Okay, let's ponder this (at times, I need a break from the heavy duty political chat!). The World is about to end. However, there are not one but two strokes of fortune for you. The first is that a planet that can sustain human life was found, before the Earth came to the point of total destruction. And the other is that you have personally be chosen to head up a small and well thought out team who would, on the final days, leave this earth, in your own rocket/ship, and travel to take residency of the planet. Your mission is not merely about personal survival. It is about repopulating the human race, on a new planet. That is why you have been given this great honour. There is only one problem. While scientists were able to build one craft able to reach the planet, in an incredibly short time, and while they were able to send unmanned probes up there prior, with all the base elements you would need to feed yourself, create homes, etc, the craft only populates 13 people. That is it. Unlucky for some... So, aside from you, that is 12. Who do you take? Now, there are at least two things to consider here. There is the emotional pull. You take your closest friends and family, yes? But unless they are perhaps experts in very specific fields, you may find that by taking them, you are just condemning them to death anyway, since they would be out of their depth, perhaps? Even the whole project could be killed, if you choose to risk taking those you 'love'. Furthermore, there is the small matter of repopulation, among those that are direct blood relatives, not surely the best basis to seed a planet?! Maybe you would be more logical, and put emotion aside. Maybe you would pick 12 people, six men and women, from different fields, none of whome were related, and all of whom were experts in a field that could turn the repopulation of the human race into reality. If you decide to go with that, which 12 fields do you think would give you the best possible infrastructure? Or do you belive that in the end, you would collapse, and end up going with the almost fated to doom optoion, of taking family and loved one's? Over to you...
It wouldn't be my decision in such a case- the government- or whoever built the rocket (rocket? What is this- the 1950's?) would have the say. But my two cents are more women than men naturally... 5 men and 8 women. Naturally we would need professors and scientists and doctors and survivalists and farmers to repopulate a planet.
You would have to take young people, especially women of childbearing age in order to start repopulating right away. People in their mid 20's. I would leave my family behind unless they could contribute - if they were doctors, police, then I would take them. More women than men are needed, you could probably take 10 women and two men. If every woman had a baby each year, in five years you'd have another fifty people. But 'jmpet' is right, the government would decide - and they'd take the people who would be utterly useless.
Forget the Gov, let's assume that by some quirk, it is down to you! Do you really believe, when it came down to it, you could leave your family behind? From your math, how long would it take to populate this planet to what Earth is today? And how does that compare to the time it has taken Earth to populate to the level that it is today? Not that I see what use a police officer would be in this situation, that said!
Right, to be honest, I think if I could not take at least two key people, I would not wish to live on, or repopulate anywhere. So, my daughter and g/daughter would have to come with. That means I have nine spaces left. Right, what I need is someone who has large brains, in the fields of science and maths, and so on. So I may invite Stephen Hawking along, he could be very useful. Two doctors would useful, and one of them that could do a bit of surgery. That's six spaces filled, with six to go.
I'd blow up the rocket with no one on board. Maybe you all think the human race is so special that it should be maintained no matter what. I do not. Interesting thread BTW.
Not sure if special would be my word. Unique? Yes, I think that is fair. We are the only species that would have any chance of doing this. Doesn't that make us somewhat unique?
I never said humans are not unique..I am sure they are. Hitler was unique as well. As far as I can tell, the human race is about as essential to the universe as a hemorrhoid is to a human.
Okay. If we ceased to exist, it would not really matter to all the other species, I agree. But that would not lend itself to the thread! I probably would not take Hitler along. Esp these days.
Okay...I understand. But I seriously do not think it is worthwhile trying to save the human race. So if I was being selfish I would just take 8 of the most gorgeous, intelligent, kind and decent women I could find (I imagine they would be beating down my door to fly away with me being that if they don't they snuff it). And 4 other women who are of adequate intelligence at best, physically unattractive and are in 2 happy lesbian 'marriages' to do the housework...lol. And make sure only I had the means to pilot the ship...don't want anyone getting delusions of grandeur.
No religionists on my rocket. Don't want to be starting out this new society, with the same mistakes that likely lent itself to the end of this one.
i would only take homosexuals on the flight, also they would all have to be minorities, wouldn't need any racist whites up there!
I am told on here they are pure and beautiful people who are free of prejudice and malice towards others.
I would send 2 warriors, an electrical engineer, a biologist, a surgeon, 2 miners, a mechanic, a writer, a programmer, 2 farmers, an architect, a builder, and a blacksmith. I would not be on board.
Oh, sorry - I see. Yes it would. I suppose what I was trying to do was see how long it would take to theoretically populate the new planet, to the same level as Earth is now, and would that be consistant with how long it has taken Earth to be this populated, by people?
It would take a few thousand years- perhaps 1500 years if we had advance knowledge of technology (the spinning wheel) but by no means no less than a thousand years.
We are starting at a level of understanding about germs, etc, which they did not have 150 years ago... much less 1500 years ago... much less 15,000.
