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Could Humans Actually Survive on Mars? · The Infographics Show Podcast

• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Welcome back to the infographics. Are you ready for another
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: deep dive?
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Always? Ready?
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: Great? Today we're going to be talking about Mars and well,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: could humans actually live there? I mean, it's a question
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  Speaker 1: that's been bugging people, you know, for ages.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a big one, it is.
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  Speaker 1: It is, and we're going to be exploring all the
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  Speaker 1: possibilities but also the serious challenges like what would it
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  Speaker 1: really take, I mean, like to actually set up shop
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  Speaker 1: on the red planet.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, that's the thing, right, It's not just about getting there.
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  Speaker 1: Right exactly, it's like what do you do when you
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: get there? And trust me, we've got some fascinating insights
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: for you.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, we're going deep on this week.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: We are. Yeah, And if you're loving this journey into
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: the cosmos already, don't forget to hit that five star rating.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: It really helps others find.
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: The show, absolutely spread the knowledge.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: So Mars, right, it's always had this kind of mysterious allure,
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: this like you know, pull on the human imagination.
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  Speaker 2: It's definitely captured our attention for a long time.
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  Speaker 1: It has, it has, and it's the planet in our
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  Speaker 1: Solar system that's most similar to Earth. But it's also
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  Speaker 1: like insanely harsh.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a fascinating paradox, similar in some ways but
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  Speaker 2: incredibly hostile in others.
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  Speaker 1: Right, it's like this rusty, weird mirror image of home.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, we see these polar ice caps, we see
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  Speaker 1: ancient river beds. These are hints, right, it might have
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  Speaker 1: been more earth like once upon a time.
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  Speaker 2: It's tantalizing to think about what Mars might have been like.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, but then reality hits super thin atmosphere and it's
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  Speaker 1: almost entirely carbon dioxide. That's a bit of a problem
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  Speaker 1: for us humans, wouldn't you say.
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  Speaker 2: That's putting it mildly? That thin atmosphere is a major
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  Speaker 2: roadblock for us. It is, and it leads to a
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  Speaker 2: whole cascade of other issues like radiation.
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  Speaker 1: Oh right, right, radiation.
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  Speaker 2: Without a thick atmosphere like we have here on Earth,
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  Speaker 2: the surface of Mars is bombarded by intense solar radiation
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  Speaker 2: and that's not good, definitely not. It's incredibly harmful to humans.
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  Speaker 2: So any habitats we build would need to be well,
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  Speaker 2: they wouldn't just have to be airtight, they'd have to
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  Speaker 2: be radiation proof as well.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow, so we're talking serious high tech bunkers here.
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  Speaker 1: Not just like those cute little Martian domes you see
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  Speaker 1: in the movies.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, the early Martian basis, they'd be all about survival,
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  Speaker 2: you know, wow, self sufficiency. I think a totally sealed
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  Speaker 2: environment where every single resource is carefully managed and recycled.
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  Speaker 1: Oh wow. Okay, so let's try and paint a picture here.
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  Speaker 1: Imagine you're one of the first pioneers on Mars. You
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  Speaker 1: step out of your habitat and it just hits you
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  Speaker 1: like a ton of bricks. The sheer isolation you're on
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  Speaker 1: this vast red plane. Maybe there's a massive extinct volcano
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  Speaker 1: in the distance, just looming.
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  Speaker 2: It would be an awe inspiring and humbling experience totally.
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  Speaker 1: And the silence, right, it's almost eerie. The only thing
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  Speaker 1: you can hear is the hum of your life support.
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  Speaker 2: System, that constant reminder that you're completely dependent on technology
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  Speaker 2: for survival.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and then a dust devil swirls past, reminding you
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  Speaker 1: that this planet it's still alive, even if it's not
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  Speaker 1: teeming with life as we know it.
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  Speaker 2: Every moment outside the habitat would be a stark reminder
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  Speaker 2: of just how vulnerable you are.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and you'd never be able to just take a
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  Speaker 1: casual stroll or breathe in the fresh Martian air.
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  Speaker 2: Not without some serious intervention. That's where the idea of
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  Speaker 2: terraforming comes in.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, terraforming, let's talk about that. It sounds super ambitious.
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  Speaker 1: Are we talking about like turning Mars into Earth two
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  Speaker 1: point zero?
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  Speaker 2: Essentially? Yes, Terraforming is all about making Mars habitable for humans,
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  Speaker 2: you know, without needing those bulky spacesuits and enclosed habitats.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, but how how do you even begin to do that?
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  Speaker 1: It's not like we can wave a magic wand and
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  Speaker 1: poof instant Earth like planet.
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  Speaker 2: It would be a monumental undertaking, There's no doubt about that.
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  Speaker 2: A series of huge hurdles we'd have to overcome, Like
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  Speaker 2: what well for starters, that thin Martian atmosphere We've got
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  Speaker 2: to tackle that. It's not dense enough to trap heat
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  Speaker 2: or provide breathable air.
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  Speaker 1: We do pump in a bunch of air from Earth, It's.
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  Speaker 2: Not quite that simple. We would have to figure out
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  Speaker 2: how to release trapped gases within the Martian soil and ice.
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  Speaker 1: How do you even do that?
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  Speaker 2: There are theories some pretty wild ones too, like maybe
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  Speaker 2: targeted asteroid impacts, or we could deploy like giant orbital
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  Speaker 2: mirrors to reflect more sunlight and warm the planet.
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  Speaker 1: Asteroid impacts orbital mirrors. This is starting to sound like
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  Speaker 1: a science fiction movie.
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  Speaker 2: The science is real, though, The real challenge is the
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  Speaker 2: sheer scale and complexity of it all. We're talking planetary
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  Speaker 2: scale engineering.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's something humanity has never even attempted before exactly.
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  Speaker 2: And even if we could somehow thicken the atmosphere, we'd
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  Speaker 2: still need to change its composition, make it more earth like,
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  Speaker 2: you know, a good balance of nitrogen and oxygen.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, thick in it, change the composition. What else is
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  Speaker 1: on this terraforming to do list?
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  Speaker 2: Well, Mars is freezing compared to Earth, so we need
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  Speaker 2: to figure out a way to warm it up significantly.
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  Speaker 1: How do you even warm up a planet?
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  Speaker 2: One idea is melting the polar ice caps that release
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  Speaker 2: trapped carbon dioxide, create a greenhouse effect and gradually raise
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  Speaker 2: the planet's temperature.
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  Speaker 1: Hold on, isn't carbon dioxide the still we're trying to
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  Speaker 1: get rid of here on Earth because of you know,
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  Speaker 1: climate change. Would releasing a ton of it on Mars
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  Speaker 1: create problems down the line.
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  Speaker 2: It's a dilemma for sure terraforming is all about balance.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, finding that sweet spot exactly.
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  Speaker 2: We'd have to carefully consider the long term impacts of
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  Speaker 2: every action. We don't want to recreate the same environmental
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  Speaker 2: problems we have here.
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  Speaker 1: Right, We're not trying to make the same mistakes all
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  Speaker 1: over again. So it seems like every solution just brings
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  Speaker 1: up a whole new bunch of questions.
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  Speaker 2: It's a complex puzzle.
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  Speaker 1: It is, it is, And let's not forget this whole
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  Speaker 1: terraforming project. We're talking multi generational effort, right. Oh.
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  Speaker 2: Absolutely, this is a timescale spanning centuries, maybe even millennia centuries.
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  Speaker 1: Wow.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, Terraforming Mars wouldn't be a quick fix. It would
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  Speaker 2: require a level of global cooperation and long term vision
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  Speaker 2: that we've well frankly never seen before.
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  Speaker 1: Wow. Okay, So even if we can figure out the technology,
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  Speaker 1: even if we can get everybody on board, there's still
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  Speaker 1: a bigger question should we do it?
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  Speaker 2: That's the ethical elephant in the room.
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: It is it is. And if you're just joining us,
• 6:10
  Speaker 1: you're listening to the infographics, and today we're on a
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: deep dive into the complexities of life on Mars. If
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: you're digging this Cosmic Exploration hit that five star rating
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• 6:23
  Speaker 1: All right, so we've got the technology, the cooperation, but
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: do we have the.
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: Right It's a huge question. Even if we could transform Mars,
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  Speaker 2: do we have the right to right?
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  Speaker 1: What are the ethical implications? I mean, we're talking about
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  Speaker 1: completely changing another planet.
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  Speaker 2: It raises questions about our role in the universe, our responsibilities.
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  Speaker 1: Big questions. And before we even think about terraforming, shouldn't
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  Speaker 1: we figure out if there's already life there?
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  Speaker 2: That's a fundamental question. We haven't found definitive proof yet,
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  Speaker 2: but that doesn't mean it's not there.
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  Speaker 1: So there's a chance, right, Yeah, however small. There could
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  Speaker 1: be Martian microbes or maybe something even more complex hiding
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  Speaker 1: below the surface.
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  Speaker 2: It's a possibility we can't ignore.
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  Speaker 1: And if we start introducing earthlife to Mars through terraforming,
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  Speaker 1: we could accidentally wipe out an entire native ecosystem before
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  Speaker 1: we even know it exists.
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  Speaker 2: It's a sobering thought.
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  Speaker 1: It is talk about cosmic guilt, definitely.
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  Speaker 2: It raises a fundamental ethical question. Do we prioritize human
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  Speaker 2: life over potential Martian life?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah? And if we do find evidence of life. How
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  Speaker 1: does that change everything?
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  Speaker 2: It would fundamentally alter our approach to the Red planet,
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  Speaker 2: no doubt about it.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so we've got the technology, the ethical considerations, and
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  Speaker 1: then there's the big one, right, the cost. Terraforming Mars
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  Speaker 1: would be the most ambitious project in human history. We're
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  Speaker 1: talking an insane amount of resources, money, time, everything.
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  Speaker 2: It's true, we're talking diverting funds from Earth based problems,
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  Speaker 2: potentially for generations.
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  Speaker 1: Oh is it even worth it? I mean, are we
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  Speaker 1: talking about the survival of humanity?
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  Speaker 2: That's the argument, right, a backup planet for humanity, a safeguard.
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  Speaker 2: But there are always critics. They say, we need to
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  Speaker 2: fix the problems here first.
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  Speaker 1: So it's like, do we focus on our current planet
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  Speaker 1: or do we look to the stars for our future.
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  Speaker 2: It's a tough choice, for sure.
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  Speaker 1: It is. It's a massive decision, no doubt about it.
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  Speaker 2: It really is a classic dilemma, isn't it. You know,
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  Speaker 2: balancing what we need right now with these big dreams
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  Speaker 2: for the future.
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  Speaker 1: It's like are we being responsible or are we just
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  Speaker 1: running away from our problems?
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  Speaker 2: And it forces to ask, you know, some uncomfortable questions
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  Speaker 2: about what really matters to us. As a species.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it makes you wonder, right, would tackling something
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  Speaker 1: as huge as terraforming Mars? I mean, would it actually
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  Speaker 1: force us to become more like unified, more cooperative as
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  Speaker 1: a species, because we would have to like pool our resources,
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  Speaker 1: share knowledge, work together on a scale that we've never even,
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  Speaker 1: i mean come close to before.
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  Speaker 2: That's an interesting idea, maybe trying to create a new
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  Speaker 2: home for humanity. It could actually be the thing that
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  Speaker 2: pushes us to fix our old one.
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  Speaker 1: So you're saying, like going to Mars could help us
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  Speaker 1: solve problems here on Earth.
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  Speaker 2: It's a possibility, right. Imagine if we could put aside
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  Speaker 2: our differences, you know, all the nations working together towards
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  Speaker 2: this common goal transforming a barren planet into a thriving ecosystem.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, that would be pretty incredible.
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  Speaker 2: And that kind of global unity, who knows it could
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  Speaker 2: inspire solutions to problems here at home.
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  Speaker 1: It's almost like Mars is holding up this mirror to humanity. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: like challenging us to be better.
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  Speaker 2: Exactly. It's a test not just of our technology, but
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  Speaker 2: of you know, our wisdom, our maturity as a species.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so let's say, just for fun, we actually do
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  Speaker 1: it we terraform Mars. What would life be like there?
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  Speaker 1: Would it be like a utopia, a fresh start, or
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  Speaker 1: would we just end up bringing all our baggage with us.
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  Speaker 2: Well that's where things get really fascinating.
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  Speaker 1: You know.
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  Speaker 2: Creating a habitable planet that's one thing, But building a
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  Speaker 2: sustainable society that's a whole different challenge.
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  Speaker 1: Right, It's not enough to just have air and water.
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  Speaker 1: We'd need to create a whole new way of life,
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  Speaker 1: a Martian way of life.
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  Speaker 2: Imagine a Martian civilization with its own culture, its own values,
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  Speaker 2: its own ways of adapting to life on a terraformed planet.
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  Speaker 1: It's like, would Martian art be different? Would their music
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  Speaker 1: sound different? I mean, would they even have music?
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  Speaker 2: Maybe their literature would reflect the beauty and isolation of
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  Speaker 2: their environment.
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  Speaker 1: And what about their technology? Would they come up with
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  Speaker 1: completely new innovations.
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  Speaker 2: It's mind boggling to think about the possibilities, it is.
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  Speaker 1: But let's be real, right, not everybody would be on
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  Speaker 1: board with this whole Mars colonization thing.
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  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, there would be plenty of people who would
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  Speaker 2: see it as a waste of resources, a distraction, maybe
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  Speaker 2: even like a form of cosmic imperialism.
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  Speaker 1: Leave Mars alone. We haven't even figured out how to
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: live on our own planet.
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  Speaker 2: Right, and those are valid concerns. It highlights how important
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: it is to have these conversations, you know, to talk
• 10:50
  Speaker 2: about the ethical implications of all this space exploration colonization.
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we need to consider all signs right way, the
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: potential benefits against the risks may or we're making decisions
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  Speaker 1: that are good for everyone and for the planet or
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: in this case, planets.
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  Speaker 2: It's a huge responsibility, it really is.
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  Speaker 1: And it makes you think. Right this whole Mars conversation,
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  Speaker 1: it brings up some deep questions about humanity's place in
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  Speaker 1: the universe. Are we meant to be a multiplanetary species?
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  Speaker 1: Do we have the right to spread out to other worlds?
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  Speaker 2: And if we do, what kind of legacy do we
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  Speaker 2: want to leave behind.
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  Speaker 1: Wow, that's a lot to think about. If you're enjoying
• 11:27
  Speaker 1: this deep dive, don't forget to hit that subscribe button
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: and give the infographics of five star rating. It helps
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: us reach more curious minds like yours and keeps the
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: conversation going. Absolutely so, whether we end up terraforming Mars
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: or not, just thinking about these questions It helps us
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: understand ourselves better, doesn't it, and our place in this
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: whole grand scheme of things.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: I think so it forces us to confront our limitations,
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  Speaker 2: our hopes, and the ethical dilemmas that come with being
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: a species that can actually shape not just our own destiny,
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: but maybe the destiny of entire worlds.
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  Speaker 1: And that in itself is a pretty incredible journey. I
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: feel like, you know, after all this, it all kind
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  Speaker 1: of comes back to one question, what does it mean
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  Speaker 1: to be human in this like massive universe.
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  Speaker 2: That's a huge question for sure, and I don't think
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: we have a complete answer yet. I mean maybe we're
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: still figuring that out as we explore more.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's pretty wild to think that we're actually alive
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  Speaker 1: at a time when you know, living on Mars is
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  Speaker 1: going from science fiction to a real possibility. It really
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  Speaker 1: makes you think about like what's next for humanity out
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  Speaker 1: there in the stars.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, it's exciting and a bit daunting to the
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  Speaker 2: further we go, the more complicated the ethical questions become.
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  Speaker 1: Totally it's not just about what we can do right,
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  Speaker 1: it's about what we should do, what's the right thing
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  Speaker 1: to do?
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: Exactly? We have this drive to explore, to push the boundaries,
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: to discover new worlds. That's part of what makes us.
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  Speaker 1: Human, it is, but we also have to be careful.
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  Speaker 2: Right, Absolutely, we have to recognize that our actions have consequences,
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  Speaker 2: you know, they can ripple outwards, impacting in ways we
• 13:00
  Speaker 2: might not even anticipate.
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  Speaker 1: We're not just visitors, right, we have a responsibility, right.
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  Speaker 2: So we have to ask ourselves what kind of presence
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  Speaker 2: do we want to have in this universe.
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  Speaker 1: It's a big question. I mean, are we going to
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  Speaker 1: repeat the mistakes we've made here on Earth or can
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  Speaker 1: we learn from them and do better create a better
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  Speaker 1: future for ourselves and for any other life we might encounter.
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  Speaker 2: It's a chance to redefine what it means to be human,
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  Speaker 2: not just here but out there.
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  Speaker 1: Like Mars is this giant blank canvas, and we get
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  Speaker 1: to decide what we paint on it, and.
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  Speaker 2: The choices we make now will determine what that picture
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: looks like.
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  Speaker 1: Well. That brings us to the end of our deep
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: dive into life on Mars. We've covered a lot, from
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: the challenges of surviving on a completely different planet to
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: the crazy idea of terraforming an entire world.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: But of course, as with all of our deep dives,
• 13:49
  Speaker 2: we've only scratched the surface.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: There's always more to explore, So keep researching, keep questioning,
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: and keep forming your own opinions about humanity's future out
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: there in space. And if this episode of the infographic
• 14:01
  Speaker 1: sparked your curiosity, be sure to check out our other
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: episodes where we well, you know, we explore all sorts
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: of fascinating stuff.
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: The quest to understand our place in the universe. It's
• 14:11
  Speaker 2: an ongoing journey, and every new discovery just brings us
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: a little bit closer to answering those big questions about
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: where we came from, why we're here, and what we're
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: capable of.
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: So keep looking up at those stars, keep asking those
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: big questions, and keep exploring the wonders of the cosmos.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: And if you enjoyed this deep dive, don't forget to
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: subscribe to the infographics and leave us a five star rating.
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: It helps us reach even more curious minds like yours
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: and keeps the conversation going. Thanks for listening.