Mars?

[popeyespappy]

Trying to come up with the best ways to colonize Mars is sort of like sitting round discussing how to build a suspension bridge out of mercury - it isn't going to happen.

Boru

At -40C mercury is a solid with properties similar to tin. Since the average temperature on Mars is -60C building a bridge out of mercury on Mars isn't as far fetched as one might assume.

And yes, the daytime temperature on Mars can and does exceed the melting point of mercury so you better build your mercury bridge in the shade...

---

And there is still the unaddressed biological issue of 0.38g.

And it's a biggie too. 4 to 6 months on ISS averages 30% loss of strength and 15% loss of muscle mass. Exercise doesn't help much either. Mars wouldn't be nearly as bad but long term exposure to 38% gravity wouldn't be good for a human.

Genetic engineering?

[The Grand Nudger]

Just imagine the stack of waivers they'll have to sign, lol.
(bet that won't even register as a blip in the number of volunteers though)

[Mudhammam]

Is man kid going to live on Mars in the future? Why is this?? Does mars even have gravity? Will man kind ever come back? If you know answers to any of the questions please fill me in!

Donald Margolis: They found water on Mars.
Walter White: They have indeed.
DM: Don't exactly know what to do with that information, but God bless 'em, they found it.
WW: Actually, they theoretically can separate the hydrogen from the oxygen and process that into providing fuel for man's space flights. Ostensibly turning Mars into a giant gas station. So it's a... Yeah. We live in an amazing time.
DM: To water on Mars.
WW: To water on Mars.

[Cyberman]

Also, we will need to leave our solar system when our sun goes nova again.

Well, that at least will never be a priority. Our Sun has never gone nova, nor can it. Especially if you mean supernova.

[vorlon13]

Hate to niggle, but even in 38% gravity, mercury is too heavy for it's mechanical strength (unalloyed) to make much of a bridge. I also think at Martian temperatures it would be a volatile solid, and leaving a chunk outdoors would result in it slowly disappearing.

Good creativity in suggesting a semi-plausible use though.

[popeyespappy]

Didn't say it would be a good bridge. Only that it would be possible at the average surface temperature of Mars since it would be a solid.

I wonder how well mercury would cast? That should make it easier to build a honeycomb structure to add strength while saving weight. I also wonder how fiber reinforcement as opposed to alloying would work?

Also, how much evaporation do you get from solid mercury? .001% annually?

PSS. Can you weld it?

[The Grand Nudger]

The way you're thinking of using it, you wouldn't have to (weld it), it could be poured. Store it hot, fill a form, cut the juice. Standard male/female form ends with an overlap for span construction.

(ignoring the viability, it was just an amusing thought that you brought me to)