Yeah, I saw the report about the one way trip; a seed of humanity sent to Mars. Well, if we don?t send a robot team to make their arrival easier, what are the odds of survival? The solar panels would provide energy, but how difficult would it be to build the dome? We need to keep in mind that all the work would need to be done on oxygen tanks. There would be unforeseen problems, as there always are, and it would take years for a second ship to arrive.

The Native tribes of the Americas introduce another aspect of culture that needs to be considered, which is the driving philosophy. If we look at China, we see that the culture is driven by ?face?. They seek to make money, but the overall goal is to have face. That?s why they don?t like anyone saying anything negative about them. The American culture is driven by capitalism, the European cultures by competitiveness, and the native tribes of the Americas had their different driving forces. Certainly, the ideology of being one with nature doesn?t propagate advances in technology the way some of the other driving forces do. Also, in the case of Africa, excessively relying on the supernatural to take care of problems has limited their advances. No culture is without any of these things, but we need to consider the significance they play in the different cultures. This goes along with geography and other concepts that lead to changes in history.

I think the mission Mars would prove too hard on people. Instead of sending people, why not send robots to commence the settlement? They could drill for fuel, assemble a structure suitable for shelter, initiate searches for ice and ways of melting and purifying it, diagnose living conditions, and when the humans arrive they could serve as tools for the settlers. I think the key to settling Mars lies in robotics. If we send a group of people, enthusiastic as they may be, it?s too prone to disaster.

What do you guys think about that NASA proposal to send people to live on Mars? We know there are a few willing to go, but could they survive?

I guess it depends largely on what we?re trying to store. If it?s small, putting it inside of tree sap may be a good way to preserve it. I guess a good location is under the sand in a barren desert, where people are not likely to want to build. If we?re talking about something bigger, then I think the first emperor of China had the right idea. He buried his tomb with booby traps and confusing construction, using large stone to protect it. I suppose it has a lot to do with budget, too. Copper or even gold cases would certainly be useful.

That is said, but if we look at history closer we see that, while the victors are the first to present their accounts, the other side?s version surfaces later on. We now have books about WW2 based on logs by Japanese and German soldiers. The Jews have presented their accounts of battles against the Romans that are, perhaps, more read than the Roman versions. Scholars constantly debate, research and rewrite texts from older periods. Nevertheless, it would be interesting and easy to obtain a version of The American War of Independence from a British perspective.