Evolutionary Biology on Mars | Scott Solomon | TEDxUniversityofHouston

As society slowly progresses in establishing themselves outside planet Earth, Professor Solomon takes a look at what would happen to humans from an evolution standpoint if we were to start residing permanently on Mars. Taking a look at all the adaptations that we would go through, the question then arises, would we even be humans then? Scott Solomon teaches ecology, evolutionary biology and scientific communication as a Professor in the Practice in the Department of BioSciences at Rice University. He received a doctorate in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from UT Austin where his research examined the evolutionary basis of biological diversity in the Amazon Basin. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@sl5311]

Why this doesn't have 5 million views I will never understand. Those of us who studied biology have been contemplating this for a long time. For example lower vitamin D when we moved from the equator to the upper northern hemisphere has caused a lot of problems that have not been evolved around. Sure there are blue eyes and blonde hair, but the body still needs more vitamin D in those locations.

[@HeadhuntexGamer]

Lower Vitamin D for fair-skinned people is barely is any problem, maybe for people who stay 24 hours inside their house but the ones who do sport and go outside have no such issue. Absurd comment

[@Berkay-xl4hu]

Because of the weak title.

[@sl5311]

@@HeadhuntexGamer That's not true. At the 39th parallel where I live UVB cannot penetrate from Oct to April the atmosphere and therefore not start the Vitamin D process in the body. I can see you have no idea what I just said(again).

[@HeadhuntexGamer]

@@sl5311 I get your point, there is only one solution for it (assuming it is an issue, because its not, people have been doing just fine in Norway/Finland/Russia for thousands of years now) just move back closer to the equator

[@suchdevelopments]

This TEDx talk is a great for developing thought experiments.

[@tecnoblix]

I've accepted for some time that terraforming Mars isn't going to be what happens. What is way easier and more likely is that Humans are going to "Marsiform" our bodies to better survive there. It's interesting to think that we are going to be our own "alien" species at some point.

[@shimagyohable]

he lecture almost suggests that mostly favourable mutations would occur on the high radiation atmosphere of Mars within the present life time of humans. Evolution on earth that took millions of years suggests that over 99.99 mutations will lead to death of the cell or at various stages of development, and there might be one in several million mitoses over thousands of years, and the Martian population would not survive that long enough to have enough favourable mutations to adapt. Experience at the international space station is already showing that microgravity over a few months causes the brain to start degenerating faster, as the redistribution of fluid in the internal brain cisterns becomes changed. CRISPR-Cas9 or other laboratory methods of mutation may solve short term conditions like inheritable diseases, but will not be able to favourably change the course of human evolution on earth, let alone Mars. With regards to space rocks exterminating human life on earth, it is equally likely to do so on Mars. It is far easier to stop poisoning the earth, or reverse the harm already done than this dream of spreading to planets in our or any other solar system.

[@urmasalas]

'There will be no microorganisms on Mars.' Ha, ha, we take ours with us. There is no chance we would not. And they would mutate as fast as we do.

[@martinzitter4551]

The Gerard O'Neill / Jeff Bezos rotating orbiting habitat plan is better than Mars surface living.

[@vincentyazzie7392]

Did you ever consider muscles can snap brittle bones? Did you think of looking for people that are radiation harden with slow metabolism like a cockroach and for people that can live near the death zone of 24,000 feet? Human guts have good bacteria to keep clostridium difficle under control.

[@darin7553]

COVID

[@rskrao9152]

Space technology will bring in more employment opportunities here on earth. As eventually in very short run we will realize that it is impractical to colonize the solar system at least for the next 100-200 years. No rich guy will risk himself or family on Moon or Mars. If that was so practical then astronauts would have stayed in space with families for a 2 year work Visa. You know that has not happened. Meanwhile, we will not stop and keep working on the space colonization. We will start with space and solar system tourism. Also we will learn a lot of things from the dying Earth (probably another 25-50 years only, read the global environment report). Maybe we will successfully rescue earth with space tech and research before 2050. In the process lot of people will be employed. We will shut down all fossil fuel machines and replace with clean energy machines and add more manual processes wherever possible. Let us hope for the best. Colonizing may happen only after 2200. If that happens it will be even more dangerous than what is predicted in this video. Unless we have matured as a race and learnt to live with love and in harmony with everything, colonizing will not happen! Only a dictator can make it happen!

[@StefanTravis]

Mutation != Evolution. This man doesn't seem to realise that.