Did Destiny settlers pick the optimal geographic planetary landing site to survive?

[Blackhole]

Did the Destiny settlers pick the optimal geographic landing site on the planet to give themselves the best chance of survival and comfort? If not, what other areas would be better to relocate to and why? Do you think the group will survive on this planet with their present resources?

[Blackhole]

The episode made for interesting drama but in any real world situation imo, none of Destiny’s crew would have elected to remain on the planet.

The reason all the planets that have been visited in the Stargate Franchise have been in forests is the show is filmed in Vancouver. If is far cheaper to do location shooting nearby. Vancouver is very far from the Equator.

Planning to settle on a planet with minimal supplies and equipment would be foolish and possibly not possible anywhere far from the equator. The only place they would have a chance of surviving would be somewhere tropical where the climate is mild and there is food available year around.

A similarly appearing location on Earth would not have that much wild edible vegetation available. I guess this place was better. Since there are no animals present then there is likely no fish either. The absence of animals would make me very, very, very nervous. How could a planet not have any animals on it? Without animal flesh how are they going to get their protein requirements? There might not be enough diversity of wild edible vegetation to meet everyone’s protein and nutritional needs?

I think most people have no idea how hard it would be to survive anywhere where there is winter. Enduring a winter even with the shuttle would be extremely difficult if not impossible. What are they going to do about food once winter arrives and they can no longer forage? I doubt the shuttle has extensive refrigeration capacity. How are they going to store their food? How long do you think fruit and vegetables would keep? Very shortly into the winter they would run out of food and starve. They would have to rush to can and preserve enough food to last them through the winter. How many containers do they have and where would they store them? And how many of those people have ever built a shelter? What are they going to use for tools? They couldn’t have had time to bring much if any with them from Icarus. Do you think the Ancients would have left basic tools on the ship and when would they have had time to load them on the shuttle? Something as simple as nails would be well beyond them. And eating the few indigenous wild fruits and vegetables would get very old after a while. They would need to plant crops? How are they going to do so without tools and seeds?

A tropical environment would have year around edible food and may be survivable; but without animal flesh there may not be enough diversity of wild food there either to fulfill everyone’s nutritional needs. I can understand how basking in the sunshine after being cooped up on a Space Ship would feel tremendous but I really doubt many of the scientists would be so foolish as to not think through the practical requires of survival. I haven’t even addressed any of the possible unknown dangers that may yet arise.

The likely explanation for why there are no animals is there is something present harmful to them. And if so, it would likely affect the humans. And if there are no animals then I assume there are no insects either. Is there bacteria? The life cycle interactions between flora and fauna on an Earth like planet are extremely complex and diverse. Many species require both for their continued survival. I don’t know how viable an Earth like planet would be with flora and no fauna even if it was supposedly “designed” as some type of planetary garden. I certainly wouldn’t want to gamble my survival living on it? Scientists would be intimately aware of this.

The whole idea of people wanting to leave Destiny makes for very interesting drama but in a real world situation I doubt any of the crew would have taken a chance with their survival on this planet. Being off world and involved in the Stargate program they would have been trained and educated to know just how difficult survival would be for a handful of very ill equipped people on an unknown planet, especially one that displays a lack of fauna.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

No, I don't think they picked the optimal site. I also think they lack the basic tools, axes, saws, other metal implments for cutting and shaping wood, necessary for making shelter. It's going to be mini-donner party early into the winter. Particularly if there really are no animals, other than humans, on this planet.

[Blackhole]

No, I don't think they picked the optimal site. I also think they lack the basic tools, axes, saws, other metal implments for cutting and shaping wood, necessary for making shelter. It's going to be mini-donner party early into the winter. Particularly if there really are no animals, other than humans, on this planet.

We are in complete agreement. In their current location I don’t think they would make it through the winter. If they relocated with the shuttle to a tropical location with a year round growing season they could forage all the time. With the absence of animals (no fish) it may be difficult to obtain their protein requirements? Without basic tools they would be limited to the most basic of shelters. Hopefully the shuttle has a long power supply?

I am surprised that Scott and TJ and other military were so willing to stay. They have been trained to realize just how hard surviving would be.

I wonder if the initial crew of the shuttle consisted of all those people that wanted to spend a month on the planet? Maybe Young left the spaces open to volunteers. If so, it would help to rid the crew of those people who are the unhappiest.

As I said before the episode made for interesting drama but in any real world situation imo, none of Destiny’s crew would have elected to remain on the planet. Although people often make rash decisions, the crew of the Destiny it appears, may not be any different.

[Gollumpus]

What everyone else said.

regards,
G.

PS - I have to admit to being somewhat perplexed by the lack of animals. Was it just birds and mammals, or are their no fish as well? What about insects? It would be difficult for a lot of Earth's flora species to propagate if they didn't have the honey bee. Did "The Builders" build in some sort of bypass to this process?

Maybe they just didn't have time for them to evolve...

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Gollumpus,

What everyone else said.

regards,
G.

PS - I have to admit to being somewhat perplexed by the lack of animals. Was it just birds and mammals, or are their no fish as well? What about insects? It would be difficult for a lot of Earth's flora species to propagate if they didn't have the honey bee. Did "The Builders" build in some sort of bypass to this process?

Maybe they just didn't have time for them to evolve...

You're right without airborn pollenators they're going to have a devil of a time getting flowering plants to grow in the profusion we see there (kiwi's and such). Then without other animals to eat the airborn pollenators they're going to be up to their armpits in bugs after a while.

[Blackhole]

Gollumpus,

You're right without airborn pollenators they're going to have a devil of a time getting flowering plants to grow in the profusion we see there (kiwi's and such). Then without other animals to eat the airborn pollenators they're going to be up to their armpits in bugs after a while.

The idea of a "planetary size garden" on an Earth type planet sounds nice as a plot device for a story, but "no animals" doesn't hold if the basic biology is subjected to any scrutiny.

[jds1982]

Do we know there weren't any animals, or are people just assuming there weren't because there were none shown on screen?

Also, they have the shuttle so if life gets too hard where they are, they can just go to a nicer climate.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

Jds,

They have limited fuel in the shuttle. How many times can they pack up and move if the want to make a perminant place to live. If they burn all their fuel flying the shuttle will not do much good as a means for warmth in cold weather.

[Blackhole]

Do we know there weren't any animals, or are people just assuming there weren't because there were none shown on screen?

Also, they have the shuttle so if life gets too hard where they are, they can just go to a nicer climate.

I remember no animals being said but not by whom. About the shuttle, are we sure there is anyone on the planet who knows how to fly it? Does anyone remember if it has been addressed how the shuttle refuels? I can't remember it ever being addressed. It is reasonable that the shuttle's fuel supply is limited and Young did indicate the shuttle was not in the best of shape. I wouldn't want to risk flying it around much.