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I know it would be unpalatable, but couldn't algae be used as food? They would help to generate O2, they might even generate all of the necessary O2, but that isn't the point. They could be engineered (in theory) to collect up nutrients and minerals, and they could have enough calories and everything. They could be grown with more efficiency, and in less space than fruits/vegetables. Obviously, having a dried algae bagel and water with every meal is extreme, but possibly mixing 'algae flakes' in with say, mashed potatoes, would be very helpful to the mission. With vitamin pills, this could provide for everyone's need. Can we eat/drink algae at all? Has this been tested? What do you think?
-Josh
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It depends what type of algae you are talking about. If you mean poisonous blue-green algae, no way. But if you mean an algae more like seaweed, yes. You can by seaweed bread so there's no reason it can't be dried out and used asm a sort of flour.
Use what is abundant and build to last
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I know it would be unpalatable, but couldn't algae be used as food? They would help to generate O2, they might even generate all of the necessary O2, but that isn't the point. They could be engineered (in theory) to collect up nutrients and minerals, and they could have enough calories and everything. They could be grown with more efficiency, and in less space than fruits/vegetables. Obviously, having a dried algae bagel and water with every meal is extreme, but possibly mixing 'algae flakes' in with say, mashed potatoes, would be very helpful to the mission. With vitamin pills, this could provide for everyone's need. Can we eat/drink algae at all? Has this been tested? What do you think?
There are many different species of algae, yeasts and edible bacteria, not counting the genetically modified varieties. Eventually it should be possible to produce very palatable and nutritious foods using different blends of algal, yeast and bacterial components.
For example, one algae might be used to produce flour, which could form the basis of staples. Yeasts could provide flavouring and B and E vitamins. Bacteria could be used to produce cheese from an algae derived starter.
The really great things about algae as a food source are:
1) It is far more efficient in terms of its utilisation of sunlight than land based plants. this opens up the possibility of growing it using artificial energy sources. this would allow humans to colonise worlds which do not have abundantly available sunlight.
2) It can grow in very compact spaces, and does not need acres of expensive pressurised glass greenhouses to grow under.
When humna beings master Nuclear Fusion, algal food production and recycling (intelligent production), they can effectively colonise any solid world in the solar system, including the various moons and icy worlds of the outer solar system.
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