New Social Systems

Hi all

Jim Dator, at the University of Manoa in Hawaii runs an undergraduate unit
in his Political Science degree which calls for students to design political
systems for a Martian colony. Might be some interesting ideas there. Also,
check out the writings of a number of futurists from around the world. The
Australian Foresight Institute provides some interesting links
www.swin.edu.au/afi.

I guess that it is a natural assumption that the society for the first space
colony will be modelled on US society. But which one - there are so many to
choose from? For inspiration, imagine that you are transplanting a city
into orbit. Will it be New York, Atlanta, San Fransisco, Dallas or any one
of three dozen other examples?

When you are choosing which people immigrate, who gets to choose: the US
government or the company that is building the colony?

IMHO, great background reading for this discussion is the Kim Stanley
Robinson trilogy Red/Green/Blue Mars.

Cheers
Andrew Wynberg