PKRudeBoy wrote:As far as population growth goes for the first generation, the starting gender ratio and whether the culture is open to polygamy would have a huge impact. If the colony starts out 80-90% women it could grow much faster then with a 50/50 split. How that would effect the colony generations down the line when the population swings back to normal, I don't know.
Can it really? Sure there are more wombs to get pregnant but at the same time pregnant women can't well work the fields to feed all those children unless you practice some interesting timing.
If the colony has modern+ technology, then there's no reason why they couldn't, for instance, operate the machinery and/or control drones from a more comfortable location. It's not like you'd need people out manually tilling fields or anything. You could also try to stagger said pregnancies so as to not overwhelm your medical facilities.
Still, I have to wonder *why* it's so important to increase your population as quickly as possible; If you are able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, then just work on a more steady, sustainable level of growth...
PKRudeBoy wrote:As far as population growth goes for the first generation, the starting gender ratio and whether the culture is open to polygamy would have a huge impact. If the colony starts out 80-90% women it could grow much faster then with a 50/50 split. How that would effect the colony generations down the line when the population swings back to normal, I don't know.
Can it really? Sure there are more wombs to get pregnant but at the same time pregnant women can't well work the fields to feed all those children unless you practice some interesting timing.
The OP seems to suggest modern/futuristic tech, so I don't think anyone will be slavering in the fields with a hoe and spade. Modern agriculture is rather efficient.
In the context of the OP, well... frankly, the OP's rationale for rapid population growth made little sense when it was finally revealed to us. The idea was that by breeding descendants quickly, the first-wave colonists of a planet could stop Earth from sending opportunistic second-wave colonists by "filling up" the planet's land.
Trouble is, it takes twenty years of hard labor raising the children before you even begin to see an expansion of your labor force and ability to colonize new land in that scenario. Which is more than enough time for the second-wave colonists to plant them quite firmly, brushing aside any sprinkles of isolated homesteaders they may encounter.
Which is more than enough time for the second-wave colonists to plant them quite firmly, brushing aside any sprinkles of isolated homesteaders they may encounter.
That is of course assuming that relations with Earth don't go down the toilet in the meantime resulting in the colony getting bombarded from orbit. No amount of population growth is going to save you from that.
