One way mission to Mars

[Ovi]

How do we pay for all of this? Given that NASA's not going to do this, I think that ultimately this would have to be an international collaboration or some sort of commercial venture. Nobody is going to set up a permanent presence on Mars without having some sort of commercial arrangement.
The discoveries that would be made by people working on Mars would have to be patented, there would have to be a cash flow that would pay for this. Imagine the TV rights - think of what people pay for football rights - I mean, huge sums of money.

So the reason we would do this is entertainment? Like circus? And any discoveries should be patented so that capitalists make a profit out of it? Fuck that.

[Dr Mindbender]

I'd like to see a plant that can survive in an atmosphere that has a pressure less than 1% than found on Earth and completely devoid of oxygen. .

Admittedly that is unlikely to happen right away. The first Martian farms will probably be pressurised tents, which will eventually grow into biospheres. Once there is greater biological activity this will have an effect on the local environment and soil enabling plants to grow outside.
You should probably read this- http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/...rs_plants.html
http://www.niac.usra.edu/files/libra...05/944Boss.pdf

So the reason we would do this is entertainment? Like circus? And any discoveries should be patented so that capitalists make a profit out of it? Fuck that.

I think just getting there would be a major bound forward for the human race. While we reside entirely on one world, we are leaving ourselves at greater risk from extinction should a catastrophe strike this planet, if i can refer to the 'eggs in one basket' proverb. Yes, its a pity that we'd rely on capitalist means to get there but i cant think of any non capitalist organisations or nations that have both the means and political will to do it. Unless you are a China fanatic. To me it is unimportant which comes first, scientific conquest or political change because ultimately the end game will be the same thing.