IF you had the chance to go to another planet...like earth but pre-man, would you go?

[Tap]

Would you go on such an adventure? Lets say 100 people can go on this first journey but more may be coming.

 

Okay here is the scenario:

 

You and your immediate family get the chance to go to another planet. It will be a permanent move, you can't try it out first. The planet looks just like Earth, with the same geographic zones, animal life and atmosphere. Majority rules, on where to land, so it could be in the desert or the plains, mountains or fjord, just depending on the vote. People can split up once there, but no with no vehicles, you will have to walk to the next geographic zone. What would your zone choice be....what would you say to sway the vote your way?

 

You will be the first people there. Animals will all be wild, no domesticated animals, you can't take any with you. You can have 4 full outfits, one of each season (coats to shoes) for each person (magically appropriate for where ever you land) and a single suitcase full of items/gear/toiletries/medicine for each family. If you want a house, grab a sharp rock and start whittling that tree unless you thought to bring an axe. You want to grow a garden, hope you brought seeds.

 

You will forage for food, except anything your family packed in your suitcase.

 

 

ETA: We have decided that illness would not follow us on our journey. We would only suffer from injury.

 

Would you go?

What would you take?

Where would you want to land?

Edited April 6, 2011 by Tap, tap, tap

[Slartibartfast]

Heck no!

 

I like hair stuff, medicine and vehicles.

 

I would likely get somewhere like that and immediately be devoured by a large carnivore/die of allergies/get some sort of infection or parasite.

 

If I got a parasite I would eat poison.

 

NOOOO WWAAAYYYY would I leave civilization willingly.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Sis

[Barb_]

Nuh-uh. Adventure isn't my thing anymore. That sounds like a special circle of Dante's Inferno. Or one of our road trips.

[Mrs Mungo]

I don't know. I'm pretty fond of my intertubes, tampons and hair gel.

 

DH also says no.

 

I guess we're officially old.

 

eta: If I *had* to go on such a journey? Because the earth was exploding or something? I would vote for a temperate zone, somewhere Hawaii-ish. Hopefully an island without snakes or predators. That way, I don't have to worry too much about shelter or limited growing season. I would bring seeds, a few tools and allergy medicine.

Edited April 6, 2011 by Mrs Mungo

[elegantlion]

I like adventure, but I like to come home to my house and my books.

 

I recently saw a movie, Pandorum, about the worst that might happen in such a scenario.

 

Nope, I'll take a deserted (or maybe desserted island) for about two weeks, but I want to come home.

[Caitilin]

I would do it.

 

We'd land in the Brazil-equivalent. Can we be like the Doctor and have a cell phone that works everywhere, so we can at least CALL home?

[BigMamaBird]

I'd go in a heartbeat!

[kiana]

If my SO didn't have severe arthritis, we'd both be there in a heartbeat.

[Sputterduck]

If the ship has a star trek type medical doctor and facility, yes. Do we get that?

[Tap]

Okay, so I have a few crew mates.....:grouphug: So what do we bring in our suitcases?

 

I am willing to concede that major illnesses will no longer be a problem. Just what injuries happen to us.

[kiana]

Hey, if it came with a cure I'm ON that :D

 

Are you putting a copy of the WTM in your suitcase? :D

 

Spare bras. It'll be a loooong time before we're up to making elastic.

 

Good books on bowmaking, practical medicine, veterinary medicine (I assume it's earthlike enough to have similar animals or to have them imported), housebuilding, blacksmithing, etc. Even if someone has the skill, it's always possible for him/her to fall and die.

[kalanamak]

Not at my age. :)

[IsabelC]

I'd go, but only if we had friends or other very like-minded folk going too, including people with a suitable variety of knowledge and skills for survival and building up the civilization. I wonder whether it might need more than 100 individuals to build up a healthy breeding population? My suitcase would probably contain painkillers and other medications to see us through until we can discover herbal remedies or whatever is naturally available on the planet, as well as a selection of books and a good pocket knife.

[SonshineLearner]

I'd be heading to Pluto, which is an "almost planet" ;)

[kiana]

I'd go, but only if we had friends or other very like-minded folk going too, including people with a suitable variety of knowledge and skills for survival and building up the civilization. I wonder whether it might need more than 100 individuals to build up a healthy breeding population? My suitcase would probably contain painkillers and other medications to see us through until we can discover herbal remedies or whatever is naturally available on the planet, as well as a selection of books and a good pocket knife.

 

100 would result in a lot of birth defects, not in the first generation or two but after that, due to inbreeding. After a while, defects would decrease. However, as long as you kept reproducing it should suffice.

[Rosie_0801]

Nope!

 

As it is, authorities of various kinds control most aspects of my life. I'd rather that was kept impersonal.

 

But I'll be happy to keep reading your thread-novel on how it turns out.

 

:)

Rosie

[Anne Rittenhouse]

No, but I can probably name 100 people I'd like to see sent. ;)

[Melissa in Australia]

I think it would need to have more people arriving in following groups, or a bigger pool of people from the start (say 1000). looking at history, many settlements that were started in countries like Australia, America, Canada etc. got really desperate before more humans arrived to help it along.

 

We would go. We have spent 19 years building up our property from almost beach sand with scrub into a very self sufficient lifestyle. We would love the challenge.

[Murphy101]

Dh is type 1 diabetic.

Since I like him best in a living state, no, we wouldn't go.

 

I'd take knives and an axe and a shovel.

Tarps. Water purifiers

A survival guides (dwellings, plant/animal/water use, medical) and medic kit

A bible and catechism

 

I'd vote to land where historically civilization fairs best - between some rivers. The vegetation and the animals come to you that way, instead of nomadically looking for them. Also tends to have the materials for making dwellings of some sort.

 

Also, anyone on the trip should be required to know how to hunt and field dress and have some basic plant knowledge. (I'd hate to spend the first month making butt balm bc we wiped with the wrong leaf!)

[Murphy101]

100 would result in a lot of birth defects, not in the first generation or two but after that, due to inbreeding. After a while, defects would decrease. However, as long as you kept reproducing it should suffice.

 

Yes, but it is a big if as to whether they will live long enough to reproduce and if those infants will survive to adulthood.

 

I agree. Need more people. Maybe 300, spread out over different settlements. Far enough apart to reduce turf wars or at least make them a hardy a walk to effort. That way they can communicate, trade, marry, but cultivate different aspects of the region and types of communities. Another benefit of spreading them out is reducing spread of illness. 1 settlement might get wiped out, but hopefully not all of them. A couple days travel by foot at least, but not more than a week?

[TheReader]

I would do it.

 

We'd land in the Brazil-equivalent. Can we be like the Doctor and have a cell phone that works everywhere, so we can at least CALL home?

 

Ah, but which part of Brazil???

 

Have quite a range of climates down here, from tropical to temperate to whatever's a little below/more variable than temperate.

 

Have rainforest, dry, dusty, nothing grows plains, mudslide prone coastal areas, dessert-like areas with no clean drinking water, and drier plateaus.

 

I.e., there's as much variance in geography, though less so in climate, as there is in the US. Very southern Brazil even sometimes gets snow.

 

Might want to narrow down your thoughts a bit. ;) If this were a real thing of course! ;)

 

ETA: I can suggest some spots if you like (insert big smiley here...)

Edited April 6, 2011 by TheReader

[SailorMom]

I would go - although after reading The Sparrow, I'd be very careful.....

Of course, I would only go if my whole family wanted to come too :)

[lionfamily1999]

I'd have to wait until the kids were older :lol: There's no way I could carry all of our books in one suitcase.

 

I wonder how long it would take for a Lord of the Flies incident?

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm rather fond of airconditioning, indoor plumbing, and all of my electrical appliances. This probably isn't the challenge for me. ;)

[Leav97]

Supplies:

 

Medicine\surgical supplies and a good Doctor.

Building supplies

farming supplies

supplies to build a small electrical grid Probably just enough to set up a common area

Kindles with a lot of books

 

Landing zone - Some where temperate with ready access to water.

[FaithManor]

No, I wouldn't even apply. They wouldn't let me take our necessary supplies:

 

One baby grand piano

One grand harpsichord

Two violins

One Flute

One Trumpet

1000 books

 

Our puppy, Lewis!

 

Faith

[Remudamom]

I'm staying here. I wouldn't survive anyway without my meds.

 

BTW, when did you think up this scheme? 3:00 am? I think you're doing research for a new sci/fi series. I'll buy the first copy. Autographed.

[Tap]

I'm staying here. I wouldn't survive anyway without my meds.

 

BTW, when did you think up this scheme? 3:00 am? I think you're doing research for a new sci/fi series. I'll buy the first copy. Autographed.

 

LOL Nope. Just a different kind of thread.

 

 

I think I would go. I was raised hunting/fishing/camping but haven't done much since I was in my young 20s. I love the 'simple life', but always get tempted by technology and modern conveniences so I don't live simply.

 

The thing that would be hard for me, is that while my children would likely be willing to go now, how would they feel about it as adults? To be one the first generations to have children on the planet, and while we would be the elders, they would be the first people raised to adulthood there during the times of biggest struggle (and how that would affect them).

 

 

~~~~

 

My suitcase....would have various sharp implements. Ax, hatchet, knifes, cord/rope, book on survival and herbs for healing, heavy tarps/canvas, cups/dishes/utensils/cooking pot, jars for preserving food, salt (for preserving meat)......hmmmm it is getting pretty full!

[FaithManor]

Oh and Remudamom,

 

A planet is not actually a planet unless it at least has horses! It can never be completely civilized unless it has Arabians and in particular, dappled geldings!

 

Faith

[clarkacademy]

I like adventure, but I like to come home to my house and my books.

 

I recently saw a movie, Pandorum, about the worst that might happen in such a scenario.

 

Nope, I'll take a deserted (or maybe desserted island) for about two weeks, but I want to come home.

 

I just watched Pandorum a few nights ago. That movie was crazy! In answer to the original question I don't know. It would be one of those questions you would wonder for the rest of your life. What would have happened if I had gone or stayed?

[Parrothead]

The only thing is, our bodies are made/have evolved to process our foods grown in our soil. Plant life on a different planet may not support human life. Soil on another planet may not support propagation of our seeds.

 

So prior to our lift-off someone has to go ahead of time and perform soil analysis, water analysis, etc.

 

If the planet is truly Earth-like then I'd go. But I have to insist on our ship being capable of producing electricity until we can get our own power plant/windmills up and running.

 

I'd prefer to stay with the main group unless there is some type of political upheaval or something that makes it difficult to live within the main city.

 

We would need more than one ship. We would need to have a large pool of people with a variety of skills. Everything from engineers to construction workers to teachers to doctors.

[Jeannie in NJ]

nope, I am not a pioneer, however, I am grateful tthat my ancesters were pioneers or who knows where I would be or even if I would be, considering that my ancesters on both sides include both American Indians and Europeans.

 

And dh has never even gone camping so he def. would not want to go, he has also lived his entire life (except for college) in New Jersey and has no desire to go anywhere else.

[Sputterduck]

Martha, I can make you a distiller for water out of almost nothing. No need for purifiers. :)

[Sputterduck]

I'll take my jungle knife, my Bible, lots of extra bras (!!!), my sword, a really good axe, seeds, a good shovel, and a full collection of text books for upper sciences and math because we wouldn't want to go backward with knowledge, right?

[Rosie_0801]

100 would result in a lot of birth defects, not in the first generation or two but after that, due to inbreeding. After a while, defects would decrease. However, as long as you kept reproducing it should suffice.

 

I don't know about that. By reverting to the type of marriage laws found in aboriginal societies, you should be able to minimise birth defects.

 

I wonder how long it would take for a Lord of the Flies incident?

 

On the way there. But I am skeptical about things like that.

 

Rosie

Edited April 6, 2011 by Rosie_0801

[Sputterduck]

I don't know about that. By reverting to the type of marriage laws found in aboriginal societies, you should be able to minimise birth defects.

 

 

Rosie, I'm curious now about aboriginal marriage laws.

[Slartibartfast]

My ancestors were pioneers and NAs as well.

 

One of them in particular had ten children and five died.

 

I cannot imagine :(

 

There are so many stories we have from the pioneer days of my family, some of them horrifying. I cannot imagine that life. I really cannot.

[Rosie_0801]

Rosie, I'm curious now about aboriginal marriage laws.

 

I really can't give you much info because I've never studied it. I have a few concepts floating around in my brain, but I'm not sure if they are the same structure, but different vocab is used in different places, or whether they form a multi layered system, so I'll look it up...

 

Here's an article that gives a brief overview: http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/socialorganisation.shtml

 

Sensible mother-in-law rule. I wish we had one too :D

 

Oh, and I don't know what is with the word "horde" in that article. I've never heard that used. Pretend they say "mob."

 

Rosie