Did anyone else find it depressing that a large portion of the comments discussed the environmental damage – comparing it to bringing small pox to the Americas…
I didn’t read the comments, but yes, if I had, I would have found that depressing.
Makes sense. IIRC the lunar regolith isn’t that different from the one on Earth in terms of mineral composition. Of course, the equivalent of plants at the time wasn’t quite like the ones we have today either. I somehow doubt we’ll be able to do closed biospheres without engaging in genetic engineering.
As often happens, science fiction has already covered this – a Stephen Baxter short story (I don’t remember the title, but it’s in “Traces”, go read it) deals with a Universe where Earth is uninhabitable with the only remaining humans surviving on the Moon. Metals have become incredibly valuable, and the entire community produces them by growing mustard seed in the metal rich soil. They then eat the mustard as a sacrament, concentrating the metals in their own bodies so it can be extracted upon their (usually very early) death.
Insert Apollo 11/baby boomer/Woodstock joke here.
Did anyone else find it depressing that a large portion of the comments discussed the environmental damage – comparing it to bringing small pox to the Americas…
I didn’t read the comments, but yes, if I had, I would have found that depressing.
Makes sense. IIRC the lunar regolith isn’t that different from the one on Earth in terms of mineral composition. Of course, the equivalent of plants at the time wasn’t quite like the ones we have today either. I somehow doubt we’ll be able to do closed biospheres without engaging in genetic engineering.
As often happens, science fiction has already covered this – a Stephen Baxter short story (I don’t remember the title, but it’s in “Traces”, go read it) deals with a Universe where Earth is uninhabitable with the only remaining humans surviving on the Moon. Metals have become incredibly valuable, and the entire community produces them by growing mustard seed in the metal rich soil. They then eat the mustard as a sacrament, concentrating the metals in their own bodies so it can be extracted upon their (usually very early) death.