I just read an article that suggested we genetically adapt a human to living on Mars. Now my question is, will it be humans on Mars or a new species?
I think that even agreeing to have your genes involved in that experiment makes you a new species!
Whoever the first colonists are, I predict they will, in four to five generation's time (80-100 earth years), develop a distinctly 'Martian' accent to whatever their Earth language was. (It took that long for British colonists in North America, to develop distinctly 'Colonial' accents). The physical effects of living there will doubtlessly produce a new sub-species of Human as well.
True, and people that move to a new place develop in their own time warp too, so they will keep parts of the culture they are from and preserve them, long after they are gone on earth probably.
@girlwithsmiles Earth governments will tax them. And they will get pissed off, and start having 'tea parties' and such. Then, the Earth governments will send scarlet-suited 'space marines' to quell the revolt!
@davknight ah, but they will have to breed the marines, so there could be a period of interesting times ahead. I think this plan is for a post earth plan actually, when the place has gone to the cockroaches and woodlouse or ants if you believe some sci fi writers.
Who among us thinks this is a good idea? How many centuries would it take to ''genetically adapt'' someone to (a) endure that long a space flight and adjust to lack of gravity, oxygen, manufactured diets, lack of medical care, etc? And...the cost?
Yes, it would probably cost much more that it would take to, ‘nut out’, the tricky situations on earth for human (and the species we live with’s) survival.
@girlwithsmiles And..that effort could be better used to save this planet!