Organising humanity's first colony in another star system.

Simple question: How would you organise our first colony? I mean, you've got your ship and various systems and protocols all worked out. Those who go will be stuck there on their own for a good long time, maybe years. The only thing left to decide is who gets to go. You have space for 200 people. Who goes, and why? What selection criteria would you use?

My criteria:

• All colonists should be from the same race and religion (or none). Doesn't matter if it's agnostics and atheists, or Muslims, Christians, Jews, whatever; as long as they're all the same. Maximising the chances of survival means minimising the possible divisions among them which might conceivably cause difficulties. Also, people are happier with, and function better among, people most like themselves.
• Every one of them should have at least one university degree which could prove useful. No string theorists. I'm talking marine biology, environmental science, veterinary medicine, medicine, meteorology, et cetera.
• Every one of them should have at least one practical skill. Mining, smithing, baking, hunting, pottery, tanning hides, and so on.
• Every one of them should be heterosexual, willing to reproduce, and capable of reproduction. The second most important objective of a seed colony, after simply surviving, is reproduction.
• No handicapped people. There are no concrete paths on that new planet. If you go in a wheelchair, the only thing you can do is get stuck in the mud and wait to die.
• Every person should be as free as possible of hereditary diseases, syndromes, et cetera.
• Every person should be free of any other freakin diseases and such which might negatively affect the colony.
• Every person should be physically fit.
• Every one of them should be 30 years old or younger. None over. We need people who can work for a good long time, and who can reproduce for a good long time.

That's all I've got for now.

 

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Probably just a selection of scientists from diverse fields, doctors and engineers, and one android.

 

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It really depends upon how long it would take the colonists to reach their destination. If we could develop a Star Gate that allows instantly going anywhere then any age would be fine.

 

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Ok, I'll add the condition that they're pretty much on their own, at least for a few years.

 

Why don't we just grow genetically perfect people once we get there?, heck the technology should be ready by the time we ever get to another star system. Lets say we find a semi-habitable world, a planet with life already, why not just grow bioformed colonists for that world?

 

I read a story once in which that was done. Was kinda cool.

 

which most would only work for the first generation, after that humans being what they are these criteria would be worth zilch.

 

Actually what it's worth is existence. You don't get a second generation unless they survive. Therefore you must give the first bunch the best possible chance of surviving.

 

Scaramouche

How many, 50, 100, 1000, 10000. How many ships. Very risky to send them all in one ship.

Under 30 does this include children?? What about the wisdom of age and leadership.

Humans have many times in the past colonized various remote and inhospitable parts of this world. The main criteria has been effective command without which the best and brightest are reduced to a pack of monkeys. Weapons, soldiers, and leadership are a must.

 

It all depends on how long they will be isolated and wat follows next:
*If you want to send in many more imigrants then 80% would be miners and construction workers and 15% would be engineers the rest would serve as support workers. Here I would choose people in their 30-40 Who have lot's of experience in their profession, a clear bill of health and no children.

* If you wan't to stay isolated, then young families are you best bet altough these will resembles communes and will by most people be frowned apon.

* A scientific community on the other hand can be of any part of the population as you desire. And if their presence on the surface isn't required I would put them in orbit around it on a small captured NEO (these are Nearby objects that with a small course correction like the one the russians are planning now can be captured in a orbit around the planet).
From this body they can teleoperate the entire surface and observe with as little as possible impact

 

I would send robots, self-repairing self-replicating ones, makes thing simple. If we did somehow find a world viable for human colonization, I would just grow humans there, have copies of people here (Gnome, neural patterns) transmitted to the star system and grow them in new bodies.

 

If your going to digitalise people you might as well stop their and let them life in some matrix like server parks of million oppon millions of earths. Somwhere in a appartment on our own earth, and send your self repairing robots out to terraform the universe, whilst you live in your virtual enviroment

 

Bingo. Although a server on a asteroid would be a nicer place.

 

lol

 

Scaramouche, you hit the nail on the head. Though, I say, why stop at these requirements only for another colony? These are great requirements for our nations here on earth.

 

Making them the same race and religion is pointless, as you can't prevent disagreement and division. Christianity is a Jewish cult, after all, and Islam is but a bastardized version of that. And each of those has a half a hundred different variations.

 

It is important to minimise the differences so as to maximise survivability. Making sure they're all from the same group in as many ways as possible is one way of achieving that. Yes, people will disagree over anything and everything. But not having them half Jews and half Muslims is going to remove one great big reason for conflict.

 

Unnecessary. Weight restrictions will probably factor into who and what can be taken. Any people can create their own culture. Any of them can sing a song. If you've got a choice between an artist and an environmental scientist, or an artist and a potter, well, the artist is shit out of luck.

Frozen embryos is a good idea too.

I had suspended animation of some sort in mind, but either way.