How to stop going stir crazy on a long space journey

[ghosty]

I was watching a documentary last night on NASA's plans and problems of putting men/women on Mars. I didn't realise that they wanted to do so within the next decade or so.

Anyway one problem they highlighted was how do you prevent the crew from going stir crazy if they're stuck inside a small ship for months on end...it'll take about nine months(?) to get to Mars. Anyway bordem would be the biggest problem. At that point something crossed my mind and I burst out luaghing, given 'em a sack full of RPGs to pass the time. It'll sure as hell beat borad games and I'm sure with computer radomizers you can play RPGs in microgravity or zero-G. Any thoughts?

[Captain Zymmer]

Given player arguements that happen from sitting in a small room for two or three ours, can you imagien the fights sfter a month or two...yipe!

I say Virtual Reality is the way to go

[Dan Stack]

heck, just give me some cargo allotment and I'll work on reducing that pile of unread books...

[Perrryyy]

Originally posted by Dan Stack
heck, just give me some cargo allotment and I'll work on reducing that pile of unread books...

I'm with you, Dan. I've got a pile of unread books too.

[Liquidator Queeg]

Just one problem though...

How the heck to you roll a die in zero-G? I wouldn't want no damn 'puter rollin' for me!

Steve

[Aldaron]

Originally posted by Steven A Cook
Just one problem though...

How the heck to you roll a die in zero-G? I wouldn't want no damn 'puter rollin' for me!

Steve

You could do it sort of like the Lotto balls. Have a bunch of dice inside a clear plastic bubble. You shake it round a bit, then stick a magnet on it (or turn on one inside it, for the really sophisticated! ) and see which die lands on the magnet!

Either that, or use something like a roulette wheel?

[C5]

Nah... Computer games are the way to go, guys

Pick up a bundle of games, ranging from long, single player RPG, to multi-player FPS or RTS. If the astronauts are like me, they can certainly hold nine months or more with a few dozen computer games.

Picture that... days to play all these time-consuming games you never managed to finish or play again... *droll* where can I apply for space missions???

[ghosty]

It'll actually be a 2 year mission when you think about it. Nine months to Mars and nine months back and whatever the actual time they'll spend on Mars itself.

[Imagus]

Surely they'll all be enriching themselves by learning to play the oboe, or paint, or performing Shakespeare for the rest of the crew?

Or if nothing else, playing poker...

(Or maybe I've been watching far too much TNG )

[calguard66]

Well, this may be a bit practical but if men and women are locked up together for 18+ months, you'd better send some condoms along.

Frankly, if you had me locked up for that long without any "companionship" I'd go nuts no matter how many books or games I had. Sending mixed gender crews is probably a good idea. Then again, I'm not the highbrow NASA type.

[ghosty]

I very much doubt that NASA could take the PR flak if they don't send at least one female crew member on the Mars expedition. I understand that the proposed crew will be about six, so IMHO at least 2 will be women...hey we have to share?

[calguard66]

Originally posted by ghosty
I very much doubt that NASA could take the PR flak if they don't send at least one female crew member on the Mars expedition. I understand that the proposed crew will be about six, so IMHO at least 2 will be women...hey we have to share?

Seriously... if "relations" are even a possibility they would have to make it 3/3... or find very open minded women, and un-jealous men. Probably have to be some sort of agreement and schedule ahead of time.

It sounds trivial, but an 18+ month journey in close proximity... and given human nature... the possibilities for tensions and jealousies are enormous.

Hmmm... what if someone gets pregnant? 18 months is more than enough time to have the first space-baby.

[ghosty]

I agree that relationships will probably be forbidden...too many things to go wrong...so they'll have to remain celibate for the whole trip there and back. To keep tensions and jealousies down to a minimal the team chosen will be chosen for their ability to function as a team (great for role playing as well) and well I think they'll probably be dumped together years ahead of the Mars mission to learn to get along with each other and learn each other's idosicracies. Chances are they'll be sent to crew the International Space Station to learn to live together in a confined space in micro-gravity before the Mars mission.

[calguard66]

Of course they'll be forbidden... but I'll bet they'll have long term contraceptives injected as well. Humans have engaged in forbidden relationships for thousands of years.

Given that 75% of men and 30-something% of women admit to extra-marital affairs, in a group of 6 the chances are pretty high that at least 2 will stumble.

Look out! Space Herpies!

[LizardQueen]

This reminds me of the beginning of Stranger in a Strange Land. Hope our first Mars mission goes better than that one did...