Mars Simulation Identifies Unsuitable Personality Type For Colonisation Of Red Planet
A new study recently found the right number of residents for a potential colony on Mars. It also threw up an unexpected conclusion - that certain personality types aren't suitable for a potential Mars settlement.?
A study that is yet to be peer reviewed and published on the pre-print server arXiv ran numerous 28-year simulations to figure out the right size of a colony for humanity's best chance of survival.
A 2020 study found that 110 was the right number of people required to fulfill all duties required for survival on Mars. Taking inspiration from that paper, the new team made different assumptions about life on Mars - that the colony had already been constructed and that food, air, and water may be produced locally, in addition to power generation capabilities.
What did the scientists find?
They also assumed that the colony would receive regular supplies from Earth. "Each agent is granted skills associated with their civilian and military occupational specialties consistent with NASA¡¯s Human Factors and Behavioral Performance Element research," the team explained in their paper, "which analyzed the abilities that are generalizable across circumstances and crew roles and those that will be required by all crew members during a 30-month expedition to Mars."
They also gave agents different personality types - Agreeables who are not extremely competitive and aggressive, Socials who are extroverts who require social interaction, Reactives who are competitive and fixated on routines, and Neurotics who are extremely competitive and aggressive and get bored easily. The scientists found that the lowest number required to sustain a Mars colony was 22, lower than what was previously assumed.
Also read:?Mars' History Reveals Possible Habitable Conditions, Cycle Of Wet And Dry Seasons
"The primary observed emergent phenomenon occurs in the decline of the Martian population," the team wrote. "While the members of the settlement have an equal probability of being affected by lack of settlement resources, habitat accidents, or earth shipping disasters, Martians with the 'neurotic' psychology die at a much higher rate than those of other psychologies."
"Once their population reaches a low enough level, the settlement population stabilizes." The team found that neurotic personalities didn't do very well on Mars and that the colony improved when fewer people belonging to that personality type were part of that colony.
Also read:?Mars' Rotation Speed Increasing: Lander Data Unveils Red Planet's Shortening Days
"Martians with the neurotic psychology and a high coping capacity benefit the least from interaction with other Martians, and are penalized the most if they have a low coping capacity. Our results suggest that this effect is a driver of the Martian population decline, and once minimized or removed, can produce a stable settlement."
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