New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,364

Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

This new topic is offered for those members who might wish to think (and post) about the shopping experience on Mars.

My inspiration is an invitation that just arrived in today's email, from my local bank.

Apparently, someone at the bank decided to take a chance on the "Instacart" concept.

https://www.instacart.com/?utm_source=i … rand_email

I decided to take a look at the site because the bank offered $20 off on the first transaction, and at this point in my life, I'm looking for savings of pennies, so $20 seems worth investigating.

The delivery fee is $4, which seems quite reasonable, since the market where I shop most frequently is five miles away, and a trip there involves a dangerous trip by automobile on an interstate highway, as well as the normal hazards of trying to drive three blocks in a dense urban environment.

However, the feature of the "Instacart" concept that caught my eye was the presence of "shoppers" in the configuration.

This looks (to me at least) like another of the rapidly growing family of gig-work opportunities that I see coming into being around me.

Every day (these days) I see folks of all ages earning a buck or two by walking the dogs that live in the neighborhood.  I would guess that the population here is aging-in-place, and the (often large) dogs they've been hosting are starting to look like work when they need exercise.

Bringing this opening post back to Mars .... It seems to me that delivery of needed supplies would necessarily be done by an "Instacart" system of some kind. It is difficult for me to imagine the highly sophisticated folks who will be in the initial expeditions choosing a personal "shopping" option when automation is available to take care of what would otherwise be a major time waster.

I recognize that some folks enjoy the experience of "shopping", and perhaps there will eventually be a venue for that pass time on Mars, but I'll bet it won't be in the early stages.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,364

Re: Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

This topic has been sitting un-answered ... it showed up today when I was looking for a topic with the word "model" in the title....

There are no existing topics that are a perfect fit, but a topic dedicated to Model Rockets seems a bit premature.  If there is interest we might create one. In the mean time, here is an announcement that may be of interest to NewMars members, and specifically to Starship fans...

Starship Die Cast Rocket Model Now $69.99 on Amazon.

About this item
1/375 Scale Precision Diecast Collectible Model
First-stage super heavy-duty booster is made of precise aluminum alloy tubes.
Second-level starship is embedded with reinforced aluminum alloy tubes.
Extremely good laser shapeability
Height：32CM (core diameter is 24mm,rocket diameter is 9 meters ) Perfect addition to your home or office.
Wet:225G

If anyone desides to spring for one of these, please add a post to this topic.

(th)

Steve Stewart

Member

From: Kansas City (USA)

Registered: 2019-09-21

Posts: 161

Website

Re: Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

Tom, on the subject of the Die Cast Starship model. I thought I'd post a picture of it.
(Nice looking model).

Post#1

I decided to take a look at the site because the bank offered $20 off on the first transaction, and at this point in my life, I'm looking for savings of pennies, so $20 seems worth investigating.

For anyone who has the space and time, one way to save $$$ is to plant a garden. Groceries will never get any cheeper. It would be good practice for learning how to grow things on Mars, as well as saving a few dollars. I know we are entering winter now, but it's not too early to be planning for Spring.

I don't know where you live, but the growing season is shorter for those that live farther north. I have a cousin that lives in rural Kansas. She bought a glass greenhouse that looks something like the one below, which extends her growing season. Her area had two bad hail storms pass through, each a few years apart. Both hail storms broke out the glass on the roof. The second time it happened she replaced the top with a metal roof. If she put reflectors on both sides of her greenhouse to reflect light in from the sides, it would be like some proposals for Mars. I don't know how much her greenhouse cost. I've seen prices that range from $300 to $3,000. Even without a greenhouse. A garden would be good practice and would save a few dollars.

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

I am happy to see something akin to internet shopping for mars ordering.
It's one of those items for the MyHacienda topic as well with such connections to Banking.

The greenhouse shows just how we might do a surface greenhouse once we can provide the materials.

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

Space Tourists might purchase the most silly of Mars trinkets as a reminder

At the South Pole a cold hostile world in Antarctica there are schools, churches and also 'shopping'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Ch2mBnK4s

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Shopping On Mars - Instacart Model

Mars might be both very remote but of high population density.

Australia where far away communication is important because it is almost a frontier and some towns are in remote locations

Aussie Population density of people is very low per square km, South Australia: 1.6 Western Australia: 0.9 Northern Territory: 0.2 Queensland is     2.93 its overseas claim in Antarctica is of even lower population density, the Territory of Norfolk Island has 2,188 inhabitants living on a total area of about 35 km2 (14 sq mi). Each state of Australia is a successor to historical British colonies, and each has its own constitution.   

'Exploring collaborative in-store shopping with remote shopping partners : a case study with meat consumers'
https://figshare.utas.edu.au/articles/t … s/23254220

The greater Tokyo metropolis area is one the most densely populated prefecture in Japan.  On Earth the term Urban Density describes the number of people inhabiting a given urbanized area. Singapore, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, India, South Korea, Belgium, Vatican City, Bermuda islands archipelago are also of high population density.

in certain cultures they might embrace artificial robots more, for example delivery robot market in Japan or its vending machines everywhere.

Bear meat vending machine is a first for Japan
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-65160098

Tokyo has a new vending machine where everything inside is free
https://japantoday.com/category/feature … de-is-free

What Ever Happened To Ford's Humanoid Package Delivery Robot?

https://www.slashgear.com/1450009/ford- … ery-robot/

Human claims drone shopping robot attacked him and the dog

https://cybernews.com/tech/man-claims-a … ery-robot/

I think people would still like to touch certain things, I'm not sure for example if I would buy an acoustic guitar without touching it.
However it is hard to know a future which has not arrived, maybe it would be a mix of remote and robot delivery and also like a remote location in Finland, Canada, Alaska, Russia or Norway.

a mix of mining towns and military operated science base

If you look at Chile and Argentina claims at the Southern Pole, they would also need product for a kid born and toys and baby clothing for a baby leaving hospital.

Many of the items sold might be to keep your robots alive and your plants healthy and for Cyborgs to stay in good shape, however many want to expand mankind beyond Earth so the economics of human life is important also.

Buying fuels, foreign entertainment product very similar to culture products from USA or Europe or Africa or Latin America or Asia, buying mine equipment or Clothing and trade of pets or animals or food stock feed or plant fertilizers? A group of humans at an efficent outpost would eventually have needs and see equipment fail, at a remote outpost they would need parts for electronic equipment or mechanical parts that would need to be replaced with repairs, your 3-d printer would need repair, you labs for growing medicine would need to be kept in good shape.

Selling Flags could happen with border, it might be a thing as a part of 'Patriotism' or a Local Sports Team, if religions and politics arrive then a political slogan on a mug or a religious trinket or religion book

A town might be part of a communication network or part of a site that monitors Solar Storms, Dust and Mars Quakes

or maybe material to clean dust or keep your vehicles and cars warm.

if there is a famous site on Mars and a significant event happens it then could become a tourist town, once the military moves out the homes and structures would still exist for trade so many years later people go to the island to see the history of Napoleon's exile on St Helena and other history sites

There are various festival events and days for float parades

St Helena is franchise free, mega brands and no mega corporations

'The City of Jamestown St Helena'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOiRNKZG0s0

it depends what cultures dominate, the culture which comes with a North Korean bar looks very strange for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCl8T881Odc

Life in Iqaluit Nunavut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x30lPvBuFA4

Infrasound Station

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNBB9ygLzbU

and Norway

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0dNJQDGDg0

There has been talk of the military getting involved in space, building the first outposts, the 'Space Force' objectives and that after a while a military would become part of 'colonization'

maybe in a future a military would bring kids to a base, in the culture of the United States a military brat the child of a parent(s), adopted parent(s) or guardian(s) serving full-time in the United States Armed Forces, the kids will then live inside military family housing for example on as part of an Army Base, the raised offworld kid might continue moving to new space colony sites just as they do on Earth moving to new states or oversea territory in countries many times while growing up. These kids will often be raised inside artifical small cities or towns, sometimes thousands or more people inside self-contained worlds where military culture is primary and civilian culture also exists but is secondary, the civilian culture might be very similar to life on the outside with the same kinds of streets and shopping and stores that you would see in the real world, the artificial cities or self-contained towns would come with shopping, schools, hospitals, recreation centers.

Fort Wainwright Alaska
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA0ANw3ttGU

Kids born at the South Pole

'Villa Las Estrellas: An Actual Town in Antarctica'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0gnZtjW-eE

Argentina's Esperanza Base, Antarctica
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzOl8QMkek8

and when compared to civilian general population in Earth's large cities maybe
less crime

93% of NYC grocers have been hit by shoplifters this year: survey
https://nypost.com/2023/11/25/metro/93- … this-year/

Last edited by Mars_B4_Moon (2023-11-25 18:34:34)