Moon babies.

Bug-Eyed Earl · Post by **Bug-Eyed Earl** » 2003-05-07 09:27pm

I heard somewhere that if we colonized the moon, the first generation of children conceived there would grow freakishly tall due to the low gravity. Is this true? I wish I could remember where I heard this, but it was many years ago.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-05-07 09:32pm

Well, assuming that we colonized the moon, it seems likely that we would have technology to lower the gravity to a more earthlike level in the closed environments where the humans would live.

And 4,000 posts at last. w00t.

Bug-Eyed Earl · Post by **Bug-Eyed Earl** » 2003-05-07 09:34pm

Durran Korr wrote:Well, assuming that we colonized the moon, it seems likely that we would have technology to lower the gravity to a more earthlike level in the closed environments where the humans would live.

And 4,000 posts at last. w00t.

1. That's a given in this situation.

2. And congrats.

UltraViolence83 · Post by **UltraViolence83** » 2003-05-07 09:50pm

How about some kind of spinning top? The short end placed on the moon's surface, and the spinning part creating centrifical force for higher gravity.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-05-07 10:46pm

Durran Korr wrote:... lower the gravity....

I hope you mean raise.

NapoleonGH · Post by **NapoleonGH** » 2003-05-07 11:23pm

changing gravity is pretty difficult, while we currently have all the technical abilities we need to make a successful moon colony, we just dont have the will

Alferd Packer · Post by **Alferd Packer** » 2003-05-08 01:51am

NapoleonGH wrote:changing gravity is pretty difficult, while we currently have all the technical abilities we need to make a successful moon colony, we just dont have the will

Well, unless there's a reason to do something as expensive as that (a greater return in the long run and/or eventual autonomy), it won't be done. If they found rare minerals on the moon, they'd be chomping at the bit to land there.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-05-08 02:58am

XaLEv wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:... lower the gravity....
I hope you mean raise.

Yikes. How embarassing.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-05-08 02:59am

Durran Korr wrote:Well, assuming that we colonized the moon, it seems likely that we would have technology to lower the gravity to a more earthlike level in the closed environments where the humans would live.

How would we increase the gravity sevenfold in the biodomes? Make the whole dome rotate?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-05-08 03:11am

Darth Wong wrote:
Durran Korr wrote:Well, assuming that we colonized the moon, it seems likely that we would have technology to lower the gravity to a more earthlike level in the closed environments where the humans would live.
How would we increase the gravity sevenfold in the biodomes? Make the whole dome rotate?

See, this is why I shouldn't talk about physical science. Ever.

zagnutboy · Post by **zagnutboy** » 2003-05-08 04:07am

Moon babies, moon babies, there on the sand, from July to the End of September!!

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-05-08 04:08am

zagnutboy wrote:Moon babies, moon babies, there on the sand, from July to the End of September!!

And we have yet another winner!

zagnutboy · Post by **zagnutboy** » 2003-05-08 04:14am

Frank Hipper wrote:
zagnutboy wrote:Moon babies, moon babies, there on the sand, from July to the End of September!!
And we have yet another winner!

What, you can't take a little AM Gold humor?

Jeez. Some people.

GrandMasterTerwynn · Post by **GrandMasterTerwynn** » 2003-05-08 04:15am

Durran Korr wrote:Well, assuming that we colonized the moon, it seems likely that we would have technology to lower the gravity to a more earthlike level in the closed environments where the humans would live.

And 4,000 posts at last. w00t.

Ummm . . . no, that's wank-tech. We could colonize the moon tomorrow if someone was willing to spend the money and provide the shovels. The only way one could boost the gravity in human colonized areas would either be to increase the mass of the moon by entire orders of magnitude (which would play merry havoc on the tides on Earth,) or spin the entire colony up, which is a tactic that would only work in a free-orbiting space colony.

Bug-Eyed Earl · Post by **Bug-Eyed Earl** » 2003-05-08 02:46pm

Guys, I'm not asking about artifcial gravity. I'm asking about the effects of low gravity on children born on the moon.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-05-08 02:51pm

Bug-Eyed Earl wrote:Guys, I'm not asking about artifcial gravity. I'm asking about the effects of low gravity on children born on the moon.

Not really, they would just have deficient skeletons compared to human counterparts and weaker muscles due to lack of force working against them unlike Earth.

Rye · Post by **Rye** » 2003-05-08 03:06pm

Bug-Eyed Earl wrote:Guys, I'm not asking about artifcial gravity. I'm asking about the effects of low gravity on children born on the moon.

I think they would atrophy due to the lower gravity, less constant resistance on their bodies. If they survived, coming to Earth may kill them.