Mars Astronauts Needed!

[Totenkindly]

Twelve astronauts to be locked up in a self-contained Mars-emulating biosphere here on Earth for seventeen months, to evaluate the potential psychological effects on people. 500 have applied; only 19 are women.

Would you go? Why or why not?

Which MBTI types do you think could successfully coexist for seventeen long months in a confined space, without things getting ugly?

What sort of psychological pressures can you imagine that would accompany such an experience?

To start the ball rolling, I have to mention the thought of sex if the "dirty dozen" are of mixed genders. How will the dynamics play out over seventeen long months, especially if cold showers are not available? How do people pair off? Will there be monogamous relationships or promiscuous ones? Will men end up fighting over the female staff? It could be extremely volatile, depending...

 

[rivercrow]

Sex is the big problem. Good for tension release, good for relationships, good for generating jealousy.

Hm. I'm having Stranger in a Strange Land flashbacks. Do we need to gear up for the discussion on polyamorous relationships?

 

[Natrushka]

I grok you, Crowsie.

I don't think I could do this. No, I know I couldn't do this. No way.

 

[FemMecha]

I always wanted to go to Mars. Not sure about the biosphere. It seems to have all the drawbacks of the experience without the benefits.

 

[Wolf]

I always wanted to go to Mars. Not sure about the biosphere. It seems to have all the drawbacks of the experience without the benefits.

I had the same thoughts.

 

[ptgatsby]

Sex is the big problem. Good for tension release, good for relationships, good for generating jealousy.

Hm. I'm having Stranger in a Strange Land flashbacks. Do we need to gear up for the discussion on polyamorous relationships?

I don't think that'll be the big problem. It can be diffused through work overload and other stress releases, which is what they are planning from the sound of it.

The major problem will be the long term stress issues of confinement. I'm pretty sure they'll also emulate the workload and outside conditions (emergencies). This heightened sense of emergency and co-dependence will lead to serious bonding between the individuals, similar to what happens in the military. However, this will also causes very large individual pressure (ie: Asian societies) which will erupt in erratic and dangerous behaviour.

I wouldn't do it after reading about similar experiments. The pressure the mind goes under goes far beyond what one can control with will alone. It will change who you are.

 

[Totenkindly]

I wouldn't do it after reading about similar experiments. The pressure the mind goes under goes far beyond what one can control with will alone. It will change who you are.

Is that why we are letting the Russians do it?

 

[rivercrow]

I don't think that'll be the big problem. It can be diffused through work overload and other stress releases, which is what they are planning from the sound of it.

Okay--maybe not THE big prob, but up on the list. All male teams have more friction than mixed gender problems, but other issues emerge. I'm thinking NASA...

The major problem will be the long term stress issues of confinement. I'm pretty sure they'll also emulate the workload and outside conditions (emergencies). This heightened sense of emergency and co-dependence will lead to serious bonding between the individuals, similar to what happens in the military. However, this will also causes very large individual pressure (ie: Asian societies) which will erupt in erratic and dangerous behaviour.

Long term confinement--yes. And are you implying there's a problem with the military's influence on relationship?

I wouldn't do it after reading about similar experiments. The pressure the mind goes under goes far beyond what one can control with will alone. It will change who you are.

I wouldn't, either, but for different reasons.

One being the military involvement and directives any such effort would have.

 

[Langrenus]

Dear god, there's no way I would ever do this or anything similar (work on a submarine, etc). I've read some fascinating reports about the psychological pressures observed at arctic research stations during freeze-over periods; people start to intensely dislike one another, develop long-focus stares, become intensely depressed, etc. This sounds similar, but worse.

 

[Nighthawk]

Perhaps in younger years I would have done this. Not anymore though. I had enough of involuntary confinement in the military. It can lead to close bonding ... but also loathing or hatred of people who rub you the wrong way, as you cannot escape them.

 

[ptgatsby]

Is that why we are letting the Russians do it?

In part. This is a real sanity problem - literally asking people to risk their minds. If we were less enlightened, we'd call it torture. People snap under easier conditions. This one is ok though, since they get paid and it's optional!

(No subtext, I mean those words literally.)

Okay--maybe not THE big prob, but up on the list. All male teams have more friction than mixed gender problems, but other issues emerge. I'm thinking NASA...

Yup, there will be an element of this. However it depends on the individuals and what other stress outlets they have. (In Nasa, most notably space missions, there are only minimal stress diffusions and a surreal form of isolation... not to mention the physical stress from environment change!)

Long term confinement--yes. And are you implying there's a problem with the military's influence on relationship?

Yup, but I'm referring to the creation of bonds through highly stressful team efforts, where everyone depends on each other. The pressure to confrom and not let anyone else down becomes its own stressor and prevents proper stress diffusion (beyond your normal physical and mental limits, which causes serious stress disorders after).

 

[rivercrow]

Dear god, there's no way I would ever do this or anything similar (work on a submarine, etc).

I know someone who was stationed on a sub. He has very interesting stories.

 

[htb]

If a colorful platoon of space marines is allowed to clear out whatever mutants and/or zombies the inhabitants will have become, I fully support this effort.

 

[Langrenus]

I know someone who was stationed on a sub. He has very interesting stories.

I don't doubt that it can be interesting. But it's not for me.

 

[HilbertSpace]

I would do it.

I know it wouldn't increase my chances for an actual Mars mission - the people participating in this will have the crappy parts of the experience of a Mars trip and one of the fun stuff about walking on another planet. With an actual Mars mission still in the distant future, this is only an experiment to get information about what it might be like in terms of psychological stresses - anyone participating in this will likely not be career viable when it comes time to actually fly to Mars.

Nevertheless, a program like this does two things - it does potentially give us needed data for when we do make a manned mission, and it also keeps the target in sight. We could expect similar dynamics if we ever set up a permanent base on the Moon. The people participating in this mission are among the pioneers, in a sense. There will still be both physiological and psychological data to get, and the individuals participating in the experiment may not be more likely than their peers to actually get the chance to set foot on another planet, but I'm glad it's happening, and I'd participate in a heartbeat.

 

[Totenkindly]

I would do it.

Very well.

I dub thee "Sir Hilbert," official liaison of MBTIc to the Mars Mission.

(I hope you know either Russian or mime.)

.....

I agree with your reasoning. It's something that has to be done, if we'd ever hope to get to Mars. It's [probably] not going to be pleasant, but there's no other way to really go about it when planning for a future live expedition. And there seems to be so few "real pioneering" explorations left to us, in some ways.

 

[bluebell]

It's something that has to be done, if we'd ever hope to get to Mars. It's [probably] not going to be pleasant, but there's no other way to really go about it when planning for a future live expedition. And there seems to be so few "real pioneering" explorations left to us, in some ways.

One hopes that if/when a future live exploration of Mars occurs, the engineers will have sorted out problems like this one by then.

 

[htb]

One hopes that if/when a future live exploration of Mars occurs, the engineers will have sorted out problems like this one by then.

Acknowledging the humor of that conversion error, the success and longevity of rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the notable performance of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, would be evidence of NASA learning from its mistakes.

 

[booyalab]

I would go. It sounds interesting.

 

[rivercrow]

Acknowledging the humor of that conversion error, the success and longevity of rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the notable performance of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, would be evidence of NASA learning from its mistakes.

And maybe this kind of thing will prove educational as well.