Generation Ships

[Sindri]

Originally Posted by mearrin69

I might have missed someone else making this point but it seems the ship itself could be programmed to control population. Maybe it keeps tabs on active population (counting embedded RFIDs or whatever) and pumps the folks food rations with birth control substances when kids aren't needed. If it could do it in a targeted way (rather than just piping it through the ventilation system) then it could even select who has kids based on genetics or something. Of course this would all be a Big Secret. A great conspiracy for people to uncover...and then sabotage and throw the whole thing off balance.

I don't see the problem with alcohol, or even stronger substances? We're talking about a generation ship, not a Navy vessel with a skeleton crew and tight shifts where everybody has to be sober 24/7. Abuse might be an issue that needs to be dealt with but casual consumption shouldn't be a big thing...until the grain harvest fails and people have to decide if they want bread or beer.
M

I think the population can keep itself stable without secret conspiracies.

Well there is the question about whether aiming for a dry ship or a wet ship is better.

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

TL8 means no symptom free drugs, or genetic engineering to help the inhabitants.
We are just now starting to have to redesign society because of the ever increasing "glut" of elderly.
What happens in a relatively safe enclosed environment when most of them are elderly?

They do what they can and the younger generation does the rest?

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Advancement, apart from learning the latest developments from home would not be a real priority. They have no way of obtaining new resources so their focus will be on recycling and maintaining a steady state. Maintenance will be the major priority. After that, learning new developments from Earth, and studying the feed from their destination (since presumably there was an automated probe first. Xenobiology would probably be their most active discipline.

Xenobiology and other things related to their new home would seem to be popular at least among those who are interesting in the eventual destination.

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm going to say that a solo ship in communication with earth won't be focusing on advancements unless They are restricted in the information they receive by the information give. Which is a horribly one-sided arrangement, unless the ship has a nice advantage over earth (maybe scientists predominated, or the specialize in things that can't be done in the solar system OR with probes).

A true solo ship that is leaving earth behind will probably focus on techincal matters. Improving computers might happen, but I doubt it. our society seems to be throwing its full weight at the problem right now, and I don't think a generation ship has the capacity to make progress on the matter. Biology is a good thing to look at because the ship will have incrediable recycling capabilities in the first place (if not, thats the first thing you study). They will likely have very "bland" raw materials, so much of the study could be engineering E. Coli to do EVERYTHING.

If you have several ships on different routes but in communication, and either no link to earth or enough people that the ships can compete, each ship will specialize. The specialization could be extreme, and it could be laughable.
(we do soybeans. they do silicon chips. and the Hope of Man studies every possible use for poo).

and now I have an image of the society where FTL comes along, and you have a very wealthy planet whose inhabitants have extremely derogatory racial slurs.

Well the farther they get away from Earth the harder it is to stay in communication. Also it's not like people won't be interesting in advancing things though they might focus on theoretics and engineering.