesting — Jake

Your wife is raising squirrels? Literally?

I like squirrels, determined inventive rodents that they are. Most of their charm is probably owed to their sitting upright. Plus it doesn't take much to coax them into taking a free handout from one's primate paw. We're getting ready for the annual winter die-off here; they don't all die during the winter but more than the daily summer toll of getting run over.

As mentioned, I don't think the idea will take off without some social conditioning. Any thoughts on how to make such a thing possible?

It seems like you're thinking that just one person would move to Mars. It would be a group of people.

If we're talking about convincing the elite to move, can we start with Trump?

It seems like you're thinking that just one person would move to Mars. It would be a group of people. — Terrapin Station

Yes, it would be a group of people. Most likely the elite of the World, no?

I heard that Musk will offer money to those that want to move, so I'm not sure it will necessarily be the elite of a nation. It might as well be the average folk too.

The first folks who go will die there in service to those who come after and it's going to take way longer than a century to make it a sustainable operation (unlikely in my estimation). Better to wait until robots can do everything for us by remote construction.

I'll eat my hat if people land on mars during my lifetime. They'll just be going to die. Expensive fun-time dreams, I guess, for quirky billionaires.

Okay, so if it's a group of people why are we focusing on urges to be social, to connect with people as if that would be something we'd need to make adjustments with respect to?

Okay, so if it's a group of people why are we focusing on urges to be social, to connect with people as if that would be something we'd need to make adjustments with respect to? — Terrapin Station

I don't understand the question. Can you rephrase it?

In your initial post you said:

. . . recently I feel an urge to connect with people . . . most people prefer to be around other people in some manner or form. — Posty McPostface

And then you say:

I don't think the idea will take off without some social conditioning.

Okay, why social conditioning? What sort of social conditioning? What does the fact that you feel an urge to connect with people and that most people prefer to be around other people have to do with the topic?

No one would be going to Mars alone. It would be a group of people. So people would be able to connect with other people, they'd be around other people, etc.

Okay, why social conditioning? What sort of social conditioning? What does the fact that you feel an urge to connect with people and that most people prefer to be around other people have to do with the topic?

No one would be going to Mars alone. It would be a group of people. So people would be able to connect with other people, they'd be around other people, etc. — Terrapin Station

Social conditioning because the idea will never take off without some form of social conditioning of people to want to take the leap to Mars.

A lot of people would be willing to live on Mars. Not everyone, but there would be more people than could be accomodated.

A lot of people would be willing to live on Mars. Not everyone, but there would be more people than could be accomodated. — Terrapin Station

We don't know how many. The numbers would be initially low. Only the brave few would be going on a one-way trip.

Your wife is raising squirrels? Literally? — Bitter Crank

Yes. She's an avid wildlife rehabber. I live in a wildlife hospital, but nobody seems able to rehab me. :smile:

Hmmm, interesting. Tell us more about the operation.

Maybe you would get rehab services if, for instance, you were a lame duck?

Hmmm, interesting. Tell us more about the operation. — Bitter Crank

My wife and I are nature nuts. I'm an avid hiker, and she is focused on wildlife. She always has a number of birds and squirrels under her care while she nurses them back to health or is helping them grow up. We have cages of various kinds all around the place housing the newest arrivals. I help out, but it's really her show, and she invests many hours a day in to it every day.

Maybe you would get rehab services if, for instance, you were a lame duck? — Bitter Crank

Yes! Exactly. That's what I keep telling her, I'm lame, and an odd duck. And still I have to stand in line!