When humans eventually establish a semi-permanent base and start to colonize Mars, children will start to be conceived on purpose or accidentally. What laws will their be concerning the conception of a child on Mars? Even if laws do allow conception, would it be ethical to subject an unborn child to reduced gravity situations that could prove disastrous to its health? Being born on Mars may allow the child to never travel back to Earth because of its weaker muscles/bones. Also, there is always the possibility a child could be conceived accidentally and the medical facilities and supplies to support the newborn child are not present. What precautions/policies should be put into place to be prepared for a pregnancy on Mars?
Quote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:31 pmWhen humans eventually establish a semi-permanent base and start to colonize Mars, children will start to be conceived on purpose or accidentally. What laws will their be concerning the conception of a child on Mars? Even if laws do allow conception, would it be ethical to subject an unborn child to reduced gravity situations that could prove disastrous to its health? Being born on Mars may allow the child to never travel back to Earth because of its weaker muscles/bones. Also, there is always the possibility a child could be conceived accidentally and the medical facilities and supplies to support the newborn child are not present. What precautions/policies should be put into place to be prepared for a pregnancy on Mars?Not a concern of earth based laws, politicians, and lawyers
Quote from: Jim on 03/02/2013 11:37 pmQuote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:31 pmWhen humans eventually establish a semi-permanent base and start to colonize Mars, children will start to be conceived on purpose or accidentally. What laws will their be concerning the conception of a child on Mars? Even if laws do allow conception, would it be ethical to subject an unborn child to reduced gravity situations that could prove disastrous to its health? Being born on Mars may allow the child to never travel back to Earth because of its weaker muscles/bones. Also, there is always the possibility a child could be conceived accidentally and the medical facilities and supplies to support the newborn child are not present. What precautions/policies should be put into place to be prepared for a pregnancy on Mars?Not a concern of earth based laws, politicians, and lawyers I must respectfully disagree. Suppose NASA sends a crew of four astronauts and one gives birth to a child in transit or on Mars. Supplies have only been allocated to support the four astronauts, not four astronauts and a baby. What do you do when the baby is born? Smother it? That would be cruel and could taint the success of a Mars mission with the smothering of a child. Mission control should be very concerned and maybe not have laws put into place, but certain contracts being put in place to prevent conception of a child when not ready.
Quote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:42 pmQuote from: Jim on 03/02/2013 11:37 pmQuote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:31 pmWhen humans eventually establish a semi-permanent base and start to colonize Mars, children will start to be conceived on purpose or accidentally. What laws will their be concerning the conception of a child on Mars? Even if laws do allow conception, would it be ethical to subject an unborn child to reduced gravity situations that could prove disastrous to its health? Being born on Mars may allow the child to never travel back to Earth because of its weaker muscles/bones. Also, there is always the possibility a child could be conceived accidentally and the medical facilities and supplies to support the newborn child are not present. What precautions/policies should be put into place to be prepared for a pregnancy on Mars?Not a concern of earth based laws, politicians, and lawyers I must respectfully disagree. Suppose NASA sends a crew of four astronauts and one gives birth to a child in transit or on Mars. Supplies have only been allocated to support the four astronauts, not four astronauts and a baby. What do you do when the baby is born? Smother it? That would be cruel and could taint the success of a Mars mission with the smothering of a child. Mission control should be very concerned and maybe not have laws put into place, but certain contracts being put in place to prevent conception of a child when not ready. Eat it?Seriously - you're painting a situation that's unreasonable. Irrespective of whether it's a smart idea and whether it is good for the baby, the basic needs of a new born, in technical terms, fall within the supply margins...If there's a window in which you can't physically sustain a newborn, it is very short, and the settlers will have to practice birth control during it.After that, damn straight they are going to have kids. It's a much cheaper way populate Mars then sending them over by rockets.
Please. We are mammals....i really have to tell you what babies eat? And diapers are no basic need at all. The wife of a friend of mine is a midwife and she told me that if you want it you can train a baby pretty fast to show when it wants to go to the toilet and then simply react. Seems to work really good. Isn't that not an issue anyway since espeacially women probably would become sterile(at least temprorary) anyway because of the radiation?
Quote from: Atlan on 03/03/2013 12:18 amPlease. We are mammals....i really have to tell you what babies eat? And diapers are no basic need at all. The wife of a friend of mine is a midwife and she told me that if you want it you can train a baby pretty fast to show when it wants to go to the toilet and then simply react. Seems to work really good. Isn't that not an issue anyway since espeacially women probably would become sterile(at least temprorary) anyway because of the radiation?Ha I seem to have forgotten we were mammals for a minute. How will the baby be delivered in zero-g? The baby will have a very weak skeletal structure and its muscles will be mush most likely.
As for ethical considerations.. no child gives informed consent to being brought into existence, it's entirely the decision of the parents. Whether that is on Mars or in Paris is irrelevant. (I mean, just think about it, there's people out there who are happily making more French people!)
You equate ethical with just informed consent, as if that's the only thing that matters. How libertarian of you.
I would bet that most of us arguing here have no clue.Do we have any doctors or anyone in health sciences in the house?
Quote from: tigerade on 03/03/2013 12:53 amI would bet that most of us arguing here have no clue.Do we have any doctors or anyone in health sciences in the house?No-one knows anything about the development of humans in reduced gravity,
the radiation environment of Mars.
But assume there's some negative effects, what are the ethical implications of parents choosing to have children there?
Quote from: meekGee on 03/02/2013 11:57 pmQuote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:42 pmQuote from: Jim on 03/02/2013 11:37 pmQuote from: ClaytonBirchenough on 03/02/2013 11:31 pmWhen humans eventually establish a semi-permanent base and start to colonize Mars, children will start to be conceived on purpose or accidentally. What laws will their be concerning the conception of a child on Mars? Even if laws do allow conception, would it be ethical to subject an unborn child to reduced gravity situations that could prove disastrous to its health? Being born on Mars may allow the child to never travel back to Earth because of its weaker muscles/bones. Also, there is always the possibility a child could be conceived accidentally and the medical facilities and supplies to support the newborn child are not present. What precautions/policies should be put into place to be prepared for a pregnancy on Mars?Not a concern of earth based laws, politicians, and lawyers I must respectfully disagree. Suppose NASA sends a crew of four astronauts and one gives birth to a child in transit or on Mars. Supplies have only been allocated to support the four astronauts, not four astronauts and a baby. What do you do when the baby is born? Smother it? That would be cruel and could taint the success of a Mars mission with the smothering of a child. Mission control should be very concerned and maybe not have laws put into place, but certain contracts being put in place to prevent conception of a child when not ready. Eat it?Seriously - you're painting a situation that's unreasonable. Irrespective of whether it's a smart idea and whether it is good for the baby, the basic needs of a new born, in technical terms, fall within the supply margins...If there's a window in which you can't physically sustain a newborn, it is very short, and the settlers will have to practice birth control during it.After that, damn straight they are going to have kids. It's a much cheaper way populate Mars then sending them over by rockets.Feed the baby normal food and water? I don't think so. Also, the facilities needed to take care for the baby like dipers? These supplies do not fall within supply margins!!!
Quote from: tigerade on 03/03/2013 12:53 amI would bet that most of us arguing here have no clue.Do we have any doctors or anyone in health sciences in the house?No-one knows anything about the development of humans in reduced gravity, or the radiation environment of Mars.But assume there's some negative effects, what are the ethical implications of parents choosing to have children there?