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#1 Re: Life support systems » Growing plants on Mars » 2003-05-27 19:56:06
Why grow plants directly in the soil when you can just grow them hydroponically? Some greenhouses in Antartica do this very well even in structures that rely on artificial lighting. They just use PVC plugs to attach the plants to the waterline. Hydronponically grown plants are often more productive than ones grown in soil.
#2 Re: Not So Free Chat » Where are all the adults? - Read this article » 2003-05-14 20:31:01
There's a rebuttal by a Moon Society member at Rocketforge http://www.rocketforge.org/
Look for the "Smells like body odor" article.
#3 Re: Not So Free Chat » Unabomber Manifesto - Food for thought? » 2003-05-06 20:44:04
Having just finished reading the contemplations of a madman (is he crazy?) I have to say I'm no longer the technonut that I once was and have developed afresh a love hate relationship with advanced technology. The big theme seems to be that the more technological we become the more regulation that is required to keep tabs on the technology and the easier it is for the authorities to keep tabs on its individuals and manipulate them in various nefarious ways. He also blasts technologic civilizations for depriving people of a 'power process' over there own lives. He asserts Neolithic hunter-gatherers had the superior type of civilization and I think he makes some good points in that direction. To sum up it all up in a phrase I think you could say the theme is that engaging in agriculture was the biggest mistake humanity ever made! I'd really suggest reading it, my little surmise does it no justice.
#4 Re: Science, Technology, and Astronomy » Cancer fighting Mice! - gentic trait prevents cancer... » 2003-05-06 20:29:18
This has been put forward as one of the main factors which allowed the existence of dragon flies with 75cm wing spans, stocky armoured arthropods similar to millipedes but with a length of 1.8m (nearly 6 feet! ), and scorpions which reached dimensions of up to 70cms (~2.5 feet)!!! ... A carboniferous forest was not a good place for a picnic!
Definatly don't forget the insect repellant. Those mosquitos would probably leave any unlucky souls going out on a sunday picnic dessicated corpses after they got done sucking. 
#5 Re: Civilization and Culture » Nanotech and Mars - nanoassemblers » 2003-05-06 20:22:07
I'll no doubt be relegated to the looney bin for bringing it up but I have a sneaky suspicion that the key to successful and thriving colony on Mars will be technology like nanoassemblers that can create basic items out of a stock of elemental chemicals. I was scrounging around at the Forsight Institute's webpage and they have a number of articles on this sort of thing. Maybe it won't happen in our lifetimes but it would be neat to just shovel some Mars dirt into a nanotech machine and have useful stuff come out of it!
:;):
#6 Re: Life on Mars » Animals supported on mars. - Could it work? » 2003-05-06 20:09:25
Terrestrial animals might do as well as their human counterparts on Mars but fish might be a different story. Anybody know if any experiments have been done in space testing how well fish do in low gravity situations? Being an aquarium nut I couldn't live on Mars if fish can't live there. I'd love to be the first to breed fish on Mars. Bettas would be a good fish pet to have on Mars since they can live successfully in very small aquariums and bowls if the gravity doesn't drive 'em nuts. :laugh:
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