From Carl Zetie, Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Ed Regis’s piece on outlandish proposals for space travel reminded me of an idea that rarely seems to get a mention. Instead of sending 100,000 people, send 100 million sperm and eggs. Not only do they require few resources on the voyage, which allows for a smaller ship, they would also provide far more genetic diversity for the colony. Fertilisation and incubation on arrival could be automated. That only leaves the minor problem of raising the resulting children, which I leave as an exercise for the reader (1 February, p 21).
