5.13 Thus, sudden changes in pseudogravity are unacceptable. So are increases beyond the level to which the human population has adapted unless these increases are gradual and medically supervised. V.3.2: Living Space: The psychological well-being of human beings depends on the design of the community surrounding them. This study assumes that a space colony should provide a living environment close to "Earth-normal" for its inhabitants. However, it is unreasonable to expect the living space to be truly Earthlike; a sealed enclosure surrounded by non-habitable space 380,000 kilometers from Earth cannot be realistically modeled by a kibbutz, American utopian community, or small farm town in Iowa. The physical isolation of the colony and the introverted nature of its life are powerful determinants in planning a design responsive to the needs of the colonists. This "introverted isolation" implies a need for private and semi-private space,for relatively frequent access to other environments,and for a strong communications link to Earth. The continuing feasibility of the colony depends in part on keeping the colonists from feeling trapped; on providing the choice of diverse living environments, a wide range of activities and flexibility in colonists' lifestyles and surroundings; on providing ways to look out of the colony enclosure toward the "real" environment no matter how inhospitable it may be; and on enabling the inhabitants to vacation away from the colony and retain ties to relatives and friends elsewhere. The cycles and patterns experienced by the colony inhabitants should also be close to Earth-normal. Such daily cycles might consist of waking up, eating breakfast in the colony, going to work, eating lunch, working through the "afternoon", eating dinper, enjoying the evening's recreation, and going to sleep. Weekly cycles would include "weekends"; yearly cycles would include "vacations". The character of the colony population also affects the community design. The population is expected to consist of a wide range (both sexes and all age groups). It must include manufacturing workers, control system operators, farmers, and health care professionals.
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