A Mars Colony Needs Just 22 People to Survive, Simulation Suggests

L4sBot@lemmy.worldmod to Technology@lemmy.world – 132 points –
A Mars Colony Needs Just 22 People to Survive, Simulation Suggests
extremetech.com

A Mars Colony Needs Just 22 People to Survive, Simulation Suggests::undefined

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Not if one of those people is Elon Musk.

Oh, but I think he should be at the top of the list of people who go first. I'm sure he and 21 of his billionaire friends will surely pull through.

Imagine the public freakout if 22 billionaires announced that they were going to Mars together.

4 more...

Until Eric is caught cheating on his girlfriend with Alice....

I don't think the bare minimum of people creating a self-sustaining population can afford to be monogamous. Though it doesn't take many generations before that can start, 2nd gen might even be able to, assuming 1st gen has enough kids.

Guys, I signed up 22 times. Don't worry, I got this.

I remember reading somewhere it was around 500-1000 for a sustainable human colony to begin. Did we get better at avoiding Hapsburg Jaws?

I was wondering the same thing before reading the article. This is for a 28 year mission, and doesn't include setting up the base, or power and water supply.

If it’s basic generic viability I’ve always heard 30-60 though I couldn’t name a source for that.

I think that number comes from long term genetic diversity issues. Some rule in biology about inbreeding depression came up with it

Only 22? Should that include someone for Graphic Design?

I’m sure the “computer-savvy” nephew that came along to the colony can do the designer’s work, a lot cheaper too

And then you wonder why it specifically states "no more...no less .."

Does playing RimWorld count as running a simulation? Cause managing 22 people is too much trouble, unless a few might just be there in case the crops don't do well.

I don't know where i got this same number, maybe in a course talking about genealogy in school, a'd i use it since then.

Iirc, the Matrix used that same number for determining how many humans to leave alive outside of the matrix so that the community wound be self-sustaining before they were able to ramp up breaking people out again.