When it comes to space travel, we need to talk about the birds and the bees.
Astronauts have confirmed over the past few decades that in space, the flesh is willing. But truth be told, we don't even know if you can actually do the fun part of making space kids. |
 | | George Wylesol |
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By Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith |
In 2017, we wrote a book called "Soonish," about emerging technologies that might change the future. Two technologies concerned space: asteroid mining and cheap rocket launches. We were optimistic that their development might lead to near-term space settlements, so we set out to write the definitive account of the spacefaring future that seemed right around the corner. |
Two years into our research for "A City on Mars," we weren't so sure. Among many ethical and technological obstacles, most glaring was the near total lack of data on the question of human reproduction on planets like the moon and Mars. |
When we talk about babies in space, the discussion tends to focus on sex, conception and birth. We're pretty sure humans will work the sex part out. But what happens after that? We dive into this topic in a recent guest essay for Times Opinion. |
The small number of experiments on animals in space often show abnormalities in cell structure, body shape and hormone profile. This isn't really surprising; going to space and staying there means exposure to extra radiation, a chemically different atmosphere and microgravity, among other things. Even what little data we have may not apply on the moon or Mars, which are the most likely places for human settlement. |
If we really do have a million people on Mars in a few decades — but the relevant research hasn't been done to make it safe — we'll effectively be performing a vast and unnecessary experiment on children. Advocates of space colonization sometimes simply ignore this, but when they do speak up, they talk about "natural selection" and having to change our standards for what is considered valuable human life. |
The most compelling argument for building a city on Mars is the creation of a backup reservoir for our species in case something happens to our home planet, but it would be good if our Plan B wasn't founded on cheapening the value of human life. If we do one day want a city on Mars, let's be patient and do the work needed to make sure we at least preserve the standards for human dignity that have been achieved in Plan A. |
| READ KELLY AND ZACH'S ESSAY HERE | | |
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