Can we colonize Mars? - THE BIG FUTURE Ep. 2

[@evilmarc]

This is the kind of stuff I like to see from The Verge - futuristic, interesting, informative and witty. The phone reviews can die a slow painful death as far as I'm concerned.

[@Commanderjao]

“Don't tell me that man doesn't belong out there. Man belongs wherever he wants to go -- and he'll do plenty well when he gets there.” Wernher Von Braun Nicely designed video as well

[@SkyDomeVIZE]

Something tells me someone was reading "The Martian" by Andy Weir, a good book by the way. Well, to answer one of your questions about radiation management, I believe living under ground is key.

[@fabiomarchiotto4141]

I love that book!

[@ImranLatheefs]

Awesome book

[@nihilgeist666]

I would love to visit Mars once it's colonized, but just to visit. I think I'll live on Earth where it's comfy, and not full of radiation.

[@leoncampa]

There is one big issue that trumps all else: Mars's weak magnetic field. Terraforming remains impossible, even if we somehow try to pump gasses into the atmosphere, since every single solar flare will basically brush away the ozone layer in a single sweep , while radiating any living organisms with lethal levels of radiation because Mars's magnetic shield is practically non-existent If humans want to be able to colonize Mars in the long run, they will need to consider living underground in atomic shelters, only going out when they really have to.

[@buttonasas]

Can't you just have glass that blocks the harmful radiation instead? Not sure if that's specifically better than living underground.

[@frankholguin2534]

glad to see the verge is expanding and expressing interest in scientific ideas outside of phones, computers, etc. Also, we need more people into STEM or STEAM. Then actually make a living using that education.

[@ChillTechStudio]

This is why I like verge, for stories like these.

[@kimchi_taco]

Perhaps I can see dozens people live in Mars in my life.

[@meKevinWalsh]

I love the new series. Good start.

[@okseos]

Love these videos, keep it up The Verge!

[@raghavabboy]

Now this is called a QUALITY video from Verge. Awesome work ^_^

[@Jokbig]

Amazing graphics, great idea

[@TheBrokenEclipse]

Internet pages takes 6-45 minutes to load!? Hell no, I ain't going to Mars no more!

[@greylepoard]

+Arch The data transfer would be 6-45 minutes, but if it was cached (as it would have to be) it would seem like normal internet. Even direct streaming, assuming we had equipment powerful enough to stream large file sizes over that distance, would seem normal. It's just that it would take at least 6 minutes for a request to get to an Earth server and then another 6 minutes before it starts playing.

[@gytiskontrimas4399]

Forgot to mention that the gravity on Mars is only 38% that of Earths and there is no scientific consensus on how this will affect the colonists or their offspring.

[@taytems]

Love this series

[@TheRajanRayat]

For a little more info, here is a short doc I made feeling some of the stories of three of the Mars one candidates from the UK: The Blank Red Canvas

[@Vork81]

Great animation work

[@Scripterrific]

I think that the lack of a high-speed internet connection is really what's stopping us.

[@K1RTB]

- Being among the first people to experience mars. YES - Live like an astronat. YES - Eat ground up cockroaches. FINE - Wait 45 minutes for a website to load. DEALBREAKER!

[@VikTheGreat360]

those animations are adorable

[@jodyjohnston934]

we could crash Phobos into Mars as it is already on a collision course

[@SuluGaming]

1:57 The Last Days on Mars

[@neonpelican]

Would there be precipitation on Mars? Wouldnt the melted ice get released outside and freeze again and not be cleaned. I could see this being a problem in some ways....

[@LoganJinks]

Don't forget the fact that its soil is an irritant and will eat up your skin as soon as you touch it.

[@rahuljanagouda]

I feel its better if verge starts a different channel for THE BIG FUTURE

[@Addakhel]

The Verge The work you're doing guys is just amazing! To the people who disliked this video, I'd really like to know what did you hate about it by a comment please.

[@kaporal22]

What's the name of the tune in the first part? Anyone knows?

[@ChrisJohn_444]

Ya...they won't be able to convince me it's a worthwhile idea unless I'd be able to have fast Internet on that colony (gotta be able to connect to the PSN).

[@TheDariod9]

0:26 Is that Rooster Teeth's Achievment Hunter Intro sound?

[@Blackbox347]

very good motion gaphic design

[@charlesborden1027]

I'm not so worried about scarcity/resources. Innovations in green architecture show remarkable promise for beautiful, hyper efficient, highly monitored and automated infrastructure. I do think there's a lot of interesting socioeconomic and cultural questions that arise from mars colonization. Would you intentionally bring a predetermined mix of ethnicities? Would they be genetically screened so progeny has a better chance of survival? Would progeny be genetically screened/modified? How would births be done, test tube babies? Would the pioneers have to be vegan since its less resource intensive? Would we workout/fight against gravitational discrepancies or allow our bodies to adapt to the climate/evolve? Would it be necessarily a commune system? Is there sovereignty/equal funding from earth nation governments? And could we do something about those pathetic internet speeds??? Like deploy routers/pitstop stations along the way or something?

[@jodyjohnston934]

we could put an internet on Mars and let's say someone uploaded a video it could be sent to Mars and take 6 - 45 minutes to get to the Martian internet and take about the same time to load it will take 6 - 45 minutes to update

[@PTNLemay]

I suspect space colonization will eventually reach something like the presence we currently have in Antarctica. Antarctica is barely habitable and doesn't really hold any material resource of value that we can't get elsewhere for cheaper (a lot like space), and the primary benefit of sending people there is (also like space) for scientific research. At the best times (during the warm summer season) there are over 1000 people in Antarctica doing all sorts of science. But no one would honestly suggest living there on a permanent basis. We can study space and even explore it ourselves one day, but I don't know if we can ever truly call it home. It's just so inhospitable. It'd be easier to colonize the bottom of the ocean.

[@gilalexandel]

Take care of this planet first.

[@tsb2041]

One problem that hasn't really been addressed: the water supply is finite. There's frozen water in the soil and there are the ice caps, and unlike Earth, the water isn't replenished through evaporation and rain, right? Or are we just going to keep recycling our bath water and urine? You can only purify and reuse the latter so many times. Humans are notoriously wasteful -- I'm sure that the early colonists will be very conservative with the resources early on, but when we're ready to rapidly expand outward, then what? Maybe someone more knowledgable than me can answer that.

[@WayneJohnsonZastil]

How do you know you can only purify so many times? Our planet purifies our water daily, it's possible I think. Maybe don't have science knowledge yet but as long as so much water can support so much life then all good. I also think radiation over generations our bodies will adapt evolution style! But gonna take some very brave people to be the first! and boy would they go down as greatest ever humans in mankind!

[@paulwatford3197]

Wayne Johnson Erm distillation? = PURE water. It's not exact science fiction.... The radiation has been shown by the rovers to be comparable to the levels in the International Space Station due to the partial atmosphere and the planet physically blocking 50% of the radiation from the sun. the temperature is not too extreme either.. The difficulties are numerous: one will be growing enough food. Food takes a long time and a lot of surface area; area that would need to be provided by pressurised greenhouses. The other main issue is getting there without dying of radiation sickness. You could build a ship that used water as a radiation absorber around the living area, this could also be used on the planet. But this would weigh tons, would cost a fortune to get into space, and would massively reduce the speed of the trip due to the extra mass that would need to be moved. Finally the biggest issue is the landing itself. mars has quite strong gravity (compared to the moon) but very thin atmosphere, this means landing using atmospheric drag to slow you down barely works at all. The latest rover is about the limit in terms of mass that we could land safely in one go. But.. if we could magically transport all the kit we needed it would actually be quite easy to survive. But the initial setup costs would be enormous. The new Sabre air breathing rocket engine may reduce the cost of getting supplies into space. www.reactionengines.co.uk/sabre.html and make a mission viable. Then the new VASIMIR engine may get us there quickly enough that radiation is not a problem: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_Specific_Impulse_Magnetoplasma_Rocket The problem with VASIMER is that it needs a very powerful reactor to provide enough power, and currently all power plants weigh way too much to make it a viable option. We would need fusion power plants and they would need to be light weight... Or fision reactors would need to advance a heck of a lot and radiation dealt with without a ton of lead or concrete to protect the crew. We are 50 years away from the tech we need.

[@reck101101]

GET YE ASS TO MARZ, DOUGLAS QUAID!!

[@chaitanyakrishnan]

Space cancer has been a deal breaker for me when it comes to space travel..

[@luciepresson1940]

Amazing

[@GURken]

One question: for what?

[@dannyr055]

Lets just take care of our planet Earth first and the we look for different planets.

[@wassha09]

You bring up an excellent point. Colonizing Mars is one thing but political agenda behind the scene is an entirely different beast.

[@timothybenson938]

So, lets not forget that Mars' gravity is less than ours and would cause bone loss thats more than the elders lose per year. Heavy Vitamin D and calcium in the diet would be mandetory.

[@ooharhh1012]

if we stopped putting all of our money and effort into wars and killing each other this might one day become a possibility..

[@ethanradd]

bbu ...bu ...but what about the Martians?

[@Williamwhatsmyname]

No , we can't colonize mars 'cause mars hasn't magnetic field . When a asteroid impacts all the gas that created flies away into space .

[@Williamwhatsmyname]

But the video is very good . :)

[@Duckstalker1340]

Everything human needs is still come from the very earth that we walk, like food, energy, etc... The soil on Mars ain't the same, where do you get the energy from to run those water/oxygen generator enough for mass amount of people? If you have water, and oxygen then what's about food? And what's would the people on Mars do to keep their lives going??

[@jorisjanssen12]

I think the people who are going To mars are picked precisely farmers engineers doctors scientist's so they would all play a part in surviving up there the only thing there is no place for up there is marketing people because they don't have a skill that will keep you alive

[@MetallicReg]

Nuclear reactors.

[@iknown0thing]

did you say cockroaches grinded into a nutria-bar?...snowpiercer

[@Banana39489]

Wait. So if there are harmful bacteria on Mars then we have discovered life outside Earth?????

[@Intense_Friction]

lets focus on our 17 trillion dollar debt first.

[@TheHeew]

It doesn't have to be an American company...

[@SuperFinGuy]

Also, Mars is not a freezing planet, it does not need a "global warming", the temperatures in most regions are between 20 to 90 Fahrenheit (in the shade!), pretty much like earth. tsk tsk

[@TheGaIaxy]

TERRA FOR MARS!!!!!!!!!! Who will be the vermin???????

[@saptron]

Terra Formars maybe?

[@citizen_of_earth_]

reposted this to www.reddit.com/r/Futurology

[@ApesMcCoy]

What about our Moon?

[@MetallicReg]

Nothing to do there. Absolutely no assistance for life. Too low gravity. Similar consistency of the ground like on earth. It would be too expensive to transport anything from there. On Mars you have minimal atmosphere and an acceptable gravity. You have water = the elemental chance for creating a colony. Not the best place, but the nearest around us.

[@paulwatford3197]

MetallicReg We could/should setup 3d printers on the moon plus harvest water for fuel. If we could build many of the bulky parts on the moon using the moons resources, Mars would be much easier and cheaper to colonise.

[@MetallicReg]

***** Not easier. You still need extra fuel to start from the moon. IF you really want to start colonization of Mars, it is a logic step to start building an advanced orbital station around earth, where you would prepare the first modules and the large personal transporters for the long journey. However concerning the still current health problems behind the thermophase it is much more likely that the people will die on their way and nearly sure, that it will happen after some more weeks on Mars, if they were lucky enough to get there with only a low stadium cancer.

[@paulwatford3197]

MetallicReg You can't mine fuel in space... You can on the moon. What exactly does an orbital station provide? Nothing. On the moon we could mine our own metal, mine our own fuel and water. Producing tons of resources that would require minimal lift to remove from the tiny lunar gravity.

[@MetallicReg]

***** You can mine it on earth under "easy" conditions and send it in split up loads up in the orbit. The upkeep of a moon station is very wasteful on its own. And no, there are no oil, gas, free water or uncombined oxygen there - everything needed for fuel. The only thing that the moon station could provide, are several types of mineral ores - that should be found first + the production of alloys there would break the mold of any cost expectations, that any company would have. The space station allows us to build the huge ships in the orbit, that would be necessary for secure flights to mars and other destinations. To start such huge constructions from the earth is not effective (need fuel to ship up more fuel) and concerning some needs - not possible course of aerodynamic issues that have to be counted in (e.g. a centrifugal segment for artificial gravitation). Also is the maintains of a space station nearly free compared to one on the moon.

[@jorisjanssen12]

I would live on mars

[@eksitoner]

Why not colonize the moon first ?

[@AlphaSphere]

Yeah!! Lets go to mars because it's very cool! :D Forget about the shit load of downsides. The cool factor will negate all of that! Easy! not.....

[@akkaadadimana]

LOVE LOVE ADRIANNE JEFFRIES

[@afterpanic1429]

Jeffries FTW !

[@superrmrcool]

first we need to sort ourselves out then think about starting life on mars we cant all take and breed ignorant people that life cycle will be forever we cant even get along with other people and laugh if a person has a new hairstyle or dyed their hair which seems odd and what about spiders?? fuck no

[@aSStronaut111]

Humans will forever want to fight, if you think humans as we are will ever stop fighting wars then you are mistaken.

[@Threegnito]

but its ugly.... why all the trouble ?

[@billyboy8888]

our human instinct to explore!!!!!!! plus, there's all those resources we could extract from it

[@jorisjanssen12]

And our earth is getting full

[@brettheart1462]

I for one want to get off this rock full of crazies...until the crazies also migrate to Mars. In which case, hello Europa.

[@Threegnito]

how about u stay in this planet and send the crazies to that other one...

[@ocvipe]

MArz Zombiess :O

[@rhaegartargaryen9315]

Mars One is a scam, I'd wish people would stop citing them when talking about Mars and it's colonisation. What are they going to do over there? Make a Tv show or something? Sigh..

[@vitaliyhavrylyuk1327]

hmm

[@nikosv8166]

what happens if someone has sex on mars

[@richardstevens8839]

we can't even manage ebola or run fair elections, we are so far away from this right now...

[@ReshanCSX]

බොරු කියන්න එපා මිනිහො -_-

[@hydrantinco]

Mmmmmmm Adrian jefferies

[@nicocaneba1282]

NOPE.

[@Mr007eds]

lol k...

[@brandon497497]

This video is way too oversimplified.

[@SuperFinGuy]

Ugh, the narrator is a deliberately pretentious person, and spreading lies/half-truths to a non-thinking and ignorant audience.