1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Guess what mango with that? Well, you remember back in 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: our episode on Hawaii, we we talked about this year 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: long simulation by a group of brave scientists and what 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,040 Speaker 1: they endured on the side of mounta Loa. Right, Yeah, 5 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,159 Speaker 1: they were trying to simulate what life might be like 6 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: on Mars, that's right. So physicist Christiane Heineke, she wrote 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: this great piece about the experience in Scientific American and 8 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: I'd only read a little bit about it before, so 9 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: it was fascinating to read this piece. But the experiment 10 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: was to test a bunch of things, Like they obviously 11 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: know that a real mission to Mars would be much 12 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: more complicated than surviving in a dome on the side 13 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: of a volcano, you know, especially when that volcanoes in Hawaii. 14 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: As a side note, this is not the volcano that's 15 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 1: been erupting recently. That might have made it a little 16 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: bit more of a difficult experiment. But they did want 17 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: to see what it would do to people if they 18 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 1: were isolated for a year in a pretty barren environment 19 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: and really only able to depend on each other. Yeah. 20 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: I mean, there's actually a term for that type of scenario. 21 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 1: It's called ice, which stands for isolated, confined, and extreme. 22 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: But the thing that's rucked me was the team they 23 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,559 Speaker 1: assembled for this mission was incredible. Yeah, it really makes 24 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: you think about the different types of skills you need 25 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: if you send a group like this too Mars for 26 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: the simulation. They had a pilot and a flight controller 27 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: that served as their engineer. There was a physician, an astrobiologist, 28 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: a soil scientist. They even had an architect focused on 29 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: space habitats. I mean, talk about an interesting job. And 30 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: then there was Heineke who was a geophysicist. Yeah, it's 31 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,040 Speaker 1: so varied, it's awesome. Well there's a short bit from 32 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: her piece that I thought was worth reading, and here's 33 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: what she says. She said, cut off from civilization, we 34 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: were dependent on ourselves and on each other. We had 35 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 1: to perform any work that needed doing and fix anything 36 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 1: that broke. All we had was the material contained and 37 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 1: the storage unit dubbed the c can. The nearest supermarket 38 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:51,440 Speaker 1: was months away. We received news from Earth electronically with 39 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: a twenty minute delay. That's about how long it takes 40 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: for signals to travel the maximum distance of two hundred 41 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: and forty million miles between the two planets to be honest, 42 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: it took weeks for me to realize just what I've 43 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: gotten into. Yeah, I mean, it's impossible to imagine what 44 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: that would be like, but that hasn't stopped us from 45 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: being incredibly curious about the experience. And I'm actually sure 46 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: that many of our listeners know there's this new podcast 47 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: from Gimlet called The Habitat and it's about this very simulation. Yeah, 48 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: and you know, it's just one of many recent projects, 49 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: both in fiction and in nonfiction, focused on what this 50 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: journey to Mars, or even living on Mars might actually 51 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: be like. And it's definitely starting to feel like we 52 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: might witness humans landing or living on Mars in our lifetime. 53 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: So in today's episode, we thought we'd explore questions like 54 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: who will be the first to get to Mars, why 55 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,919 Speaker 1: are we so consumed with getting there? And how will 56 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: humans survive once we do get there? So let's dive in. 57 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 1: He their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 58 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and it's always I'm joined by my good 59 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,679 Speaker 1: friend man guest Ticketer and on the other side of 60 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: the soundproof glass wearing a shirt that reads in Musk, 61 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: we trust Mars. Or bust. That's our friend and producer 62 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: Tristan McNeil. And you know, I've got to say Tristan 63 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: must know a guy, because I'm guessing this is yet 64 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: another of his custom printed shirts, right actually, you know, 65 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: I've seen that one advertised online. They're just so much 66 00:03:33,040 --> 00:03:35,280 Speaker 1: excitement right now about the prospect to go into Mars, 67 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: and it does kind of look like Elon Musk might 68 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: be the guy to get us there well, and Tristan 69 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: is definitely not the only one putting his trust in Musk. 70 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: You know, after doing some research for today's show, I've 71 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: got to say it's not such a bad bet. You know, 72 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: the SpaceX program has made some serious strides towards getting 73 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: mankind to the Red Planet within our lifetime, but SpaceX 74 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: is hardly the only game in town. I mean, there 75 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: are plenty of other companies, not to mention country Eas 76 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 1: that have their eyes set on launching the first man 77 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,200 Speaker 1: mission to Mars, and their goal now seems closer than 78 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 1: it ever has before. So with all that excitement in 79 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: the air, I thought it'd be fun to kind of 80 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: take stock of all these competing Mars missions and hopefully 81 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: give us a clearer picture not only of who will 82 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: make it to Mars first and when that might actually happen. Really, 83 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 1: why we're also dead set on getting there in the 84 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: first place. Yeah, So why don't we start by getting 85 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 1: a little perspective on just how much public interest there 86 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,800 Speaker 1: currently isn't going to Mars. So historically there's always been 87 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 1: this uptick and applicants anytime a new milestone starts to 88 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: look achievable. So if you think about like nineteen seventy eight, 89 00:04:39,520 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: that's the year the Voyager mission set out on its 90 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: tour the Solar System, NASA actually set a record with 91 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: eight thousand applicants, and that record stood for nearly forty 92 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 1: years until the agency's most recent call for new hires. 93 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: You know, I was actually gonna ask how often NASA 94 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: accepts applications, because if I'm not mistaken, it's not a 95 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: yearly thing, right not. So, they typically bring on a 96 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: new class of astronauts every few years or so, and 97 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,320 Speaker 1: the most recent class began applying in late two thousand fifteen, 98 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,239 Speaker 1: and the time before that was in late two thousand eleven. 99 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: But this most recent crop of applicants was the biggest yet. 100 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: More than eighteen thousand people applied to be part of 101 00:05:17,160 --> 00:05:20,679 Speaker 1: NASA's new class, and that totally destroys the previous record 102 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: by more than ten thousand people, which is pretty crazy. 103 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: I mean, there must have been more disappointed applicants than 104 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: ever before. And I can't imagine NASA's in need of 105 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: tens of thousands of astronauts and you know one time, Yeah, 106 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: definitely not. In fact, the newest class consists of just 107 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: twelve people. There are five women and seven men, and 108 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: even that is like three times the number of people 109 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: needed for the four person crew NASA has a mind 110 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: for its first Mars mission, So eighteen thousand people, which 111 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: is we died down to twelve people and then from 112 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: that only four will end up going on the mission. 113 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: I mean, it's clearly more than enough interest out there. 114 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: But did you get any sense of where all of 115 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 1: this is coming from? And I know, we had the 116 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,360 Speaker 1: Matt Damon movie just called The Martian and it was 117 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 1: a big hit, but there's got to be more to 118 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: it than that, right, So I know it sounds strange, 119 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: but The Martian is actually a great example of a 120 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: kind of cross pollination between space flight and pop culture 121 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: that's taken place in the last few years and it's 122 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,239 Speaker 1: actually no coincidence that the movie premiered just two months 123 00:06:22,240 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: before NASA announced his latest call for astronauts, like the 124 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: agency actually consulted a lot for the makers of that movie, 125 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: largely because it saw the film as a way to 126 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 1: generate more excitement for a future Mars mission. And if 127 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: you took any marketing classes in college, which I think 128 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: you might have taken one or two, you'll remember one 129 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: of the golden rules of marketing, and that's, you know, 130 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: nothing stokes the public interests like the promise of growing 131 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: space potatoes fertilized with your own feces. I think it 132 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,720 Speaker 1: was like rule number seven marketing one on one. Rule 133 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: seven's right. But the Martian isn't the only new recruitment 134 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 1: tool to benefit NASA in recent years, like the one 135 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: that's actually helped the most social media. So when NASA 136 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: called for new hires back in two thousand eleven, the 137 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,480 Speaker 1: Shuttle program had just ended and this mission to Mars 138 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: seemed too far off to put much stock in. But 139 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,120 Speaker 1: even then, like NASA's crop of applicants that year was 140 00:07:13,160 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: still strong. It was I think around like six thousand total. 141 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: But clearly something happened between then in the record setting 142 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: response that we saw in two thousand and fifteen. And 143 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: so you're saying that really was just social media. Yeah, 144 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: I mean I think it played a big role. So 145 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: between two thousand eleven and two thousand fifteen, the number 146 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: of American adults who used at least one social media 147 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: platform grew by fiftent and you know, you can bet 148 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: NASA took notice of that growth. So, according to NASA 149 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,360 Speaker 1: spokeswoman Stephanie Sheerholtz, she says, uh, we made a concerted 150 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: outreach effort that incorporated social media like never before. So 151 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, you have like astronauts tweeting pictures, 152 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: you know, from their training sessions. You've got these like 153 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: live streamed rocket launches and YouTube videos where astronauts on 154 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: the s s are like cutting their nails and showing 155 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: you how they take showers. It's pretty amazing. Yeah, And 156 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: I know, we also liked watching Chris Hadfield's cover of 157 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 1: Space Oddity, and he obviously did that from space and 158 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: where we had him on the show. Such a nice guy. 159 00:08:13,960 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: But in a way, it feels like social media made 160 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: astronauts cool again, kind of like they had been in 161 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: the early days of the Space program. Yeah, I mean, 162 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: the public had never gotten such an intimate and real 163 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: time look at the life and work of astronauts before that, 164 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: and ultimately it sparked this like new generation of people 165 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,240 Speaker 1: who were super passionate. Well, and so now we've covered 166 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: a few factors behind the current space boom, I feel 167 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: like we should talk about some of the major players 168 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: that are hoping to capitalize on this interest. So we've 169 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: already mentioned Elon Musk and the space X venture. You know, 170 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: they've set this rather lofty goal of sending a manned 171 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: rocket to Mars By and whether that actually happens, it's 172 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 1: i'd say it's still pretty much up in the air 173 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 1: at this point. Yeah, I mean, they've been testing the 174 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:58,960 Speaker 1: world's first partially reusable rockets, which could cut launch costs 175 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: by as much as thirty then and obviously make the 176 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: missions to Marrows much more feasible. But while the tests 177 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: have been this huge success, like, there's still a lot 178 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,600 Speaker 1: of room for improvement, and it's tough to imagine making 179 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: that much progress and just I don't know, five or 180 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: six years. Well, you do have to remember that Musk 181 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 1: has a secret weapon for getting to Mars and that's 182 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: his so called bf are what he calls the big 183 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 1: eff ng rocket, And this would be this massive three 184 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: fifty feet tall rocket and it's propelled by thirty one 185 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: smaller methane fueled rockets. Now, once again, the whole system 186 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: would be completely reusable. So the idea is that the 187 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: b FR would send a hundred people to Mars aboard 188 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: a detachable spaceship. Now that you've got the system's rocket booster, 189 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: that would just detach and then land back on Earth 190 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:44,720 Speaker 1: and be reused again and again. I mean, when when 191 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,520 Speaker 1: we watched that recent test that they did, it was 192 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 1: just amazing to watch them land, and it would be 193 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,360 Speaker 1: really cool if they could manage to pull it off. 194 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 1: But I'm curious, like, why does Musk want to go 195 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 1: to Mars so badly? Like what does he know that 196 00:09:56,440 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: we don't Well, I don't know. I was starting to 197 00:09:58,800 --> 00:10:01,000 Speaker 1: think about that too, and and more likely than not, 198 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 1: he's just eager for humans to explore more of that 199 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:06,599 Speaker 1: final frontier that we've heard so much about. And I 200 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: don't know. You can kind of be the judge though. 201 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: Here's here's one of must statements on the importance of 202 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: a mission to Mars. He says, you want to wake 203 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: up in the morning and think the future is going 204 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 1: to be great. And that's what being a space faring 205 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: civilization is all about. It's about believing in the future 206 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: and thinking that the future will be better than the past. 207 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: And I can't think of anything more exciting than going 208 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: out there and being among the stars. History is going 209 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,360 Speaker 1: to buy for Kate along two directions. One path as 210 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:34,600 Speaker 1: we stay on Earth forever and eventually there will be 211 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: some extinction event. The alternative is to be a space 212 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: faring civilization and a multi planet species. So I mean, 213 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:44,880 Speaker 1: it sounds like there are two ideas of play from 214 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: us here, Like one is exploration for the sake of exploration, right, 215 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: It's like this desire to like see the cosmos and 216 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: learn new things. And the other is this idea of 217 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: self preservation that, like, you know, if you take a 218 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,240 Speaker 1: long enough timeline, something bad is bound to happen on 219 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: this planet, so it's in our own best interest to 220 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:06,920 Speaker 1: set up shop on another one sooner rather than later. 221 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: That sounds right, and I think there's merit to both 222 00:11:10,040 --> 00:11:12,760 Speaker 1: of those ways of thinking. But you know, not all 223 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: Mars hopefuls have such clear cut motivations. For instance, you've 224 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: heard of Mars one, right, you know it's this private, 225 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: nonprofit Dutch. Yeah. Yeah, And so they aimed to colonize 226 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,439 Speaker 1: Mars by I think one, And unlike other missions that 227 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: we're talking about today, Mars one isn't worried about bringing 228 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: space colonists back to their home planet. Mars one would 229 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: actually just be this one way trip. I mean, I've 230 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: heard about this obviously, and it's super controversial. I remember 231 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: reading a study from M I T where scientists analyzed 232 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: the proposed plan and they concluded that all the Mars 233 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: one astromis would actually be dead within sixty eight days. 234 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: Isn't that crazy? I would not consider that a successful 235 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: mission if that's what's happened, and all the money that 236 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,280 Speaker 1: would be spent for those sixty eight days. But you know, 237 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: if you look at their initial proposal was super unrealistic. 238 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: I mean, for one thing, the Mars one team isn't 239 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: developing its own technology. They're they're really just planning to 240 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: use whatever the other aerospace companies come up with. And 241 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: they're estimating it would only cost six billion dollars to 242 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,400 Speaker 1: send four people to Mars. And I say, only six 243 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: billion dollars. That sounds like a ton of money, but 244 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: it's really a low number when you consider the Apollo program. 245 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,840 Speaker 1: They spent about a hundred and forty billion dollars to 246 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: send twelve people to the Moon. Wait, so not only 247 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:30,319 Speaker 1: are they pinning all their hopes on using someone else's tech, 248 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: but they're also hoping to score that tech for like 249 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: bargain basement deals. That's exactly right. But you know what 250 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,199 Speaker 1: else is crazy about this is that, you know, Mars 251 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,800 Speaker 1: one hasn't even secured that low ball funding that they're 252 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: hoping for. And this is where it really just gets 253 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 1: even nuttier. Apparently the plan is to finance the mission 254 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:52,599 Speaker 1: through a reality TV show and a series of documentaries 255 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 1: that would follow the crew through their training and this is, 256 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: you know, all of that training leading up to going 257 00:12:57,960 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: to Mars, And honestly, it just sounds like the worst 258 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: plan ever. I mean, I can't see how a show 259 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: like that would work, unless, like they were trying to 260 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: make the first boy band assembled on Mars, or I 261 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 1: guess send some Jersey housewives to Mars. Like that feels 262 00:13:12,679 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 1: like a show i'd watch, but you're right, i'd watch that. 263 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: But like, what if the show tanks as they're up 264 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: there and people just lose interest, Like once that funding 265 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: drives up, does the crew just like end up there 266 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: on their own? I mean, I guess so, and and 267 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: it it turns out that's just one of the many 268 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: flaws in the Mars one plan. But but it actually 269 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: doesn't stop more than two hundred thousand people from applying 270 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 1: for the privilege to be, as Pacific Standards put it, 271 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: among the first humans to die on Mars. I just 272 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: thought that was great. I mean, I don't know who 273 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,679 Speaker 1: wants that title, but I can imagine how some like 274 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:51,680 Speaker 1: I guess Daredevil astronauts might be really into it. Yeah, 275 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: you know, I think about it kind of like it 276 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:55,680 Speaker 1: is with cloning. I mean, if we ever find a 277 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 1: way to bring back the dinosaurs, there's gonna be somebody 278 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: that's gonna be the first to get eaten by the dinosaurs, 279 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: you know, And I think I'd want my biggest claim 280 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: to feign me that I was the first person ever 281 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: eaten by a t rex. But yeah, maybe there's a 282 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: certain kind of appeal there for something someone wants that. 283 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: But I do think we should just like table this 284 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: for another time, because I think it'd be fun for 285 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: another episode. But right now, let's talk a little bit 286 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:20,600 Speaker 1: about NASA's plan for getting to Mars as well as 287 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,880 Speaker 1: some of the other challenges that are definitely gonna crop off. 288 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: All right, that sounds like a plan, But first let's 289 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: take a quick break. They're listening to Part Time Genius 290 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:42,320 Speaker 1: and we're talking about the who, when, why, and how 291 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: of human kinds first mission to Mars. All right, Mango, 292 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: So we've covered one promising program and one maybe not 293 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: so promising program from the private sector. But now let's 294 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: talk about the organization that probably stands the best chance 295 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,920 Speaker 1: of making it to Mars first, and that of course 296 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: is NASA. Yeah. So NASA's car plan is to get 297 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:04,080 Speaker 1: humans into low Mars orbit by the early twenty thirties, 298 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: and then they want to have a crew actually land 299 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,560 Speaker 1: on the planet's surface before the end of that decade. 300 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: And to make that happen, the agency is hard at work, 301 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: like testing this equipment they hope we'll get humans there 302 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: and back. I'm sure you're probably wondering what type of 303 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: stuff they're gonna use. Like one of the most promising 304 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: pieces of hardware that they're working on is called the 305 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: Space Launch System SLS. Is this new rocket meant to 306 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,760 Speaker 1: propel humans and cargo out of Earth's orbit. So this is, 307 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,880 Speaker 1: I guess, kind of like NASA's answer to the to 308 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: the big fing rocket, right, yeah, exactly like muss And 309 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: and for the crew itself, NASA is testing it's a 310 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: Ryan capsule, which is meant to lay the groundwork for 311 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: even larger deep space exploration vehicles. It's the kind of 312 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: thing that could consumably support a full crew for the 313 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: entire one million mile trip. And that's you know, the 314 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: distance is to get to Mars, all right, So it 315 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 1: sounds like, no matter how you slice it, we're good, 316 00:15:53,760 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: what fifteen to twenty years away from landing a human 317 00:15:56,680 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 1: on Mars. And that's all assuming that research doesn't hit 318 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: a brick all along the way. But given that timeline, 319 00:16:03,120 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: who do you think is going to get there first? 320 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: So NASA obviously has the you know, the best track 321 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: record when it comes to space faring, and they've got 322 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,640 Speaker 1: like the technical know how, they've got you know, the crew. 323 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: But like the biggest potential stumbling block is funding, and 324 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: the Space Program's budget ebbs and flows with each administration. 325 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: So even if NASA knows what it's doing there's zero 326 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 1: guarantee that the money will be there to carry out 327 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: the mission when the time comes. And of course, you know, 328 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: NASA is totally aware its status as like a political football, 329 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: so that's why the agency has been going all out 330 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: on these marketing efforts, which we talked about earlier. Yeah, 331 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 1: and I know those funding concerns are a big part 332 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: of why some people consider SpaceX to be the front runner. 333 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: And Elon musk pockets might not be as deep as 334 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: the governments, but you know, in the past several years, 335 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: he's definitely proven himself a lot more willing to put 336 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,040 Speaker 1: up the cash for space research than Congress has. But 337 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: it is worth keeping in mind that a large chunk 338 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,320 Speaker 1: of SpaceX revenue is thanks to its own contracts with NASA, 339 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:04,440 Speaker 1: So if NASA's budget gets slashed, then you know, there's 340 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 1: no guarantee that SpaceX will have the cash needed to 341 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:10,000 Speaker 1: fill that gap. So in a sense, the best chance 342 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 1: of getting to Mars in the next couple of decades 343 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: might actually be of SpaceX and NASA were to team 344 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:18,479 Speaker 1: up and and maybe pool those resources. Yeah, I mean, 345 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:20,480 Speaker 1: it would be fascinating to watch if that happens, And 346 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: I actually think there's a decent chance it could happen 347 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: as we get closer to their planned launch dates. But 348 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,840 Speaker 1: you know, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves here. 349 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: There are still all kinds of problems that need to 350 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: be worked out before we can send anyone to Mars, 351 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,440 Speaker 1: and that includes challenges both for the journey itself as 352 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,439 Speaker 1: well as when we get there. Yeah, I mean speaking 353 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,080 Speaker 1: of that, I was actually reading about some of the 354 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 1: physical strains that astronauts have to deal with when when 355 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: they're there, and it's not a pretty picture. I mean, 356 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,480 Speaker 1: the g forces alone would be insane, so much so 357 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,719 Speaker 1: in fact, that some researchers have suggested removing the appendix 358 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: and the gall bladder of any of these Mars bound 359 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: crew members ahead of time. I mean, just to avoid 360 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:01,479 Speaker 1: the organs rupturing from all the pressure changes. Huh. Well, 361 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:03,880 Speaker 1: I mean you can think about that, which is crazy, 362 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: but also the psychological effects of such a long trip, 363 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:09,679 Speaker 1: like the voyage to Mars will take about four or 364 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: five months each way. I mean, that's an awful lot 365 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:14,919 Speaker 1: of time to spend in those quarters with you know, 366 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:18,040 Speaker 1: just a handful of people, and that's while moving at 367 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: the speeds you were talking about, Um, I even read 368 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: this one study that suggested that, like, the prolonged exposure 369 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: to cosmic radiation might actually mess with the astronauts brains, 370 00:18:28,560 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: So mess with them how exactly? Yeah, this is based 371 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,520 Speaker 1: on research out at University of California, and it was 372 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,879 Speaker 1: one of several studies meant to examine the neurological effects 373 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 1: of sending people on long outer space missions. It was 374 00:18:41,200 --> 00:18:43,440 Speaker 1: to get an idea of what these cosmic rays might do. 375 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: The researchers irradiated a bunch of lab mice with particles 376 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: found in space, and the dosage they used was actually 377 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:52,040 Speaker 1: equivalent to what a human might experience on like a 378 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: tended thirty day mission. And then the mice underwent a 379 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 1: series of behavioral tests, and as you might expect, the 380 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,399 Speaker 1: irradiated mice performed much worse on these tests than the 381 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: non irradiated ones. But strangers still, when the scientists actually 382 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: dissected the mice two weeks later, they found that the 383 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: radiation had effectively prune the mice's brain cells. I mean, 384 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: it's crazy. Many of the branches that allow the brain 385 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: cells to communicate with one another, We're just straight up gone, Oh, 386 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,240 Speaker 1: it's just terrifying. So so would the same thing happen 387 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: in a human brain. I mean, that's the thing, right, 388 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: there's every reason to think so. And the biggest mystery, 389 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,800 Speaker 1: like once you know that, is that we don't know 390 00:19:28,840 --> 00:19:32,080 Speaker 1: how these missing brain cells might actually impact the humans behavior, 391 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,600 Speaker 1: Like it's doubtful that these cosmic rays would actually prove 392 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: life threatening, but they could jeopardize the mission in all 393 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: sorts of other ways, Like researchers worried that the prune 394 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: brain cells might reduce someone's ability to respond to new 395 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: situations and you know, come up with creative solutions for things. 396 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,080 Speaker 1: It would obviously be a huge problem when exploring a 397 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: different planet. So it's weird because this is the first 398 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: I've heard about this, and I know we've obviously sent 399 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:59,520 Speaker 1: plenty of people into space by now. So what about 400 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:01,840 Speaker 1: the astronat aunts who landed on the Moon and came back, 401 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 1: Like why didn't they have brain damage? Or you know 402 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,000 Speaker 1: the people that are on the International Space Station and 403 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:09,520 Speaker 1: they're there months at a time. Yeah, it's a really 404 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: good question. So I looked into that too. But you know, 405 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: the missions to the Moon only lasted a few days, 406 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: whereas like the voyage tomorrows would take about a hundred 407 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:21,000 Speaker 1: and fifty days, so we're talking a whole different experience 408 00:20:21,040 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 1: than level of exposure here. And while it's definitely true 409 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,159 Speaker 1: that astronauts has spent that kind of time aboard, the 410 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:31,240 Speaker 1: I S. S Station is actually positioned below the Earth's magnetosphere, 411 00:20:31,480 --> 00:20:34,679 Speaker 1: which means that's shielded from I guess most forms of 412 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,520 Speaker 1: space radiation. So I'm curious what the solution would actually 413 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: be or is it just as simple as like wrapping 414 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: the Mars ship and tinfoil or something like that to 415 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:45,879 Speaker 1: help shield it. I mean, I wish it was that easy. 416 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: Like the truth is that, like trying to take anything 417 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 1: that's big enough or strong enough to shield and block 418 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: that amount of cosmic radiation would actually make the ship 419 00:20:54,280 --> 00:20:57,880 Speaker 1: way too heavy to fly. So instead researchers are trying 420 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: to figure out a solution for the astronauts themselves. Like 421 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,679 Speaker 1: the current hope is that they can find a new 422 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:05,240 Speaker 1: drug that would hopefully block the radiation before it can 423 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: reach the brain. Well, and if you think about this 424 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,960 Speaker 1: is only the voyage to Mars that we're talking about, 425 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:13,080 Speaker 1: So once the astronauts actually reach the red planet, they 426 00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: will have a whole new list of problems to, you know, 427 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: to kind of figure out. And I don't know if 428 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,720 Speaker 1: you've noticed this or not. Mego, but Mars isn't the 429 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: most hospitable planet in the galaxy, and there's no breathable air, 430 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 1: there's no food the planets, you know, protective atmosphere it 431 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 1: burned away eons ago, which you know basically means we'd 432 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,040 Speaker 1: have to contend with all that cosmic radiation even after 433 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: we've landed. And you know, there is some water on Mars, 434 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: but even that is mostly inaccessible. Yeah, So I was 435 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 1: reading about this concept in aerospace research called I s 436 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: r U. It's called in situ resource utilization, and the 437 00:21:48,840 --> 00:21:51,040 Speaker 1: concept is pretty simple. It's it's basically the science of 438 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,919 Speaker 1: mining and utilizing the natural resources that already exist on 439 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,879 Speaker 1: other worlds. So you know, rather than dragging everything we 440 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: need to survive along with us, you make use of 441 00:22:00,320 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: what's there. And I s r U is really the 442 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: key to making a sustainable colony on Mars, because the 443 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: planet really does have oxygen and water, it's just that 444 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: they're locked away in this icy Martian soil. So if 445 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: they're locked away, what what do we do to get 446 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: them out? Well, right now, NASA is hoping to use 447 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: microwave beams to heat the soil enough to break the 448 00:22:20,680 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: chemical bonds that have trapped the water so As one 449 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: NASA researcher explained, if you think about a cubic foot 450 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:29,440 Speaker 1: of this dirt and you heat it just a little 451 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: bit a few hundred degrees, then you'll actually get off 452 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: about two pints of water, like two water bottles you 453 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,160 Speaker 1: take to the gym, Which makes sense, right, It's really cool. 454 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: And once we've mastered the are to making water, then 455 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: we can zap the breathable gases like oxygen, nitrogen are 456 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: gone right out of the water using electrolysis. And the 457 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: best part is that all this could be accomplished with 458 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: the power generated from a few solar panels. It would 459 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:57,119 Speaker 1: be a pretty self sustaining system as long as the 460 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: planets sun obscuring dust storms don't last too long. Well, 461 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: And that's an ingenious solution because if you think about, 462 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,159 Speaker 1: there's no way we could bundle up everything that we 463 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,679 Speaker 1: need to survive and just ship them all to Mars. 464 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: And yeah, the heavier something is, the more expensive is 465 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: to send into orbit. And you think about that, you've 466 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: got a spaceship full of people and equipment that's going 467 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,840 Speaker 1: to be heavy and costly enough, and that's without adding 468 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,000 Speaker 1: this really almost like this indefinite supply of food and 469 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,560 Speaker 1: water into the mix. That's true, but really foods a 470 00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: whole different headache and of itself. And there's some promising solutions. 471 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 1: But before we get into them, let's take another quick break, 472 00:23:46,119 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: all right, mangoes, So why is it so hard to 473 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: get a decent meal on Mars? You know, apart from 474 00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: the fact that it's outside the delivery zone of I 475 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: think most of the pizza places I've been. I've been 476 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 1: saving that joke up for a while. I hope you 477 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,800 Speaker 1: enjoyed it well. I mean it goes back to what 478 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: we've already mentioned, which is that the air on Mars 479 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:06,640 Speaker 1: is poisonous and the terrain is too cold and sterile 480 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: to sustain vegetations. So clearly we'll have to set I 481 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:13,160 Speaker 1: s r U aside on this one and actually send 482 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: some food from home instead. But with Mars being like 483 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: a hundred forty million miles away, those stack runs will 484 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: have to be limited to like every few years. So 485 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,320 Speaker 1: with that in mind, NASA has been looking at ways 486 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: of growing vegetables in Space for a while now, but 487 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: despite what you would have seen on the Martian potatoes 488 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: actually aren't on the menu. Instead, astronauts aboard the I 489 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 1: S have actually been cultivating the first plant grown in space, 490 00:24:35,920 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: which is a red romaine lettuce named Outregious. Did you 491 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: say outrageous regius? Yeah, the fun in there. Yeah, I'm 492 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: glad they're taking this so seriously. So, so what are 493 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:51,199 Speaker 1: they using to grow this stuff? That was It's like 494 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: a hydroponic setup or something, Yeah, exactly. So the system 495 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: the astronauts used is actually called Veggie, and it's basically 496 00:24:58,920 --> 00:25:02,200 Speaker 1: an incubator of the size of the two drawer filing cabinet, 497 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:03,919 Speaker 1: you know, if you think about something that size, And 498 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: as you guess, it's a completely soil free system. The 499 00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: incubator gives the seeds everything they need to thrive, so 500 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: that means like water, nutrients, sunlight in the form of 501 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: these led bulbs, and and then the astronauts do their 502 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: part two just by exhaling carbon dioxide for the plants 503 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: to breathe in. So I guess it sort of functions 504 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:25,520 Speaker 1: like this little onboard ecosystem. The humans feed the plants, 505 00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,679 Speaker 1: plants feed the people and so on, exactly the circle 506 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: of life. But you know, as handy as it is 507 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: to have a regenerating food source on a spaceship, the 508 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:37,040 Speaker 1: real draw of this veggie system is the added texture 509 00:25:37,040 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: it provides. And you don't think about this, but uh, 510 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: you know, crunchiness isn't typically found in astronauts diets. That's 511 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 1: because like crunchy foods like cookies and crackers, they tend 512 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: to produce crumbs, which can be tough to wrangle in 513 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: zero gravity. But growing produce and space actually solves that problem. 514 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,119 Speaker 1: So it finally allows astronauts to add something much needed 515 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,240 Speaker 1: crunch to their diets. And if you remember from our 516 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: taste issue, fronch actually plays a role in making us 517 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: appreciate our foods. Huh. I mean that that's something I 518 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't have thought about before. And you think about it, Lettuce, 519 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:10,640 Speaker 1: it's about his bland as it gets here on Earth, 520 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:13,240 Speaker 1: but in space it's it's kind of like fine cuisine 521 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: actually so, and I would have to imagine, you know, 522 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: we're not stopping it, Lettuce though, right, because it seems 523 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 1: like a system like that would work with all kinds 524 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: of vegetables, that's right. So NASA has a list of 525 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 1: about ten different vegetables they're testing in the same setup. Um, 526 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 1: I guess a future astronauts will be able to look 527 00:26:30,119 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: forward to rashes, peppers, and even dwarf tomatoes. All right, well, 528 00:26:35,119 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 1: any Mars abound astronauts will definitely need a safe place 529 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: to grow and of course even eat the crops once 530 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,679 Speaker 1: they arrive, and they won't be able to stay on 531 00:26:42,720 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: that ship forever. So it leads us to the next 532 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:47,840 Speaker 1: engineering problem the crew has to face, and that's how 533 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:51,280 Speaker 1: to construct a viable shelter. But thankfully this is one 534 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:54,440 Speaker 1: test they won't have to tackle alone because scientists believe 535 00:26:54,480 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: they can offer a mechanical assist in the form of 536 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 1: some high tech construction robots. And is one promising design. 537 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: It's a droid named Justin and that was built by 538 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: a German space agency called d l R. And I 539 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,120 Speaker 1: love that it's just called Justin. I don't know why, 540 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: but the engineers have been working on Justin for about 541 00:27:11,080 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: a decade and during that time they've gotten about to 542 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:16,840 Speaker 1: do some pretty amazing things. I was just looking at 543 00:27:16,840 --> 00:27:18,199 Speaker 1: the list of some of the things that can do. 544 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: Of course, can use tools, catch flying objects, navigate around 545 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,119 Speaker 1: these obstacles, as well as shoot and upload photos. It 546 00:27:26,160 --> 00:27:28,640 Speaker 1: can apparently also make a really good cup of tea 547 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: or coffee, which seems pretty important when you're in space. 548 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: But you know what's more impressive is this recent AI 549 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,920 Speaker 1: upgrade that enables Justin to actually think for itself, rather 550 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,440 Speaker 1: than having to be programmed with these specific instructions in advance. 551 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 1: So there was an article about this in Wired, and 552 00:27:45,080 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 1: I'll just read you a quote from there. It says 553 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 1: this spot can autonomously perform complex tasks even though it 554 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: hasn't been programmed to do object recognition software and computer vision. 555 00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: Let Justin survey its environment and undertake jobs such as 556 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: cleaning and maintaining machinery, inspecting equipment, and carrying objects. In 557 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: a recent test, Justin fixed a faulty solar panel and 558 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: a Munich lab in minutes, directed via tablet by an 559 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:15,000 Speaker 1: astronaut aboard the International Space Station. Oh that's pretty awesome. 560 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 1: So I mean, I guess in theory, astronauts could actually 561 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:20,800 Speaker 1: remain in the Mars orbit while supervising Justin's work on 562 00:28:20,840 --> 00:28:24,440 Speaker 1: the surface below. But assuming we can send a team 563 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: of robots to build shelters ahead of time for US 564 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: and also make those cups of tea. You know, what 565 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,040 Speaker 1: are these shelters supposed to be built out of. I mean, 566 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: we can get water and oxygen out of the Martian soil, 567 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:38,280 Speaker 1: but that's not gonna work for building materials like wood 568 00:28:38,320 --> 00:28:41,600 Speaker 1: or steel. Right. Well, no, but there actually is something 569 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: in the soil that could help with a lot of 570 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,239 Speaker 1: the construction, and that sulfur. So I was looking at 571 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,360 Speaker 1: this study out of Northwestern and they were showing that 572 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: sulfur can be used in place of water to make 573 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: this special kind of concrete. So that this is weird 574 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: to say, but I was looking into concrete because of 575 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: something I was doing on Edison, and I've actually heard 576 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:01,400 Speaker 1: of this stuff like I I feel like it's used 577 00:29:01,400 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: in oil pipelines because it resists corrosion better than the 578 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,719 Speaker 1: regular kind of concrete. Yeah, that's true, and it's been 579 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: around for decades at this point, but obviously it's never 580 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: been put to use and kind of this off world construction. 581 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,600 Speaker 1: But that could change because these researchers at Northwestern were 582 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: able to mix up their own batch of sulfur concrete. 583 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: And to do this they use this simulated Mars soil 584 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,880 Speaker 1: and it has the same chemical and mineralogical properties of 585 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:30,720 Speaker 1: you know, the real stuff that you'd find there. And 586 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: so when the researchers stress tested different kinds of concrete, 587 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: they found that the sulfur concrete made from this Martian 588 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: soil was actually twice as strong as the sulfur concrete 589 00:29:39,800 --> 00:29:43,000 Speaker 1: we used to make the these oil pipelines. Really, like, 590 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:46,840 Speaker 1: do we know what makes it so much stronger? Not exactly, 591 00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: but the team does have a theory. You see, here 592 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: on Earth, the sulfur in this kind of concrete just 593 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: serves as a glue for the gravel. But in this case, 594 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,560 Speaker 1: the sulfur might have formed a chemical bond with the 595 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: minerals inside that Martian soil. Yeah, yeah, so that that 596 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,960 Speaker 1: that bond could actually be the reason for the added strength. 597 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,240 Speaker 1: But actually the Martian sulfur concrete would be stronger still 598 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: because the gravity on Mars is just a third of 599 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,040 Speaker 1: what it is here on Earth. And so really that 600 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: would effectively triple the concrete strength on Mars. Huh. So 601 00:30:17,680 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: the stuff is definitely strong enough to build a space 602 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: shelter with. But are there any downside do you see here? 603 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,800 Speaker 1: Like or is this pretty much a short thing? Well, 604 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:27,080 Speaker 1: I mean there is one potential downside, and that's that 605 00:30:27,160 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: this form of sulfur concrete is incredibly fast setting. I 606 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 1: think it solidifies in an hour or less after it's mixed. 607 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: But you know, really that would only be a deal 608 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: breaker if we plan to mold all this stuff by hand. 609 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: But what's more likely is that we'd use three D 610 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:44,280 Speaker 1: printing when working with sulfur concrete, and so that way 611 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: you'd have this robot team that could print as many 612 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: structures as you needed, and they would use this locally 613 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: sourced Martian concrete and then you just slap this air 614 00:30:52,800 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: tight membrane inside and you're good to go. I mean, 615 00:30:55,160 --> 00:30:59,000 Speaker 1: living on Mars just got that much easier, may I mean, 616 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: it is like exciting to hear about these ideas. They're 617 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: so awesome, and I do have to say, like, that's 618 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: one of the best ideas I've heard for surviving on Mars, 619 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: because I feel like before that everything I've read about 620 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 1: was like inflatable habitats that Nasla was testing. But you know, 621 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: for someone like me and my anxieties, I'd never be 622 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: able to relax in something that it's just inflatable, you know, 623 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: with all those dust storms and like shards of things 624 00:31:23,240 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: that it seemed to like fly around Mars. I'd be terrified. Yeah, 625 00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:29,200 Speaker 1: that just might get popped or something. But you know, 626 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: I do think that the threat of sudden extinction would 627 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:35,040 Speaker 1: be there no matter what kind of shelter you're in. 628 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: But I'm with you. I'd rather test my luck in 629 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: a concrete hut built by these robots than some sort 630 00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:44,720 Speaker 1: of I don't know, like a balloon house. Yeah, bouncy house, right, Yeah, 631 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:48,720 Speaker 1: I live in a bounty house on Mars. But you know, 632 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: I've actually heard this other idea that, uh, you can 633 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: have a balloon house inside of an underground lava tube, 634 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: because that's apparently one of the best best for avoiding 635 00:31:57,560 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: the cosmic radiation we've been talking about. I mean, it's 636 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:02,560 Speaker 1: just kind of silly. I don't know. That just keeps 637 00:32:02,560 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: getting better and better than I think. I think. I'm 638 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: ready to sign up. But seriously, it's difficult and potentially 639 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 1: terrifying as life on Mars might be. I I do 640 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:14,560 Speaker 1: hope our country stays the course and eventually gets us 641 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:18,480 Speaker 1: there safely, or not us exactly, but somebody other people 642 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:23,680 Speaker 1: should definitely go. Yeah, yeah, I'm I'm staying here where 643 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:25,719 Speaker 1: the air and the water don't have to be zapped 644 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: out of the dirt. But I am a d for 645 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 1: other people taking this trip. Yeah, I'm with you, and 646 00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 1: obviously like the pool to explore is such a deeply 647 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: rooted part of being human, and backing away from Mars 648 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 1: now when we're finally so close after so many years 649 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:44,520 Speaker 1: of dreaming and planning, it really kind of feels like 650 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: it could be a betrayal of our dreams, because you know, 651 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: if we're not reaching for greatness and planets and stars, like, 652 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,040 Speaker 1: what are we doing? I don't know. I mean maybe 653 00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,640 Speaker 1: we're listing facts back and forth and some sort of 654 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,960 Speaker 1: quasi competitive head to head challenge. What do you think? Yeah, 655 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: I mean, it's not a trip to Mars, but you know, 656 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: I'm never going to turn down the fact off. Yeah. Alright. Well, 657 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,560 Speaker 1: one group that may be eager to get to Mars 658 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: is mountain climbers. There have been more than four thousand 659 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,160 Speaker 1: people to climb Mount Everest so far, but Everest has 660 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,800 Speaker 1: nothing on mars highest peak, Olympus Mons, which is more 661 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: than seventy two thousand feet in elevation, and that's more 662 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: than double Everest at its tiny peak of a little 663 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: over twenty nine thousand feet And don't worry, NASA actually 664 00:33:35,280 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: already has a trail map for those wanting to scope 665 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:39,640 Speaker 1: out how they might get to the top. You can 666 00:33:39,680 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: find it online. I mean, that's ridiculous that they've created 667 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: these maps and it will be interesting to see which sure, 668 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:46,920 Speaker 1: if I gets to the top first, but I guess 669 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: they'll at least have gravity on their side on that planet. 670 00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: But um, speaking of first, did you know that there 671 00:33:53,080 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: has already been the first song played on Mars. Yeah. So, 672 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: the Curiosity rover on Mars has helped us explore the surface, 673 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: you know, of the planet, and it's controlled by a 674 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: team here on Earth, and those communications come in the 675 00:34:05,240 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 1: form of these vibrations which produce a series of harmonics. 676 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 1: Well you know, typically these harmonics don't really produce anything 677 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:15,400 Speaker 1: we'd want to listen to. But on August five thirteen, 678 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 1: to celebrate one year since Curiosity had landed on Mars, 679 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 1: the team sent a series of vibrations which resulted in 680 00:34:21,480 --> 00:34:25,520 Speaker 1: the playing of Happy Birthday, which seems so sweet until 681 00:34:25,600 --> 00:34:28,400 Speaker 1: you realize it's probably the loneliest birthday in the universe. 682 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: That's a good point. That's a very good point. All right, Well, 683 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: you know, when humans travel to new places, we of 684 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: course think about what we might be exposed to and 685 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: of the dangers related to that, but we don't always 686 00:34:40,640 --> 00:34:44,320 Speaker 1: think about what we might be exposing the new environments too. Thankfully, 687 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: NASA does think about this, because we really don't want 688 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:50,239 Speaker 1: a situation where we're introducing foreign microbes that you know, 689 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 1: may take over an environment before we even get to 690 00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,920 Speaker 1: learn anything about it. So there's actually a dedicated department 691 00:34:55,960 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 1: at NASA known as the Office of Planetary Protection or 692 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,279 Speaker 1: op e P for short, and that just focuses on 693 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,560 Speaker 1: the policies to assist NASA and preventing those sorts of 694 00:35:05,600 --> 00:35:09,480 Speaker 1: disaster scenarios. So I always wondered, is that what O 695 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: p P? And that song stands for? Yeah, I'm pretty 696 00:35:12,680 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: sure that it was. Yeah, let's go with it. So 697 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:17,960 Speaker 1: one of the other things we might not think about 698 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: is how much living on Mars would mess with our 699 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:24,120 Speaker 1: circadian rhythms. And a day on Mars is approximately twenty 700 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,080 Speaker 1: four hours and thirty nine minutes, And at first that 701 00:35:27,120 --> 00:35:29,239 Speaker 1: doesn't seem like that big a problem, doesn't seem that 702 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:32,840 Speaker 1: far off from Earth, but it would actually be pretty problematic. 703 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:36,840 Speaker 1: So the average woman's circadian rhythm lasts twenty four hours 704 00:35:36,840 --> 00:35:39,439 Speaker 1: in six minutes, and for men it's twenty four hours 705 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:42,160 Speaker 1: and twelve minutes. And again, that doesn't seem far off, 706 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 1: but it adds up, and what it really means is 707 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 1: that every few days it would be like traveling west 708 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:49,720 Speaker 1: by a couple of time zones, which you know would 709 00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:53,480 Speaker 1: be pretty tough on your body. Yeah, I hadn't thought 710 00:35:53,480 --> 00:35:55,480 Speaker 1: about that before. When I first saw that twenty four 711 00:35:55,480 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 1: hours and thirty nine minutes, I fell into the same thing, 712 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 1: thinking like that wouldn't be a big deal at all, 713 00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: But that's it makes sense. All. We talked a little 714 00:36:02,960 --> 00:36:06,120 Speaker 1: bit earlier about the most recent class of NASA astronauts, 715 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 1: and it is pretty cool to see that for the 716 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:11,120 Speaker 1: first time half of them are female. And I'm pretty 717 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: sure cost has nothing to do with it, but it 718 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: is interesting to note that it would actually be a 719 00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: good bit cheaper to send an all women crew to Mars. 720 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: They're lighter on average, which means burning less fuel, and 721 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:25,399 Speaker 1: they need fewer calories, which also means transporting less food. 722 00:36:25,960 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: I mean, how awesome would that view if, like the 723 00:36:27,760 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: first crew to Mars was all women. Would that be incredible, 724 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: be pretty cool. So here's the fact I think is 725 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,759 Speaker 1: super weird. If you're standing on mars Is Equator and 726 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: measure the temperature at your feet and at your head, 727 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: you find an almost forty degree fahrenheit difference. It's about 728 00:36:43,200 --> 00:36:46,360 Speaker 1: seventy degrees fahrenheit on the warmer ground and at about 729 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,239 Speaker 1: thirty two degrees fahrenheit at the top of your head. 730 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,240 Speaker 1: It feels like you have no idea what to wear. 731 00:36:52,280 --> 00:36:55,640 Speaker 1: If that was the case, right, yeah, you probably do. 732 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:58,560 Speaker 1: You do like flip flops and then progressively like colder 733 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:02,360 Speaker 1: and colder weather off, how would be so weird? Al Right, well, mango, 734 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,000 Speaker 1: I have no idea how we've talked about Mars without 735 00:37:05,040 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 1: making a single bad candy bar jokes. I just want 736 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:09,960 Speaker 1: to go ahead and ruin this for us. And I'd 737 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,719 Speaker 1: like to mention that this Nickers bar, which comes in 738 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:15,280 Speaker 1: at number eight on my list of best candy bars, 739 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 1: was named for a horse owned by the Mars family. 740 00:37:18,600 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 1: So there, yeah, well, I mean you did ruin this 741 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:24,759 Speaker 1: for us. I love that. I'm going to give you 742 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,960 Speaker 1: the ward. Thank you so much, and thank you guys 743 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 1: for listening. I'm sure there are tons of great facts 744 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: about Mars that we didn't include in today's episode, and 745 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:35,120 Speaker 1: as always, we'd love to hear those from you. You 746 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: can reach us by email part Time Genius and How 747 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:40,640 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com, or you can call us one 748 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,840 Speaker 1: fact hotline that's one eight four four pt Genius, and 749 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 1: as always, you can reach us on Facebook or Twitter. 750 00:37:46,120 --> 00:38:02,200 Speaker 1: But thanks so much for listening. Thanks again for listening. 751 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:04,479 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of How Stuff Works 752 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: and wouldn't be possible without several brilliant people who do 753 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 1: the important things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan 754 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 1: McNeil does the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme 755 00:38:12,840 --> 00:38:15,840 Speaker 1: song and does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland 756 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:19,040 Speaker 1: does the exact producer thing. Gabe Louesier is our lead researcher, 757 00:38:19,080 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: with support from the research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan 758 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,400 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve Jeff Cook gets the 759 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 760 00:38:26,640 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 761 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 762 00:38:30,520 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 1: a good review for us. Do you forget Jason who