The chapter delves into the origin of the term 'Areology' linked to Mars, the God of War, addressing misconceptions and the naming process of planets. It discusses Mars's unique geological features, challenges of human habitation including reduced gravity effects and cosmic radiation. The conversation explores the feasibility of crewed missions, terraforming Mars, and the debate between sending robots or humans to the planet.
Last week we got a big thicc primer on ol' Mars, that dusty desert doomsday cabin millions of miles away. This week, Alie continues the conversation with areologist Dr. Jennifer Buz and asks your Patreon questions about whether we could landscape Mars to look like a golf course, what a water balloon fight on Mars would be like, and if people in Jennifer's lab quote science fiction. Plus we hear directly from Kim Staney Robinson on the moral quandaries of inhabiting the red planet and explore the question: "Why is Elon Musk so horny for Mars?"
You're going to want to look at Dr. Jennifer Buz's website JNNFR.BZ
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Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris
Theme song by Nick Thorburn