Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep 170 "Will Mars Create a New Species of Human?" with Scott Solomon
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Sep 7, 2026 
Scott Solomon, an evolutionary biologist, Rice University professor, and author of Becoming Martian, explores how Mars could transform humanity. They discuss babies born in low gravity, fragile microbiomes, radiation, genetic engineering, altered sleep and dreaming, and whether isolated settlements might eventually become a new human species. They also imagine how Martians could experience Earth’s oceans, forests, and wildlife.
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Mars Time Still Causes Jet Lag
- Human hormonal cycles evolved around Earth’s rotation and seasonal sunlight, making unfamiliar planetary schedules biologically disruptive.
- Mars offers a nearly Earth-like day, but its extra 40 minutes can still cause persistent circadian desynchronization.
Mars Gravity Is An Unsolved Biology Experiment
- Partial gravity may weaken bones, muscles, blood volume, and cardiovascular function, but nobody knows whether Mars’s one-third gravity is sufficient.
- Apollo astronauts experienced lunar gravity for only days, leaving long-term partial-gravity effects almost unmeasured.
Martian Children May Lack Earth’s Microbial Education
- Children acquire their microbiomes from mothers, people, and surroundings, so Martian children may develop with radically reduced microbial diversity.
- Experiments with microbe-limited rodents show poor health, but scientists still do not know which microbes are essential.
