The lack of ethical standards of some people just frightens me.

First, he proposes sending some people to their death. I mean, seriously, do you expect to find anything but death on Mars with our current level of technology if you can't come back?

Second, he's trying to convince people and the passangers/lemmings of the proposed expedition that's it's not actually sending them to death by fake science. Anyone familiar the very basics of statistics knows that you can't talk about 'life expectancy' of four people. And living in (yet to be discovered) lava tubes? Is that his plan?

And last, he wants to broadcast the agonizing death of these people worldwide. Am I the only one who thinks that this is, at very least, questionable morals?

Well, if you put it like that it sure sounds awful. Why do you assume they will die?

I sincerely doubt they'd send anyone to their deaths nor that anyone would accept it, that would be absurd (tho accidents can happen). Consider the amount of effort, time and money such a trip would take. With the right focus, in 50 years we could have the technology to sustain life in space. However, the right focus probably means "if we have something to gain from it". I guess that's why he thinks of a "Big Brother in Space" program that would cover part of the costs. I see the idea has some logic, even if I don't agree completely with it.

On a side note, I always heard that Biodomes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_ecological_system) would be the answer to living on Mars or other planets in the initial phases. Not sure if I'd want to live in lava tubes.

We've had an awful lot of problems getting biodomes to work here on Earth. I'd want them to be pretty much perfected before we try them on Mars.

Well, what makes you think a lava tube is safer? :P I think they'd have to be conditioned and sealed and that might be just as problematic.

But what I said before applies here, too. With enough focus and budget we can advance in pretty much any technology we want. The question is, the ones that can make it happen (investors, governments), do they really want to do it? Does it pay for them?

I think you may be confusing me with the author of the article; I never said lava tubes were safer.

I guarantee you that there are tons of people who would be willing to go on a one-way trip to Mars. And no, these won't be crazy people... I am sure a ton of existing astronauts would be interested. In fact, I would love to be part of such a trip (if gf came along, of course).

Also, why would they die? Supplies would be sent every couple of months.

Space travel is dangerous. It is very likely that at some point a mission such as this would end in tragedy. Turning that into the media circus that is reality television is an awful idea and cheapens the contribution those brave astronauts would be making.