[ot] Mars colonization

[Kuma]

i dunno.. you ever see the Mr Show where they decide to blow up the moon?

No.

And your question wasn't "Can we blow up Mars with all of our nuclear weapons?" - it was "Can we change it's orbit?"

There's plenty to do with the Moon and Mars - no need to go irradiating them 'just to see'.

 

[tleilaxu]

no need to get your panties all bunched up. It was an off-hand question, not a serious suggestion.

Consider it akin to asking "How many cement trucks of cement would it take to fill up the grand canyon?"

 

[Fast Learner]

I find it highly unlikely that a non slave work force built the pyramids.

Are you even familiar with why many archeologists no longer believe it was slave labor, and why the matter has moved from being a given to being unresolved? Or are you just claiming tleilaxu is wrong out of complete ignorance of the facts?

Here's some info on the "con" side for you to at least consider:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pyramids/pyramids.html#who

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/data/2001/11/01/html/ft_20011101.5.html

http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Grad_Sch/McNair/Summer02/fields.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/pyramid/explore/builders.html

Note that the idea that they were built by slaves comes from the Greek historian Herodotus who visited the pyramids in 500 BC and concluded they were built by slaves. Since they were built 2700 years earlier, however, his theory isn't based in fact. It just happens to be what caught on.

Note, too, though, that the new evidence that they weren't built by slaves is being promoted largely by two archeologists (though highly respected ones), Drs. Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass. Many others agree with them, but they are the two you'll most often see quoted.

I'm only suggesting that it's important to base your opinions on current fact, not something that you intuitively figured out from what you were taught and what "makes sense" to you.

 

[Airwolf]

Pyramids?

Did I miss something somewhere?

I don't know about any pyramids on Mars. Even if pyramids did exist on Mars I wouldn't think that terrestrial archeologists would know anything about them.

If you are talking about pyramids in Egypt, what in the world does that have to do with terraforming or colonizing Mars?

 

[Zappo]

Re: Pyramids?

I don't know about any pyramids on Mars. Even if pyramids did exist on Mars I wouldn't think that terrestrial archeologists would know anything about them.

What, never heard of pyramids on Mars? Everyone knows that there are pyramids on Mars. The only question is, were them built by slaves or not?

 

[Fast Learner]

Oh, there's no question that the pyramids on Mars were built by slaves. I mean, "Duh!"

The real question is: were they built by Martian slaves or by specially imported Terran slaves?

 

[Dr_Rictus]

Re: Pyramids?

If you are talking about pyramids in Egypt, what in the world does that have to do with terraforming or colonizing Mars?

The argument started over the the economics of getting huge, long-term projects done. After the example of the pyramids as such a project came up, there was an implication that it was an invalid example because it required slavery.

Current archaeological theory as I understand it was that the labor force was largely composed of agricultural workers who had nothing to do during Egypt's long non-growing season (which resulted from the foundation of ancient Egypt's agriculture on the regular flooding of the Nile). Essentially, that from an economic point of view it was a huge public works make-work project.

 

[Airwolf]

Thanks Doc!

I was aware of the topic of large public works projects. I was attempting to figure out how 'Who really built the pyramids?' had to do with missions to Mars or the moon. Unless someone suggested that we re-establish slavery just so we can use the slaves to build rocket ships, I am not sure how the slavery vs. non-slave debate weighs on this matter.

Thanks for pointing out the origin of the discussion though.

Also, thanks to FL for opening the old can of worms, the long debated; Martian or Terran slaves?

 

[Fast Learner]

Re: Thanks Doc!

Also, thanks to FL for opening the old can of worms, the long debated; Martian or Terran slaves?

D'oh! I forgot about the old adage, along the lines of "Never discuss religion, politics, or Martian slaveholding practices."

 

[kenjib]

Re: Thanks Doc!

Also, thanks to FL for opening the old can of worms, the long debated; Martian or Terran slaves?

Actually, those are both incorrect. Shoggoths. Duh!