Building Life on Mars: Challenges and Complexities

Mars is inhospitable to human life with its cosmic radiation, atmosphere of carbon dioxide and nights as cold as 200 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. But as Space X founder Elon Musk pledges to colonize Mars, and as NASA renews its push for interplanetary travel, a husband and wife duo has explored whether people really can live in space. What would it require to have babies on another planet? To grow food? To prevent conflicts in space from sparking geopolitical chaos on Earth? We’ll talk about it all with Kelly and Zach Weinersmith, co-authors of “A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?”

Guests:

Kelly Weinersmith, scientist and adjunct faculty member in the biosciences department, Rice University; co-author, "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?"

Zach Weinersmith, cartoonist of the webcomic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal; co-author, "A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?"

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