The Mars One project is searching for candidates to be the first humans on Mars. It's going to be a one-way trip, as the red planet is far enough away that a return trip is next to impossible. It takes a particular kind of personality to pick up and leave everything they have on Earth behind and pack up to live on another planet, one which is much less capable of supporting life than the planet they're standing on right now.
So it might be expected that the people selecting these candidates are going to use a rigorous process to ascertain who is right to be a modern explorer, and take on an adventure far away from home. Currently, the project is looking for applicants who are "mature and interesting," but aren't that concerned about their academic background and qualifications. Unfortunately, they have also announced that the selection process involves a process akin to reality television, and I begin to mentally pen the obituaries of everyone involved.
The process will work in the following manner. Rounds one and two will involve candidates outlining why they should go to Mars, answering standard questions, passing health tests, and so on. It's pretty typical stuff, though it is a concern, at least, that they are focused more on personality than survival skills and relevant abilities. Then we hit round three, which shows that Mars One is not quite the expedition for science and advancement as a species you might expect. In fact, it's a reality show, where candidates compete to get on the ship. It even has an audience vote, better known as the least reliable way of ascertaining who is actually best at a task.
While I'll admit that reality television has a certain base appeal, you're generally watching people whose decisions aren't going to have life or death consequences. If a contestant on Project Runway makes an ugly dress, nobody dies. If someone in a settlement on Mars makes a major error, you're going to get some fatalities. Each action has much more serious consequences when you're in a remote outpost where no help is forthcoming. It's especially frightening because an audience vote isn't going to be an expert considering whether a person is best at the task. Instead, the audience will gravitate towards whoever they like best, which may have nothing to do with actual survival skills. People with severe personality problems thrive on reality television, but are going to be a serious problem on Mars, where you're stuck with them. Considering that audiences are also prone to rigging votes in order to get the most amusing results possible, I can't see this selecting the best candidates at all. Selling the selection process as a reality competition show, you're no longer thinking of the best interests of the crew.
Mars One is an interesting idea, and I can understand why they want a television component to their plan. It's a project that needs funding, there's nothing cheap about sending people to another planet, and selling a television show about the process is going to at least raise some capital. However, it's a scary thought to consider that someone's lives are going to be in the hands of someone selected by an audience vote on a reality show. It's only slightly more dangerous than skydiving with a malfunctioning parachute.
