Hawaii = Mars?

[PB666]

This may be one way to solve the inevitable failure of private space to get martian wannabees to thier future home.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34092770

[RainDreamer]

Reminds me of the Martian trailer where they had the same isolation exam... Anyway, that sounds interesting. I thought they would choose a desert for that purpose, but I guess barren volcano land works too.

[Woksaus]

Interesting. Land around volcanoes is usually very fertile, so it's not a very good Mars analog. Then again, this is an experiment on human isolation and not botany.

[PB666]

Interesting. Land around volcanoes is usually very fertile, so it's not a very good Mars analog. Then again, this is an experiment on human isolation and not botany.

Fertile yes but not in all senses. Volcanic soils fall into two broad catagoties, tufa ash which is relatively fertile but turbulation with the lower organic layers is required or if its thick it will concretize (laetoli foot prints as an example - but acid/base composition is a factor). The other hawaiian type of volcanism results from silica plastic ejecta and pyroclastic flows mainly silica plastics. For these typese of eruptions with sufficient rainfall grass seeds and annuals ca grow, which can cause the accumulation of deeper organics and with the crumpling of pumice you can get the second generation of opportunistic trees and scrubs. Farming such soils requires specialized plants an low/till or no till agriculture and classic gravity driven irrigation wont work. Following Second genertation you have formal trees and humus builders substantive deep bioturbulation, and in alluvian runoff areas you have completely arible land.

I think its safe to say you probably wont have locals knocking on their door frequently wanting to share their recently harvested bumper pacalulu crop, you might get a few loonies that climb on top and try to smoke it.

[vger]

I think its safe to say you probably wont have locals knocking on their door frequently wanting to share their recently harvested bumper pacalulu crop, you might get a few loonies that climb on top and try to smoke it.

Proper attire must be worn before approaching the dome.

Edited August 29, 2015 by vger

[PB666]

Proper attire must be worn before approaching the dome.

I was thinking more along the lines of http://www.halloweencostumes.com/plus-womens-hippie-costume.html

Obviously that would not be a distraction.

Could you imagine the NASA scientist monitoring the station deciding to play a few practical jokes.

[vger]

I was thinking more along the lines of http://www.halloweencostumes.com/plus-womens-hippie-costume.html

Obviously that would not be a distraction.

Could you imagine the NASA scientist monitoring the station deciding to play a few practical jokes.

I'd be hesitant to do it for this particular event, since psychology is the focus of the experiment.

Still, waking up on "Mars" and finding a little green man with a squeegee cleaning the exterior windows of your habitat...

[Vanamonde]

The six-strong team will live in close quarters under the dome, without fresh air...

I hope they're good at holding their breath.

[Findthepin1]

in terms of climate Hawaii = Hawaii

Mars = Mars

also in terms of climate Mars/Tharsis = airless ~Hawaii

Hawaii/Mauna Kea = ~Hellas Planitia with weather

iirc hawaii is hawaii. not even close to mars. hawaii is the place with hot humid air and grass skirts and the volcanoes are active. mars is the place with barely any air at all, it is almost always below freezing and the volcanoes are dead. atacama desert and mcmurdo valleys are jungles compared with mars. also, nobody wears grass skirts on mars.

[vger]

iirc hawaii is hawaii. not even close to mars. hawaii is the place with hot humid air and grass skirts and the volcanoes are active. mars is the place with barely any air at all, it is almost always below freezing and the volcanoes are dead. atacama desert and mcmurdo valleys are jungles compared with mars. also, nobody wears grass skirts on mars.

For the purposes of this experiment, it doesn't matter. They just wanted somewhere desolate enough to be boring to minimize the mental stimulation from EVA. No point in wasting money sustaining them in some ridiculously remote location like the Torngat mountains or Antarctica, when survivability isn't even the goal? Even Nevada would probably cost more because of the need to run air conditioners the whole time.

[PB666]

For the purposes of this experiment, it doesn't matter. They just wanted somewhere desolate enough to be boring to minimize the mental stimulation from EVA. No point in wasting money sustaining them in some ridiculously remote location like the Torngat mountains or Antarctica, when survivability isn't even the goal? Even Nevada would probably cost more because of the need to run air conditioners the whole time.

It might matter, there may be a tunnel from the Habitat down to the beach where the hook up with local tourist. lol. You wouldn't find that in Antarctica.

[vger]

It might matter, there may be a tunnel from the Habitat down to the beach where the hook up with local tourist. lol. You wouldn't find that in Antarctica.

Who do you think signed up for this? Alcatraz inmates?