I'm starting a new MG story. I was hoping to brainstorm a hair with you guys.
Setting: 'Near' Future. Not dystopian or anything like that, and I'm not going to set an actual date, but approximately 100-150 years from now. We've expanded to have colonies at Lagrange Points, the Moon, and Mars. There are expeditions to other potentially habitable areas of the solar system (Europa, etc.).
My issue question, however, is fairly simple: What is a scientifically feasible 'alteration' that might occur for our human civilizations living in those areas? Something visible on which to base racism. Different coloration of hair, eyes, skin, anything?
I'm leaning towards just having it be based on a new tradition -- tattoos or something -- since evolution doesn't work that quickly and I'm not sure if the changes in solar radiation or atmosphere or anything else could conceivably provide a shorter-term visible change of any kind.
Essentially I plan to deal with racist overtones, but rather than use actual racism there will be schisms between the societies on the Earth versus the colonies.
I'm hoping to come up with something visible.
I don't want to just make something up, like saying that within three generations everyone on the moon has pale skin and blue hair. I'd rather have some sort of vague scientific basis for it, and evolution does not work that quickly.
No need to use layman's terms if you don't want to -- I'm a scientist myself, just not in this area. I know where to find all sorts of information and research, but since no one has actually spent time living in any of these locations there's not a ton of data floating around.
Could living on the surface of the moon cause a change in hair/skin color? Living underground on the moon for long periods of time cause a change in something?
Assuming that I have a means of generating gravity (easy enough at the Langrange point colonies, harder on the Moon/Mars), the issue of changes due to low gravity isn't as much of an issue.
Again, I know we DON'T KNOW what changes (if any) might occur. I'm just looking for some vague basis of what might feasibly happen so I can build on that.
I.e. 'Hard' Sci-Fi versus soft, in this particular instance.
Cheers!
Edit: A good buddy of mine and I just chatted and I can't believe I forgot to take Genetic Engineering into account (to adapt to living elsewhere), which led into various other options. Retrovirus. Mutated viruses for which we need vaccines that have side-effects. Eugenics. Etc.
Setting: 'Near' Future. Not dystopian or anything like that, and I'm not going to set an actual date, but approximately 100-150 years from now. We've expanded to have colonies at Lagrange Points, the Moon, and Mars. There are expeditions to other potentially habitable areas of the solar system (Europa, etc.).
My issue question, however, is fairly simple: What is a scientifically feasible 'alteration' that might occur for our human civilizations living in those areas? Something visible on which to base racism. Different coloration of hair, eyes, skin, anything?
I'm leaning towards just having it be based on a new tradition -- tattoos or something -- since evolution doesn't work that quickly and I'm not sure if the changes in solar radiation or atmosphere or anything else could conceivably provide a shorter-term visible change of any kind.
Essentially I plan to deal with racist overtones, but rather than use actual racism there will be schisms between the societies on the Earth versus the colonies.
I'm hoping to come up with something visible.
I don't want to just make something up, like saying that within three generations everyone on the moon has pale skin and blue hair. I'd rather have some sort of vague scientific basis for it, and evolution does not work that quickly.
No need to use layman's terms if you don't want to -- I'm a scientist myself, just not in this area. I know where to find all sorts of information and research, but since no one has actually spent time living in any of these locations there's not a ton of data floating around.
Could living on the surface of the moon cause a change in hair/skin color? Living underground on the moon for long periods of time cause a change in something?
Assuming that I have a means of generating gravity (easy enough at the Langrange point colonies, harder on the Moon/Mars), the issue of changes due to low gravity isn't as much of an issue.
Again, I know we DON'T KNOW what changes (if any) might occur. I'm just looking for some vague basis of what might feasibly happen so I can build on that.
I.e. 'Hard' Sci-Fi versus soft, in this particular instance.
Cheers!
Edit: A good buddy of mine and I just chatted and I can't believe I forgot to take Genetic Engineering into account (to adapt to living elsewhere), which led into various other options. Retrovirus. Mutated viruses for which we need vaccines that have side-effects. Eugenics. Etc.
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