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Cameron M Smith

Portland State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member

University of Arizona, Center for Human Space Exploration, Department Member

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I've been teaching human evolution and prehistory since 1999. Undergraduate study at the University of London's Institute of Archaeology and Durham University (UK) (BA Joint Hons), with two field seasons at Koobi Fora, Kenya, then Portland State University (MA) and a doctorate in Archaeology at Canada's Simon Fraser University in 2004. I teach a wide variety of 100-400-level courses in world prehistory, field and lab methods, and regional topics. Research interests include Northwest Coast archaeology, evolution in general, cognitive evolution, aboriginal watercraft, usewear analysis and the adaptation of humanity (and our domesticates) to off-Earth environments, e.g. space settlement. Since 2009 I have been active in the realm of space suit technology, in 2023 joining the U of Arizona's Center for Human Space Exploration as co-Director; our focus here is on the development of new space suit philosophies and technologies.
Supervisors: Kenneth M. Ames, Brian Hayden, Knut Fladmark, Roy Carlson, Anthony Harding, and Alan Bilsborough

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Books

The Meier Site: Discovery, Preservation, Excavations and Meaning in the Modern Day

In the 1980's, Scappoose, Oregon resident Cynthia Ede re-discovered a largely-forgotten archaeolo... more In the 1980's, Scappoose, Oregon resident Cynthia Ede re-discovered a largely-forgotten archaeological site on Sauvie Island, just outside metropolitan Portland. Recognizing that the site was in threat of imminent destruction by local gravel-mining operations, Cynthia went into action and began a decades-long (and continuing) effort to preserve the site. Several seasons of archaeological work on the 'Meier Site' were conducted by Portland State University, directed by the late Professor Kenneth M. Ames. While many technical reports of the findings have been published (including my MA and PhD work, which analyzed thousands of Meier site artifacts over 13 years), this book thoroughly presents the archaeology and history of the site for a wider, popular-science audience.

Evolution and the Drake Equation: An Anthropologist's Estimation of the Probability of Intelligent Life in our Galaxy

Springer, 2025

Most of the factors in the Drake Equation deal with the evolution of life, intelligence and civil... more Most of the factors in the Drake Equation deal with the evolution of life, intelligence and civilization; but these are often mis-represented in DE approaches that are not informed by a detailed understanding of how they have played out on our planet. This book contributes to DE studies(both the more-material and the more-heuristic) by providing modern evolutionary approaches to the evolution of modern cognition (underlying what is often described as 'intelligence') and the evolution and durations of civilizations.

The Archaeology of Europe: An Atlas and Reader

Kendall-Hunt, 2022

A reader of select technical articles and book chapters on European archaeology, spanning the arr... more A reader of select technical articles and book chapters on European archaeology, spanning the arrival of early Homo in the region, through the evolution of Neanderthals, the arrival of behaviorally- modern humans, farming and early statecraft. Designed for a 300/400 level course, the book is illustrated with numerous maps, diagrams and drawings by the author, including depictions of key fossil material, routes of dispersal, important sites, and a number of chronological timelines. The assigned readings are selected to characterize European archaeology at present, and the author's commentaries place these in the context of the history of European archaeology.

Archaeology: An Introduction to Human Evolution and the Origins of Civilization

Kendall-Hunt, 2021

An up-to-date, well-illustrated introduction to the techniques and results of archaeology, the st... more An up-to-date, well-illustrated introduction to the techniques and results of archaeology, the study of humanity's evolution and ancient past. A fully-referenced, low-cost text, well-illustrated with the author's trademark diagrams, maps and photographs from archaeological work worldwide and spanning early hominin studies to historical archaeology.

Principles of Space Anthropology: Establishing a Science of Human Space Settlement

Springer, Oct 2019

Successful, multigenerational settlement of space will require both biological and cultural adapt... more Successful, multigenerational settlement of space will require both biological and cultural adaptation. While biology has studied human adaptation to space conditions in the short term, only anthropology accounts for the distinctiveness of human biocultural evolution on human-generation timescales. From an anthropological perspective, human space colonization will be the extension of human adaptation from terrestrial to extraterrestrial (off-Earth) environments. For these reasons, space colonization should be planned and carried out, from the beginning, with a thorough understanding of human adaptation—both biological and cultural—requiring a new field of anthropology, space anthropology, specific to human biological and cultural evolution in non-Earth environments.
Unfortunately, few in the fields of space access or space planning have a good understanding of evolution or how its processes may be learned from to assist their goals. Similarly, few students of anthropology have any exposure to the world of humans-in-space activities. This book bridges the gap between these fields, to make each more productive in the larger project of establishing human space settlement in a long-term, evolutionary framework. Just as S. Gerathewohl outlined the 'new' science of bioastronautics in 1962, here I outline the principles of an evolutionary, adaptation-based 'exoanthropology'—bearing the same relationship to traditional anthropology as exobiology bears to traditional biology—useful to making a success of the long-term goal of human space colonization.
''Principles of Space Anthropology'' is a technical (rather than popular science) work that will serve as a foundation text and sourcebook for later undergraduates and graduate students studying the prospects of human space settlement.

The Archaeology of Prehistoric Europe: Perspectives from North America

manuscript underway 2016-present, 2026

North American students of archaeology are often fascinated by the archaeology of Europe, but oft... more North American students of archaeology are often fascinated by the archaeology of Europe, but often have misconceptions about continental archaeology. I introduce Europe's history of archaeology, archaeological philosophy over the last century and a half, and the continent's archaeological record, from earliest hominin arrivals to the late Medieval. I comment as a guide to this material for students educated in the North American, anthropologically-centered paradigm.

An Atlas of Human Prehistory

Cognella Academic Publishing, Mar 2018

An impeccably-illustrated and comprehensive geography of human prehistory, ranging from early hom... more

The Fact of Evolution

Penguin Random House, 2011

"In January 2008 the world’s leading scientific journal, Nature, carried an editorial titled “Spr... more "In January 2008 the world’s leading scientific journal, Nature, carried an editorial titled “Spread the Word: Evolution is a scientific fact, and every organization whose research depends on it should explain why”. Speaking for the world of science, Nature publically established evolution as a fact, in black and white, and called on educators worldwide to teach it such.

This popular-science book will walk the reader through the evolutionary process, using plenty of real-world examples to make it crystal clear that evolution does indeed occur.

My focus is on dispelling the common conception of evolution as a sort of noun; a sort of ‘thing’ that produces finished life forms; a unified, intentional process with a kind of ‘itness’.

Rather, I show that evolution is a word we use to characterize the unintended consequences of three independent facts of the natural world; the fact that life forms come from parent generations (replication), the fact that offspring are not identical (variation), and the fact that not all offspring survive to pass their genes on to the next generation (selection).

With evolution characterized as the consequence of simple, observable natural processes, it can no longer be debated.

My previous popular-science title, "The Top Ten Myths About Evolution" (Prometheus 2006) has been endorsed by the National Center for Science Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and numerous well-regarded popular science writers including Ann Druyan, coauthor with Carl Sagan of the 'Cosmos' television series and several books. It is available in libraries and bookstores worldwide, has been translated into Italian, and is also available in a digital format.
"

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution

Prometheus Books, 2006

"Editorial Reviews From Booklist "Among the many topics that have galvanized the public in rece... more "Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
"Among the many topics that have galvanized the public in recent years, the debate over evolution versus intelligent design has generated an outpouring of heated rhetoric from both sides.

Terms such as "missing link," "natural selection," and "survival of the fittest" are glibly bandied about, yet these core ideas are seldom addressed with any degree of accuracy or understanding. In an effort to clarify prevailing misinterpretations and counteract misinformation relayed through the media, from the pulpit, or in the classroom, the authors have identified the 10 most common misconceptions about evolution. From "evolution is just a theory" to "man descended from monkeys," the inaccuracies behind each flawed statement are methodically exposed and carefully refuted, citing and expanding upon legitimate research through detailed annotations.

Passionate in their support of evolutionary science, the authors nonetheless adopt a straightforward and ecumenical approach, precisely distilling each hot-button issue to its cogent essence. The result is a meticulously researched and distinctly presented overview of a complex and contentious issue."

Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved""

The Organization of Production Among Sedentary Foragers of the Southern Pacific Northwest Coast. BAR Intl Series 1741

British Archaeological Reports, 1996

"The study of northwest coast complex foragers--particularly those of the Greater Lower Columbia ... more "The study of northwest coast complex foragers--particularly those of the Greater Lower Columbia River region--assists general anthropology and anthropological archaeology in several ways: it identifies material correlates of one example of complex foragers, which may be useful in other analytical contexts, it assist in understanding the origins of inequality on the Northwest Coast and elsewhere by describing the precontact organization of labour, and it also assists in the understanding of how the unique sedentary foragers of the Lower Columbia region were economically organized in the early-contact period, partially as a test of the accuracy of historical reports. This report investigates the relationship between the organization of labour and usewear and artefact distributions from the floor areas of three aboriginal plank houses excavated in the Greater Lower Columbia River region. These houses date to the late precontact/early contact period, from ca. 1400 AD to 1830 AD. Lithic usewear analysis on tools excavated from these houses was used to identify the range and nature of extractive and maintenance activities carried out within the houses during occupation.

Emigrating Beyond Earth: Human Adaptation and Space Colonization

Springer / Praxis, 2012

Ancestors: An Introduction to Archaeology and Human Prehistory

National Social Sciences Press, 2011

The Fact of Evolution (Arabic translation)

The Arabic translation of my 2011 book, "The Fact of Evolution" (Penguin Random House) as publish... more

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution (Arabic translation)

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution, 2006

Arabic translation of "The Top Ten Myths About Evolution" by CM Smith and C Sullivan (2006, Prome... more

Archaeological Investigations (1991-1996) at 45CL1 (Cathlapotle), Clark County, Washington

by Cameron M Smith, Kenneth Ames, and Elizabeth A Sobel

Peer-Reviewed Papers & Chapters

Optimal Crew Size at Both Departure and Arrival

Interstellar Travel: Propulsion, Life Support, Communications, and the Long Journey (Elsevier), 2024

The population size of an interstellar spacecraft is an important, if not the most important dete... more The population size of an interstellar spacecraft is an important, if not the most important determinant, of the mass of the spacecraft. The mass of the life support system, habitat size, and power subsystem all depend on the number of people on board. The question of how many people an interstellar vessel should transport has been debated for decades and estimates have ranged from dozens to tens of thousands. More recent research has estimated values on the order of 10² to 10³. An almost completely overlooked topic is the population size at the target destination. This chapter provides an up-to-date overview of the literature on population size for interstellar vehicles and at the target destination, its implications for spacecraft design, and an overview of approaches to circumvent the question of population size. The chapter has two parts. The first deals with the population size of interstellar vessels. The second deals with the population size at the target destination. We start by setting the context for the question of population size on interstellar vessels by presenting the key design parameters for interstellar vessels (velocity, mass) and the interactions between population size and other payload elements such as the life support system, habitat, radiation shielding, power, etc. Also, the implications of population size on social organization will be briefly addressed. We then lay out the existing literature on population size and their underlying assumptions (composition of initial population, genetics, etc.). A particular focus will be on more recent estimates, which are mostly simulation-based and provide a more dynamic perspective on population size over the duration of the voyage. We present the most recent estimates and provide perspectives on future research, e.g., factors which have not yet been taken into consideration. At the end, we briefly introduce efforts to circumvent the question of population size via approaches such as hibernation, embryo settlement, human uploading/beaming, their maturity and prospects on radically changing our perspective on population size.

In the second part, we deal with the question of population size at the target destination, which is an underexplored topic. An estimate by analogy gives values between 104 and 105, based on the minimum population size of humans on Earth in our past and a safety margin, taking into account the increased level of risk, compared to life on a generation ship.

The Use of Pressurized Garments in Space Analog Facilities and Studies

Proceedings of the VI Space Resources Conference, Kraków, Poland, 2023

Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activ... more Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activities. These suits are often non-gastight coveralls paired with a bubble-type helmet supplied with standard atmospheric air from fans in an improvised backpack. Such arrangements are intended to add to the complexity and challenge of EVA such that the simulation is more realistic, incorporating the challenges of wearing such garments that restrict movement and dexterity, demand radio communications, etc. While such efforts have been useful to date, there are good reasons to use affordable, fully-pressurized garments in these cases. We outline the rationale, logistics and operational issues of pressurized garment use in space analog stations and studies, providing some examples, preliminary test data and commentary on the philosophy of EVA activities.

Maintaining the Biocultural Health of Interstellar Voyaging Cultures: Lessons from Institutions, Cultural Adaptation, and Cultural Propagation

Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations (Elsevier), 2023

The biocultural health of populations engaged in interstellar voyaging may be maintained by well-... more

A Cognitive Transition Underlying Both Technological and Social Aspects of Cumulative Culture

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2020

The argument that cumulative technological culture originates in technical-reasoning skills is n... more The argument that cumulative technological culture originates in technical-reasoning skills is not the only alternative to social accounts; another possibility is that accumulation of both technical-reasoning skills and enhanced social skills stemmed from the onset of a more basic cognitive ability such as recursive representational redescription. The paper confuses individual learning of pre-existing information with creative generation of new information.

Exploring the Psychological Basis for Transitions in the Archaeological Record

Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology: A Psychological Framework, 2020

No other species remotely approaches the human capacity for the cultural evolution of novelty tha... more No other species remotely approaches the human capacity for the cultural evolution of novelty that is accumulative, adaptive, and open-ended (i.e., with no a priori limit on the size or scope of possibilities). By culture we mean extrasomatic adaptations--including behavior and technology--that are socially rather than sexually transmitted. This chapter synthesizes research from anthropology, psychology, archaeology, and agent-based modeling into a speculative yet coherent account of two fundamental cognitive transitions underlying human cultural evolution that is consistent with contemporary psychology. While the chapter overlaps with a more technical paper on this topic (Gabora & Smith 2018), it incorporates new research and elaborates a genetic component to our overall argument. The ideas in this chapter grew out of a non-Darwinian framework for cultural evolution, referred to as the Self-other Reorganization (SOR) theory of cultural evolution (Gabora, 2013, in press; Smith, 2013), which was inspired by research on the origin and earliest stage in the evolution of life (Cornish-Bowden & Cárdenas 2017; Goldenfeld, Biancalani, & Jafarpour, 2017, Vetsigian, Woese, & Goldenfeld 2006; Woese, 2002). SOR bridges psychological research on fundamental aspects of our human nature such as creativity and our proclivity to reflect on ideas from different perspectives, with the literature on evolutionary approaches to cultural evolution that aspire to synthesize the behavioral sciences much as has been done for the biological scientists. The current chapter is complementary to this effort, but less abstract; it attempts to ground the theory of cultural evolution in terms of cognitive transitions as suggested by archaeological evidence.

The Meier Site: Discovery, Preservation, Excavations and Meaning in the Modern Day

In the 1980's, Scappoose, Oregon resident Cynthia Ede re-discovered a largely-forgotten archaeolo... more In the 1980's, Scappoose, Oregon resident Cynthia Ede re-discovered a largely-forgotten archaeological site on Sauvie Island, just outside metropolitan Portland. Recognizing that the site was in threat of imminent destruction by local gravel-mining operations, Cynthia went into action and began a decades-long (and continuing) effort to preserve the site. Several seasons of archaeological work on the 'Meier Site' were conducted by Portland State University, directed by the late Professor Kenneth M. Ames. While many technical reports of the findings have been published (including my MA and PhD work, which analyzed thousands of Meier site artifacts over 13 years), this book thoroughly presents the archaeology and history of the site for a wider, popular-science audience.

Evolution and the Drake Equation: An Anthropologist's Estimation of the Probability of Intelligent Life in our Galaxy

Springer, 2025

Most of the factors in the Drake Equation deal with the evolution of life, intelligence and civil... more Most of the factors in the Drake Equation deal with the evolution of life, intelligence and civilization; but these are often mis-represented in DE approaches that are not informed by a detailed understanding of how they have played out on our planet. This book contributes to DE studies(both the more-material and the more-heuristic) by providing modern evolutionary approaches to the evolution of modern cognition (underlying what is often described as 'intelligence') and the evolution and durations of civilizations.

The Archaeology of Europe: An Atlas and Reader

Kendall-Hunt, 2022

A reader of select technical articles and book chapters on European archaeology, spanning the arr... more A reader of select technical articles and book chapters on European archaeology, spanning the arrival of early Homo in the region, through the evolution of Neanderthals, the arrival of behaviorally- modern humans, farming and early statecraft. Designed for a 300/400 level course, the book is illustrated with numerous maps, diagrams and drawings by the author, including depictions of key fossil material, routes of dispersal, important sites, and a number of chronological timelines. The assigned readings are selected to characterize European archaeology at present, and the author's commentaries place these in the context of the history of European archaeology.

Archaeology: An Introduction to Human Evolution and the Origins of Civilization

Kendall-Hunt, 2021

An up-to-date, well-illustrated introduction to the techniques and results of archaeology, the st... more An up-to-date, well-illustrated introduction to the techniques and results of archaeology, the study of humanity's evolution and ancient past. A fully-referenced, low-cost text, well-illustrated with the author's trademark diagrams, maps and photographs from archaeological work worldwide and spanning early hominin studies to historical archaeology.

Principles of Space Anthropology: Establishing a Science of Human Space Settlement

Springer, Oct 2019

Successful, multigenerational settlement of space will require both biological and cultural adapt... more Successful, multigenerational settlement of space will require both biological and cultural adaptation. While biology has studied human adaptation to space conditions in the short term, only anthropology accounts for the distinctiveness of human biocultural evolution on human-generation timescales. From an anthropological perspective, human space colonization will be the extension of human adaptation from terrestrial to extraterrestrial (off-Earth) environments. For these reasons, space colonization should be planned and carried out, from the beginning, with a thorough understanding of human adaptation—both biological and cultural—requiring a new field of anthropology, space anthropology, specific to human biological and cultural evolution in non-Earth environments.
Unfortunately, few in the fields of space access or space planning have a good understanding of evolution or how its processes may be learned from to assist their goals. Similarly, few students of anthropology have any exposure to the world of humans-in-space activities. This book bridges the gap between these fields, to make each more productive in the larger project of establishing human space settlement in a long-term, evolutionary framework. Just as S. Gerathewohl outlined the 'new' science of bioastronautics in 1962, here I outline the principles of an evolutionary, adaptation-based 'exoanthropology'—bearing the same relationship to traditional anthropology as exobiology bears to traditional biology—useful to making a success of the long-term goal of human space colonization.
''Principles of Space Anthropology'' is a technical (rather than popular science) work that will serve as a foundation text and sourcebook for later undergraduates and graduate students studying the prospects of human space settlement.

The Archaeology of Prehistoric Europe: Perspectives from North America

manuscript underway 2016-present, 2026

North American students of archaeology are often fascinated by the archaeology of Europe, but oft... more North American students of archaeology are often fascinated by the archaeology of Europe, but often have misconceptions about continental archaeology. I introduce Europe's history of archaeology, archaeological philosophy over the last century and a half, and the continent's archaeological record, from earliest hominin arrivals to the late Medieval. I comment as a guide to this material for students educated in the North American, anthropologically-centered paradigm.

An Atlas of Human Prehistory

Cognella Academic Publishing, Mar 2018

An impeccably-illustrated and comprehensive geography of human prehistory, ranging from early hom... more

The Fact of Evolution

Penguin Random House, 2011

"In January 2008 the world’s leading scientific journal, Nature, carried an editorial titled “Spr... more "In January 2008 the world’s leading scientific journal, Nature, carried an editorial titled “Spread the Word: Evolution is a scientific fact, and every organization whose research depends on it should explain why”. Speaking for the world of science, Nature publically established evolution as a fact, in black and white, and called on educators worldwide to teach it such.

This popular-science book will walk the reader through the evolutionary process, using plenty of real-world examples to make it crystal clear that evolution does indeed occur.

My focus is on dispelling the common conception of evolution as a sort of noun; a sort of ‘thing’ that produces finished life forms; a unified, intentional process with a kind of ‘itness’.

Rather, I show that evolution is a word we use to characterize the unintended consequences of three independent facts of the natural world; the fact that life forms come from parent generations (replication), the fact that offspring are not identical (variation), and the fact that not all offspring survive to pass their genes on to the next generation (selection).

With evolution characterized as the consequence of simple, observable natural processes, it can no longer be debated.

My previous popular-science title, "The Top Ten Myths About Evolution" (Prometheus 2006) has been endorsed by the National Center for Science Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and numerous well-regarded popular science writers including Ann Druyan, coauthor with Carl Sagan of the 'Cosmos' television series and several books. It is available in libraries and bookstores worldwide, has been translated into Italian, and is also available in a digital format.
"

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution

Prometheus Books, 2006

"Editorial Reviews From Booklist "Among the many topics that have galvanized the public in rece... more "Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
"Among the many topics that have galvanized the public in recent years, the debate over evolution versus intelligent design has generated an outpouring of heated rhetoric from both sides.

Terms such as "missing link," "natural selection," and "survival of the fittest" are glibly bandied about, yet these core ideas are seldom addressed with any degree of accuracy or understanding. In an effort to clarify prevailing misinterpretations and counteract misinformation relayed through the media, from the pulpit, or in the classroom, the authors have identified the 10 most common misconceptions about evolution. From "evolution is just a theory" to "man descended from monkeys," the inaccuracies behind each flawed statement are methodically exposed and carefully refuted, citing and expanding upon legitimate research through detailed annotations.

Passionate in their support of evolutionary science, the authors nonetheless adopt a straightforward and ecumenical approach, precisely distilling each hot-button issue to its cogent essence. The result is a meticulously researched and distinctly presented overview of a complex and contentious issue."

Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved""

The Organization of Production Among Sedentary Foragers of the Southern Pacific Northwest Coast. BAR Intl Series 1741

British Archaeological Reports, 1996

"The study of northwest coast complex foragers--particularly those of the Greater Lower Columbia ... more "The study of northwest coast complex foragers--particularly those of the Greater Lower Columbia River region--assists general anthropology and anthropological archaeology in several ways: it identifies material correlates of one example of complex foragers, which may be useful in other analytical contexts, it assist in understanding the origins of inequality on the Northwest Coast and elsewhere by describing the precontact organization of labour, and it also assists in the understanding of how the unique sedentary foragers of the Lower Columbia region were economically organized in the early-contact period, partially as a test of the accuracy of historical reports. This report investigates the relationship between the organization of labour and usewear and artefact distributions from the floor areas of three aboriginal plank houses excavated in the Greater Lower Columbia River region. These houses date to the late precontact/early contact period, from ca. 1400 AD to 1830 AD. Lithic usewear analysis on tools excavated from these houses was used to identify the range and nature of extractive and maintenance activities carried out within the houses during occupation.

Emigrating Beyond Earth: Human Adaptation and Space Colonization

Springer / Praxis, 2012

Ancestors: An Introduction to Archaeology and Human Prehistory

National Social Sciences Press, 2011

The Fact of Evolution (Arabic translation)

The Arabic translation of my 2011 book, "The Fact of Evolution" (Penguin Random House) as publish... more

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution (Arabic translation)

The Top Ten Myths About Evolution, 2006

Arabic translation of "The Top Ten Myths About Evolution" by CM Smith and C Sullivan (2006, Prome... more

Archaeological Investigations (1991-1996) at 45CL1 (Cathlapotle), Clark County, Washington

by Cameron M Smith, Kenneth Ames, and Elizabeth A Sobel

Optimal Crew Size at Both Departure and Arrival

Interstellar Travel: Propulsion, Life Support, Communications, and the Long Journey (Elsevier), 2024

The population size of an interstellar spacecraft is an important, if not the most important dete... more The population size of an interstellar spacecraft is an important, if not the most important determinant, of the mass of the spacecraft. The mass of the life support system, habitat size, and power subsystem all depend on the number of people on board. The question of how many people an interstellar vessel should transport has been debated for decades and estimates have ranged from dozens to tens of thousands. More recent research has estimated values on the order of 10² to 10³. An almost completely overlooked topic is the population size at the target destination. This chapter provides an up-to-date overview of the literature on population size for interstellar vehicles and at the target destination, its implications for spacecraft design, and an overview of approaches to circumvent the question of population size. The chapter has two parts. The first deals with the population size of interstellar vessels. The second deals with the population size at the target destination. We start by setting the context for the question of population size on interstellar vessels by presenting the key design parameters for interstellar vessels (velocity, mass) and the interactions between population size and other payload elements such as the life support system, habitat, radiation shielding, power, etc. Also, the implications of population size on social organization will be briefly addressed. We then lay out the existing literature on population size and their underlying assumptions (composition of initial population, genetics, etc.). A particular focus will be on more recent estimates, which are mostly simulation-based and provide a more dynamic perspective on population size over the duration of the voyage. We present the most recent estimates and provide perspectives on future research, e.g., factors which have not yet been taken into consideration. At the end, we briefly introduce efforts to circumvent the question of population size via approaches such as hibernation, embryo settlement, human uploading/beaming, their maturity and prospects on radically changing our perspective on population size.

In the second part, we deal with the question of population size at the target destination, which is an underexplored topic. An estimate by analogy gives values between 104 and 105, based on the minimum population size of humans on Earth in our past and a safety margin, taking into account the increased level of risk, compared to life on a generation ship.

The Use of Pressurized Garments in Space Analog Facilities and Studies

Proceedings of the VI Space Resources Conference, Kraków, Poland, 2023

Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activ... more Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activities. These suits are often non-gastight coveralls paired with a bubble-type helmet supplied with standard atmospheric air from fans in an improvised backpack. Such arrangements are intended to add to the complexity and challenge of EVA such that the simulation is more realistic, incorporating the challenges of wearing such garments that restrict movement and dexterity, demand radio communications, etc. While such efforts have been useful to date, there are good reasons to use affordable, fully-pressurized garments in these cases. We outline the rationale, logistics and operational issues of pressurized garment use in space analog stations and studies, providing some examples, preliminary test data and commentary on the philosophy of EVA activities.

Maintaining the Biocultural Health of Interstellar Voyaging Cultures: Lessons from Institutions, Cultural Adaptation, and Cultural Propagation

Interstellar Travel: Purpose and Motivations (Elsevier), 2023

The biocultural health of populations engaged in interstellar voyaging may be maintained by well-... more

A Cognitive Transition Underlying Both Technological and Social Aspects of Cumulative Culture

Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2020

The argument that cumulative technological culture originates in technical-reasoning skills is n... more The argument that cumulative technological culture originates in technical-reasoning skills is not the only alternative to social accounts; another possibility is that accumulation of both technical-reasoning skills and enhanced social skills stemmed from the onset of a more basic cognitive ability such as recursive representational redescription. The paper confuses individual learning of pre-existing information with creative generation of new information.

Exploring the Psychological Basis for Transitions in the Archaeological Record

Handbook of Cognitive Archaeology: A Psychological Framework, 2020

No other species remotely approaches the human capacity for the cultural evolution of novelty tha... more No other species remotely approaches the human capacity for the cultural evolution of novelty that is accumulative, adaptive, and open-ended (i.e., with no a priori limit on the size or scope of possibilities). By culture we mean extrasomatic adaptations--including behavior and technology--that are socially rather than sexually transmitted. This chapter synthesizes research from anthropology, psychology, archaeology, and agent-based modeling into a speculative yet coherent account of two fundamental cognitive transitions underlying human cultural evolution that is consistent with contemporary psychology. While the chapter overlaps with a more technical paper on this topic (Gabora & Smith 2018), it incorporates new research and elaborates a genetic component to our overall argument. The ideas in this chapter grew out of a non-Darwinian framework for cultural evolution, referred to as the Self-other Reorganization (SOR) theory of cultural evolution (Gabora, 2013, in press; Smith, 2013), which was inspired by research on the origin and earliest stage in the evolution of life (Cornish-Bowden & Cárdenas 2017; Goldenfeld, Biancalani, & Jafarpour, 2017, Vetsigian, Woese, & Goldenfeld 2006; Woese, 2002). SOR bridges psychological research on fundamental aspects of our human nature such as creativity and our proclivity to reflect on ideas from different perspectives, with the literature on evolutionary approaches to cultural evolution that aspire to synthesize the behavioral sciences much as has been done for the biological scientists. The current chapter is complementary to this effort, but less abstract; it attempts to ground the theory of cultural evolution in terms of cognitive transitions as suggested by archaeological evidence.

Worldships: Feasibilty and Rationale

Acta Futura, European Space Agency Advanced Concepts Team, 2020

World ships are hypothetical, large, self-contained spacecraft for crewed interstellar travel, t... more World ships are hypothetical, large, self-contained spacecraft for crewed interstellar travel, taking centuries to reach other stars. Due to their crewed nature, size and long trip times, the feasibility of world ships faces an additional set of challenges compared to interstellar probes. Despite their emergence in the 1980s, most of these topics remain unexplored. This article revisits some of the key feasibility issues of world ships. First, deﬁnitions of world ships from the literature are revisited and the notion of world ship positioned with respect to similar concepts such as generation ships. Second, the key question of population size is revisited in light of recent results from the literature. Third, socio-technical and economic feasibility issues are evaluated. Finally, world ships are compared to potential alternative modes of crewed interstellar travel. Key roadblocks for world ships are the large amount of required resources, shifting its economic feasibility beyond the year 2300 and the development of a maintenance system capable of detecting, replacing, and repairing several components per second. The emergence of alternative, less costly modes of crewed interstellar travel at an earlier point in time might render world ships obsolete

Prediction and Prescription in Mars Settlement Studies

Human Enhancements for Space Missions: Lunar, Martian, and Future Missions to the Outer Planets, 2020

I delineate practical thoughtscapes regarding human biocultural adaptive responses as applied to ... more

Incidence of an Astronaut Not Sealing the Pressure Garment Visor on Reentry

by Cameron M Smith and Trent Tresch

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, 2019

Audiovisual records of a Project Mercury pilot's activities during an orbital flight indicate tha... more Audiovisual records of a Project Mercury pilot's activities during an orbital flight indicate that his visor was left open during reentry and descent to the sea surface, phases of flight during which cabin pressure loss was to be mitigated by suit pressurization; however, the suit could not have been pressurized with the visor open. Thus, for a presently unknown reason, a critical safety step-sealing the visor and making a pressure suit integrity test before reentry-was overlooked in this flight. Later, Space Shuttle flights were carried out with visors unsealed for much of the launch and landing phases, with the false assumption that they could be closed if the crew cabin were to lose cabin pressure rapidly. The lessons are clear: first, spaceflight crews should be trained to seal visors for the entire launch and landing phases; and second, procedure checklists will always be important to crewed flight, in both public and private spaceflight.

The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis Facilitates Evolutionary Models of Culture Change

Cliodynamics, 2018

The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is beginning to fulfill the whole promise of Darwinian ... more The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is beginning to fulfill the whole promise of Darwinian insight through its extension of evolutionary understanding from the biological domain to include cultural information evolution. This constitutes the origins of an evolutionary study of culture change free of the social-darwinism and ecologically-deterministic baggage that characterized earlier such approaches.

Two Cognitive Transitions Underlying the Capacity for Cultural Evolution

Journal of Anthropological Sciences, 2018

This paper proposes that the distinctively human capacity for cumulative, adaptive, open-ended cu... more This paper proposes that the distinctively human capacity for cumulative, adaptive, open-ended cultural evolution came about through two temporally-distinct cognitive transitions, for which we propose a neuro-cognitive explanation. First, the origin of Homo-specific culture over two MYA was made possible by the onset of a finer-grained associative memory that allowed episodes to be encoded in greater detail. This in turn meant more overlap amongst the distributed representations of these episodes, such that they could more readily evoke one another through self-triggered recall (STR). STR enabled representational redescription, the chaining of thoughts and actions, and the capacity for a stream of thought. Second, fully cognitive modernity following the appearance of anatomical modernity after 200,000 BP, was made possible by the onset of contextual focus (CF): the ability to shift between an explicit convergent mode conducive to logic and refinement of ideas, and an implicit divergent mode conducive to free-association, viewing situations from radically new perspectives, concept combination, analogical thinking, and insight. This paved the way for an integrated, creative internal network of understandings, and behavioral modernity. We discuss feasible neural mechanisms for this two-stage proposal, and outline how STR and CF differ from other proposals. We provide computational evidence for the proposal obtained with an agent-based model of cultural evolution in which agents invent ideas for actions and imitate the fittest of their neighbors’ actions. Mean fitness and diversity of actions across the artificial society increased with STR, and even more so with CF, but CF was only effective if STR was already in place. CF was most effective following a change in task, which supports its hypothesized role in escaping mental fixation. The proposal is discussed in the context of transition theory in the life sciences.

Contextualizing the Chinook at Contact: the Middle Village

by Doug Wilson, Kenneth Ames, and Cameron M Smith

Frontiers of Colonialism, Jun 1, 2017

Chapter in edited volume covering contact-era aboriginal habitation at Middle Village, Washington... more Chapter in edited volume covering contact-era aboriginal habitation at Middle Village, Washington, near the mouth of the Columbia River. Excavation and analysis of features and artifacts reveal similarities to and differences from contemporary levels at important sites upriver ( though within the same Chinookan cultural region) at the Meier and Cathlapotle villages. The volume is 'Frontiers of Colonialism', edited by C.D. Baule (University Press of Florida, 2017).

Artifact Type Descriptions for Cathlapotle (45CL1) and Meier (35C05):Lithic Technology, Projectile Points, Osseous Artifacts, and Artifact Classification of the Cathlapotle and Meier Archaeological Sites, Lower Columbia River

Wapato Valley Archaeology Project Report, 2018

Formal type delineation for >140 stone, bone and antler artifact types from these protohistoric s... more Formal type delineation for >140 stone, bone and antler artifact types from these protohistoric sites of the Lower Columbia River, representing sedentary riverine forager material culture adaptations. Types are morphofunctional-utilitarian and based on form and wear; descriptive material herein comments on production stages, but detailed analyses of such will follow in specialized papers.

Evolutionary and Archaeological Perspectives on Estimating the Likelihood of Civilization Collapse

Nanotechnology Perceptions, 2017

The likelihood that modern civilization will collapse has been estimated many times for many reas... more The likelihood that modern civilization will collapse has been estimated many times for many reasons. From evolutionary and archaeological perspectives, the repeated disintegration of ancient civilizations (none have survived more than a few millennia) are unsurprising. Can we expect modern civilization to also collapse? This is likely absent proactive, self-preservative methods that may be informed by survival strategies known to evolutionary biology. Such methods include deployment of technologies to realize the current potential of modern civilization (and the modern genomes we select to protect) to be the Earth’s most long-lived complex adaptive system. I suggest some of these methods, which include the uses of technology to spread humanity from Earth to other solar system habitats.

An Adaptive Paradigm for Human Space Settlement

Acta Astronautica, 2016

Because permanent space settlement will be multigenerational it will have to be viable on ecologi... more Because permanent space settlement will be multigenerational it will have to be viable on ecological timescales so far unfamiliar to those planning space exploration. Long-term viability will require evolutionary and adaptive planning. Adaptations in the natural world provide many lessons for such planning, but implementing these lessons will require a new, evolutionary paradigm for envisioning and carrying out Earth-independent space settlement. I describe some of these adaptive lessons and propose some cognitive shifts required to implement them in a genuinely evolutionary approach to human space settlement.

Usewear, Chaine Opératoire and Activity Class Analysis of Labour Organization Among Pacific Northwest Coast Sedentary Foragers

Antiquity, Jun 2015

The pre-Contact foraging communities of the north-west coast of North America have long been reco... more The pre-Contact foraging communities of the north-west coast of North America have long been recognised as exhibiting many of the features we associate with agricultural societies, including sedentism and social inequality. Evidence from the pre-Contact plank house communities of Meier and Cathlapotle throws new light on the spatial organisation of these societies. Detailed analysis of stone tools allows the spatial division of labour to be determined within these large, multi-family households. This reveals that while some tasks were associated with particular social ranks, a hierarchical community can be identified in each plank house. Overall, the differences lie in the degree of engagement rather than the kind of activity, helping to characterise labour organisation among these unique, sedentary foragers. The results also provide insight into the potential of stone tool analysis for social reconstruction.

The MarsCart: Simple, Reliable, Non-Powered, Field-Maintainable Transportation for Short-Range, Small-Payload Extravehicular Activity on Mars

by Cameron M Smith and Louis-Philippe LONCKE

Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, 2015

Medium-range (here defined as under 100 km from a given habitat) extra-vehicular activity (EVA) o... more Medium-range (here defined as under 100 km from a given habitat) extra-vehicular activity (EVA) on Mars will undoubtedly use some variety of mechanized all-terrain vehicles (ATV’s), but there will be times when it is desirable to transport small loads (here defined as under 300 kgf Earth mass 114 kgf Mars mass) without powered, mechanized aid. There is good reason, then, to design a simple vehicle capable of transporting small loads on Mars, similar to the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET) used to transport gear on the moon during the Apollo 14 mission. On Earth equipment is carried in backpack, but for the forseeable future, on Mars explorers will wear a backpack-like portable life support system (PLSS). We propose a ‘wheeled sledge’ or ‘Marscart’, towed with simple traces. This paper introduces the essential design elements and dimensions and presents considerations based the authors’ experience with pulling similar vehicles in Arctic and Australian expeditions. The basic ‘MarsCart’ design is based on lessons from these expeditions as well as lessons from a general anthropological
consideration of equipment design among mobile human societies in which low-tech but reliable tools are used to adapt to various environments for survival and exploration.

Estimation of a Genetically Viable Population for Multigenerational Interstellar Voyaging: Review and Data for Project Hyperion

Acta Astronautica, Apr 2014

"Designing interstellar starships for human migration to exoplanets requires establishing the sta... more "Designing interstellar starships for human migration to exoplanets requires establishing the starship population, which factors into many variables including closed-ecosystem design,
architecture, mass and propulsion. I review the central issues of population genetics (effects of mutation, migration, selection and drift) for human populations on such voyages, specifically
referencing a roughly 5-generation (c.150-year) voyage currently in the realm of thought among Icarus Interstellar's Project Hyperion research group. I present several formulae and concrete numbers that can be used to help determine populations that could survive such journeys in good health. I find that
previously-proposed such populations, on the order of a few hundred individuals, are significantly too low to consider based on current understanding of vertebrate (including human) genetics and population dynamics. Population genetics theory, calculations and computer modeling determine that a properly-screened and age- and sex-structured total founding population (Nc) of anywhere from roughly 14,000 to 44,000 people would be sufficient to survive such journeys in good health. A safe and
well-considered Nc figure is 40,000, an Interstellar Migrant Population (IMP) composed of an effective population [Ne] of 23,400 reproductive males and females, the rest being pre- or post-reproductive individuals. This number would maintain good health over five generations despite (a) increased inbreeding resulting from a relatively small human population, (b) depressed genetic diversity due to the founder effect, (c) demographic change through time and (d) expectation of at least one severe population catastrophe over the 5-generation voyage."

Comment on 'An Evolutionary Framework for Cultural Change: Selectionism versus Communal Exchange'

Physics of Life Reviews, 2013

What Anthropologists Should Know About the New Evolutionary Synthesis

Structure and Dynamics, 2011

Discoveries of modern biology are forcing a re-evaluation of even the central pillars of neo-Darw... more Discoveries of modern biology are forcing a re-evaluation of even the central pillars of neo-Darwinian evolution. Anthropologists study the processes and results of biological and biocultural evolution, so they must be aware of the scope and nature of these changes in biology. We introduce these changes, comment briefly on how they relate to anthropology, and suggest numerous readings to introduce anthropologists to the significance and substance of the new evolutionary synthesis.

A Three-Step Method for Teaching the Principles of Evolution to Non-Biology Major Undergraduates

Evolution Education and Outreach

A method for teaching the principles of evolution in a 50-minute lecture for undergraduate non-bi... more A method for teaching the principles of evolution in a 50-minute lecture for undergraduate non-biology majors is described. The method “unpacks” evolution into three observable, factual occurrences: replication (R, reproduction), variation (V, differences between parent and offspring and siblings), and selection (S, nonrandom differential survival of offspring). This method has been particularly effective in demonstrating to students that evolution is the factual, unintended consequence of three independent phenomena (R, V, S).

Project Hyperion: Systems Architecting of an Interstellar Generation Ship Paper 47, First European Interstellar Symposium, U. Luxembourg https://irg.space/first-european-interstellar-symposium

Interstellar Research Group, 2024

Project Hyperion is a conceptual study of a hypothetical interstellar generation ship, commenced ... more Project Hyperion is a conceptual study of a hypothetical interstellar generation ship, commenced in 2013. Since 2023, the Hyperion team has been working on organizing an interdisciplinary design competition on the habitat of the generation ship. Design competitions have proven to be an effective means of generating a variety of designs to explore a novel design space. The highly interdisciplinary nature of generation ship habitats, spanning architecture, engineering, and social sciences makes it a particularly challenging design problem.

From IVA to NBL: The History of Spacesuits at Pacific Spaceflight

Lecture at University of Arizona Center for Human Space Exploration, 2024

A capsule history of pressurized garments designed, built, tested and used by the Pacific Spacefl... more

The utilization and multifaceted aspects of 1.5psi to 3.5psi pressurized garments [experimental EVA ‘spacesuits’] in analog facilities and spacesuit research

International Conference on Environmental Systems, 2024

The Use of Pressurized Garments in Space Analog Studies

6th Space Resources Conference, AGH University, Kraków, Poland, 2023

Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activ... more Many space analog stations and studies incorporate the use of unpressurized garments in EVA activities. These suits are often non-gastight coveralls paired with a bubble-type helmet supplied with air from fans in a backpack. Such arrangements are intended to add to the complexity and challenge of EVA such that the simulation is more realistic, incorporating the challenges of wearing such garments that restrict movement and dexterity, demand radio communications and so on. While such efforts have been useful to date, there are good reasons to use pressurized garments now that they increasingly affordable. This paper outlines the rationale, logistics and operational issues of pressurized garment use in space analog stations and studies, providing some examples, preliminary test data and commentary on the philosophy of EVA activities.

A Novel Mars Surface EVA Exploration Suit

A Mars surface EVA exploration suit is described, using a variety of innovations to reduce mass, ... more

Our Future in Space - Spacesuits and Anthropology with Cameron Smith

Interview by Orbital Assembly Corporation, 2022

Space suits are simply material adaptations to conditions beyond Earth. As humanity lives farther... more Space suits are simply material adaptations to conditions beyond Earth. As humanity lives farther and multigenerationally beyond Earth, we will survive by material, cultural and biological adaptation; these are no mystery, all well-known to the field of anthropology, the scientific study of our species.

ADAPTATION: the Open Secret of Human Origins, Diversity and the Future

The evolutionary phenomenon of adaptation is well-known and easily-understood. It is the author o... more

World Ships - Feasibility and Rationale

Examination of theoretical and practical aspects of interstellar voyaging craft capable of multig... more

On the feasibility of reaching exoplanets with crewed interstellar spaceships

La conférence Exobiologie Jeunes Chercheurs, CNES

The Economics of Space Suits

Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration, 2019

Space Suits and Human Evolution

The Trottier Public Science Symposium, McGill University, Montreal, 2018

A public lecture on the evolutionary context of space suits, their role in the human future beyon... more

Earliest Settlement of the Americas: A Review of the Archaeological, Genetic and Linguistic Data

A review of the archaeological, linguistic and genetic evidence for earliest settlement of the Am... more

Human Exploration Technologies for the Second Space Age: Private Development of Space Suits for Earth Orbit and Beyond

Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration, 2018

A Second Space Age is underway, featuring both private and federal space exploration; to facilita... more A Second Space Age is underway, featuring both private and federal space exploration; to facilitate this, nearly all space-access and -exploration technologies need updates and cost-reduction efforts as they derive from archaic concepts and systems of production of the federally-regulated First Space Age (c.1959-2002). I describe the efforts of my team, Pacific Spaceflight (which is not a business) to tackle a basic space-access and space-exploration technology, the 'space suit'. We are currently on our 10th main design revision and have arrived at a low-cost, lightweight basic space suit; we hope to open-source the design so that others improve on this garment, and we'll soon be turning our attention to a Mars suit for the human exploration of that planet.

The Door Stands Open: Human Biocultural Adaptive Strategies are Sufficient for Permanent Human Space Settlement and Interstellar Voyaging

In planning for human space settlement and even interstellar voyaging it is important to establis... more In planning for human space settlement and even interstellar voyaging it is important to establish first that our cultural and genetic adaptive systems are capable of adaptation to such new selective environments as worldships. Empirical demonstration that this is false, by anthropological studies as carried out in this research, establish that we may reasonably proceed with such plans. This research approach is analogous to that carried out in the early years of bioastronautics, when the very viability of the human body in the space environment was thoroughly reviewed before flight.

By Sea, By Snow, By Land, and By Shore: Dispersals of the Genus Homo.

"Dr Smith’s lecture will highlight human dispersal across the globe in the past two million years... more "Dr Smith’s lecture will highlight human dispersal across the globe in the past two million years. Dr. Smith’s research has enabled him to complete his sixth book, “An Atlas of Human Prehistory” that discusses and provides maps regarding the movement of the human past and the ways that humanity has adapted and traveled across the globe, even deep in prehistoric times."

TEDx Portland, 2015: The DIY Space Suit

Dr. Smith reviews his project to build a simple, $1,000, 5kg IVA space suit as one 'puzzle piece'... more

Private Development of a Low-Cost, Lightweight Launch-Reentry Pressure Suit

Development, testing and applications of a lightweight, low-cost launch-reentry pressure garment ... more

An Adaptive Framework for Permanent Human Space Settlement: Cultural and Biological Evolutionary Dynamics on Interstellar Voyage Timescales

Interstellar voyaging is a century or more away, but planning for it may begin well in advance of... more Interstellar voyaging is a century or more away, but planning for it may begin well in advance of the anticipated propulsion technologies. I review biological and cultural evolution on multigenerational interstellar voyages, highlighting adaptive mechanisms and dividing such voyages into analytical units of value to long-term planners.

And To Space We Return

My inteview on the NASA / SETI institute radio show and webcast, Big Picture Science, discussing ... more

Private, Open-Source Reinvention of Basic Space Exploration Technologies

Most space exploration technologies (e.g. space suits, rovers) are smaller than a school bus. Onc... more Most space exploration technologies (e.g. space suits, rovers) are smaller than a school bus. Once earth's gravity well is escaped, space exploration uses and will use (e.g. on Mars) such small and relatively simple technologies for much of its work (e.g. exploring planetary surfaces). Most of these technologies are radically more expensive than they should be, and many have not been updated since the late 1960's. I discuss how everyone can participate in space exploration by rethinking and reinventing fundamental space exploration technologies such as camping equipment or small aircraft for the eventual human exploration of Mars.

Dr. Smith is a prehistorian, but also has strong interests in the human future. In recent years he has joined Icarus Interstellar's project to design sorldships and propulsision systems for reaching exoplanets, and he has privately developed a lightweight, inexpensive launch-reentry garment or 'space suit'. He has given invited presentations to NASA, NASA-DARPA, SpaceX, the 100-Year Starship Conference, the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, TEDx Brussels, TEDx Portland, the Rose City Astronomers and this Fall will speak at the Second Interstellar Congress at Drexel University.

A Decade of Progress on the Cultural Dynamics of Multigenerational Interstellar Voyaging

Interstellar Research Group Newsletter, 2024

Cultural adaptation is accomplished largely via adjustment of 'Human Universals'. I discuss these... more

What's the minimum number of people needed to survive an apocalypse?

Live Science, 2021

I comment on human "minimum viable population", based on genetic and archaeological evidence.

The Challenges of Interstellar Dispersal: Anthropologist Cameron Smith talks about the cultural and genetic implications of long-term space missions

A discussion with Scientific American editor Clara Moskowitz.

Have Spacesuit -- Will Travel

Aerospace, 2019

Reviews the expanding field of space suits for the private space sector.

Starship Humanity

Scientific American Collector's Editions, 2019

How humanity will have to adapt, biologically and culturally, if we want to expand beyond Earth.

Q&A: Future Generations in Space

BBC Focus, 2018

How can we ensure that our space babies grow up happy? We speak to Portland State University anth... more

Early Settlement of the Sahara

Popular Archaeology, 2019

Author Cameron Smith summarizes what we know today about the early human occupation of the Sahara... more

Humanity Beyond Earth

ASU Interplanetary Community, 2019

An interview for Arizona State University's Interplanetary Initiative program, School of Earth an... more

Three Ages to the Stars

BBC, 2016

"In this second BBC3 essay, archaeologist, explorer and spacesuit designer at Portland University... more

Rise of the Modern Mind

Scientific American MIND, 2006

"By marrying psychology with archaeology, scientists are unearthing how thought evolved."

Cultural Survival Quarterly, 2008

"In most quarters, the US government decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species was ... more "In most quarters, the US government decision to list the polar bear as a threatened species was heralded as a milestone in awareness of global warming, but the people you might expect to most rejoice in the decision—the Arctic indigenous peoples who suffer the greatest effects of global warming—are strongly opposed to it. "

À BORD D'UN VAISSEAU MONDE

Cet ebook propose un entretien avec le Dr Cameron Smith, anthropologue de la colonisation spatial... more Cet ebook propose un entretien avec le Dr Cameron Smith, anthropologue de la colonisation spatiale et professeur à la Portland State University.

Il comprend également un avant-propos inédit de l’interviewé et 5 fiches permettant une meilleure appréhension du sujet :

* Le vaisseau générationnel : « paquebot » de l’espace
* La colonisation de l’espace en question
* Vaisseaux interstellaires et habitats spatiaux
* Faisabilité d’un voyage à bord d’un vaisseau générationnel
* Deux initiatives d’avenir : Copenhaguen Suborbitals et Icarus Interstellar

Stein des Bewusstseins 2007.pdf

Gehirn & Geist, 2007

German translation of my article on 'Cognitive Archaeology', applying Darwininan understanding to... more

In_the_Wake_of_Ancient_Mariners.pdf

Archaeology, 2002

Experimental archaeology on the NW Coast of South America, sailing a replica of a Manteño chiefdo... more

Getting the Monkey Off Darwin's Back: Four Common Myths About Evolution

Skeptical Inwuirer, 2005

Getting the Monkey off Darwin's Back (Bengali Translation)

Darwinian evolution is widely misunderstood. We describe four of the main misconceptions of this ... more

Glanta_Utomjordisk_Migration_2014.pdf

Glänta, 2014

Swedish translation of "Three Ages to the Stars", here titled "Utomjordisk Migration" or "interst... more

Starship Humanity

Scientific American 308 (Jan 2013):38-43., Jan 2013

Review: Going Interstellar

Scientific American, 2012

Writing a book about humans colonizing space, I’ve recently learned, is a difficult thing; it tak... more Writing a book about humans colonizing space, I’ve recently learned, is a difficult thing; it takes a real effort to imagine humanity flourishing–or at least surviving in something other than a quasi-Medieval, post-Collapse form–some centuries in the future. But while it feels callous to rake aside current conflagrations to examine the embers of a better future, we need only look out our window to see the consequences of acting without thought for the future. One of anthropology’s greatest contributions to humanity is that it has revealed our species’ time depth, that we have not popped up from nowhere, but that we have a past. And if the future is built from the past, and if we are to have a tolerable future—including the colonization of space as an insurance policy for the genus Homo—we better start to think about that future, starting now.

The Extraterrestrial Adaptation: An Anthropological Perspective on Human Space Exploration

Spaceflight, 2006

Lithic Technology, Projectile Points, Osseous Artifacts, and Artifact Classification of the Cathlapotle and Meier Archaeological Sites, Lower Columbia River

Wapato Valley Archaeology Project Report #11; Cultural Resource Series Number 19., 2018

Mongraph treatment of basic artifact raw materials and classes from the Cathlapotle and Meier pro... more Mongraph treatment of basic artifact raw materials and classes from the Cathlapotle and Meier protohistoric sites, Lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, as excavated 1986-1996 by the Wapato Valley Archaeology Project. Analytical papers will follow this useful monographic, morphofunctional classification based on form and other evidence including wear analysis.

Biomedical Data and Analysis for 16 Pacific Spaceflight Pressure Garment Tests

Biomedical and suit environment variables were recorded in 16 Pacific Spaceflight Mark IV pressur... more Biomedical and suit environment variables were recorded in 16 Pacific Spaceflight Mark IV pressure suits during pressurized tests averaging a suit pressure of 2.0psig and a duration of 25 minutes, using normal air as a breathing gas delivered at a base rate of 28 liters per minute. Carbon dioxide levels averaged 1,194ppm (c.0.10% of breathed gas) with a standard deviation of 453ppm; these figures, though obscuring some important variation, are well within acceptable C02 exposure levels indicated by OSHA, NASA and some Roscosmos EVA suit parameters for durations of several hours, the planned duration of Pacific Spaceflight's forthcoming high-altitude pressure garment test flights. Biomedical data included pulse rate, suit exhaust gas temperature and blood oxygenation, all of which were acceptable during the pressurized tests. These results are of general reference value and suggest six operational implications useful to the project of pressure garment design, testing and operation.

Evaluating Human Adaptive Potential for Permanent Space Settlement

Permanent human space settlement (and, ultimately, interstellar voyaging) will be an adaptive end... more Permanent human space settlement (and, ultimately, interstellar voyaging) will be an adaptive endeavor on the order of the transition of Earth life from aquatic to terrestrial. To give this endeavor the best chance of success I advocate an evolutionary and adaptive approach guided by the lessons of evolution on Earth. I deal with biological adaptation elsewhere; in this preview of research in progress I introduce humanity's Cultural Universals and the cultural adaptive tools used to address them; I also outline how proposed courses of action can be evaluated for their (a) suitability and (b) readiness for multigenerational human populations beyond Earth. Such research and suggestions are not meant as shackles or commandments, but rather anthropologically-informed guidance for the cultures who eventually actually move from Earth to new worlds, including Mars and, ultimately, exoplanets.

Incidence of an Astronaut Not Closing the Pressure Garment Visor on Reentry

Pressure Test Results Regarding Convolute Elbow Segments and Biomedical Monitoring

Pacific Spaceflight’s Mark II / III pressure garment (model Gagarin with one newly-built elbow s... more Pacific Spaceflight’s Mark II / III pressure garment
(model Gagarin with one newly-built elbow segment on the left arm) was pressurized to evaluate the mobility allowed by the newly-installed convolute arm compared to the right arm’s older convolute elbow segment. Additionally a new helmet hold-down cable system was tested, as well as the C02 scrubbing system and heart rate, Sp02, suit’s exhausted gas C02 levels and a new communication system. At pressures of 2.3psi – 2.5psi the helmet hold-down cable came free of the new hardware (a sailboat’s one-way cleat system), raising the helmet ring explosively. This resulted from the hold-down cable coming free of the cleat cams due to changing geometry of the suit during inflation. All other tested elements worked well.

Flight Test of Pacific Spaceflight Pressure Garment Mark II in Bell 206 Jet Ranger

Pacific Spaceflight’s Mark II pressure garment (model Gagarin) was test flown to 17,200 feet MSL ... more Pacific Spaceflight’s Mark II pressure garment (model Gagarin) was test flown to 17,200 feet MSL (5,242m) while worn and operated by Dr. C.M. Smith. The garment and its portable life support system (PLSS) maintained appropriate pressure, temperature and carbon dioxide levels throughout the 47-minute flight. The suit also provided sufficient elbow mobility, due to its convolute joints, for the suited person to operate the portable life support system’s manual suit pressure setting valve and the hand-held radio.

Cultural Resources Identification for the Rivers S Unit Access Road and Carty Unit Pedestrian Trail on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Clark County, Washington A Study Commissioned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Requisition # 0040120188

Internal report for US Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1

Preliminary Report: Aquatic and Terrestrial Archaeological Investigations on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, 2008-2010

Internal report for US Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1

Review of High Altitude Aviation Preoxygenation / Denitrogenization Procedures and Draft Pressure Schedule for Open-Cockpit Balloon Flight to 65,000 Feet

Hypobaric Chamber Test of Pacific Spaceflight Pressure Garment Mark I at Copenhagen University Hospital

2016 Archaeological Field School

This four-week, five credit class and field project, led by Dr. Cameron M Smith of Portland State... more This four-week, five credit class and field project, led by Dr. Cameron M Smith of Portland State University, investigates the archaeology of two distinctive areas occupied by native people long before the arrival of Euroamericans in the late 1700’s. For the first two weeks we will survey and sample archaeological sites spanning 2,400 years of native life on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, in the ‘Wet West’ of Oregon. For the second two weeks we’ll survey desert terrains of the Hart Mountain refuge in Oregon’s ‘Arid East’, where ancestors of today’s Paiute people have lived for over 10,000 years. Students will be exposed to the archaeology, then, of some of the world’s most sedentary foragers (Lower Columbia) and some of the world’s most mobile foragers (Northern Great Basin).
Students will learn:
* use of map, compass and GPS
* identifying artifacts and ecofacts
* identifying features and sites
* documenting archaeological sites
* the ‘landscape archaeology’ approach
* site survey techniques
* augering, screening & shoveling
* use of machete, canoe, inflatable raft, rope and other important field tools
* matrix classification and description
* artifact, feature and site sketching
* field analysis of common artifact types
* archaeological report-writing
* scientific field photography
* field map-making
* ...and other skills for both academic and
CRM archaeology.

World ships: Feasibility and Rationale

World ships are hypothetical, large, self-contained spacecraft for crewed interstellar travel, ta... more World ships are hypothetical, large, self-contained spacecraft for crewed interstellar travel, taking centuries to reach other stars. Due to their crewed nature, size, and long trip times, the feasibility of world ships faces an additional set of challenges compared to interstellar probes. Despite their emergence in the 1980s, most of these topics remain unexplored. This article revisits some of the key feasibility issues of world ships. First, definitions of world ships from the literature are revisited and the notion of world ship positioned with respect to similar concepts such as generation ships. Second, the key question of population size is revisited in light of recent results from the literature. Third, socio-technical and economic feasibility issues are evaluated. Finally, world ships are compared to potential alternative modes of crewed interstellar travel. Key roadblocks for world ships are the considerable resources required, shifting its economic feasibility beyond the ...

Emigrating Beyond Earth