Human extraterrestrial colonies: the danger of cannibalism according to an astrobiologist

Humans in the first extraterrestrial colonies could be forced to resort to cannibalism if food resources ran out, especially those dating back to the first difficult harvests in greenhouses. That’s the conclusion of University of Edinburgh professor of astrobiology, Charles Cockell, in a statement to Metro.

Kukel believes first and foremost that establishing an extraterrestrial settlement should be an alternative that is seriously considered in light of the danger facing humanity in the context of the current climate crisis. It is a kind of “insurance policy” against extinction that humanity must “sign” as soon as possible. After all, there have been many massive extinctions in the past, but the difference between us and many species that have gone extinct is that we are intelligent beings with a space program.

According to Cockell, the inhabitants of the first settlements would be at risk of cannibalism, a practice that has been documented in several situations in the past that involved isolated human groups suffering from food shortages.
According to Cockell, if you place a group of individuals on Callisto, a satellite of Jupiter that could host one of the first extraterrestrial human colonies, and if resources start to run out, for example, if the unit in which the greenhouses will grow is damaged Plants One way or another, these individuals are in grave danger of eating each other as there is no other way to survive.

Food supply: a major issue

This may be an exaggerated prediction, but Cockle serves himself in saying that the constant supply of food, when organizing a mission in which a human group must reside for a long time in an extraterrestrial colony, is a fundamental aspect to be taken into account, and a key question.
What a human colony in space should do in the first place is create a safe system for growing plants and storing or creating food resources.

Another major problem: disease

Another problem could be infectious diseases: they can spread very quickly in a closed and limited environment like that of an isolated human colony whose members live mainly in domes or indoor units.
One way to reduce the risk of serious epidemics is to establish several groups in self-contained facilities. If the epidemic spreads, the first infected groups can be isolated more easily.