TIL: How to Transform Mars into Our Second Home | Today I Learned

hey there would you like to live on Mars

hey there would you like to live on Mars that’s a garbage idea and if you try to

that’s a garbage idea and if you try to

that’s a garbage idea and if you try to go out there right now you would

go out there right now you would

go out there right now you would simultaneously freeze and choke to death

simultaneously freeze and choke to death

simultaneously freeze and choke to death I’m Brendan Mullin an emerging Explorer

I’m Brendan Mullin an emerging Explorer

I’m Brendan Mullin an emerging Explorer with National Geographic and an

with National Geographic and an

with National Geographic and an astrobiologist I’m here to tell you to

astrobiologist I’m here to tell you to

astrobiologist I’m here to tell you to wait Mars is almost one and a half times

wait Mars is almost one and a half times

wait Mars is almost one and a half times as far away from the Sun as Earth is and

as far away from the Sun as Earth is and

as far away from the Sun as Earth is and its atmosphere is about a hundred times

its atmosphere is about a hundred times

its atmosphere is about a hundred times less dense than our own the average

less dense than our own the average

less dense than our own the average surface temperature on Mars is something

surface temperature on Mars is something

surface temperature on Mars is something like minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit but as

like minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit but as

like minus 81 degrees Fahrenheit but as humans if we’re good at one thing it’s

humans if we’re good at one thing it’s

humans if we’re good at one thing it’s drastically changing our environment so

drastically changing our environment so

drastically changing our environment so what if we can make Mars more like Earth

what if we can make Mars more like Earth

what if we can make Mars more like Earth there’s an idea that’s been around for a

there’s an idea that’s been around for a

there’s an idea that’s been around for a hundred years or so in science fiction

hundred years or so in science fiction

hundred years or so in science fiction it’s called terraforming it basically

it’s called terraforming it basically

it’s called terraforming it basically means we want to take whatever planet

means we want to take whatever planet

means we want to take whatever planet and turn it into Earth to think about

and turn it into Earth to think about

and turn it into Earth to think about terraforming well imagine Mars is a

terraforming well imagine Mars is a

terraforming well imagine Mars is a glass bowl like this we want to take

glass bowl like this we want to take

glass bowl like this we want to take this Mars terrarium and thicken up its

this Mars terrarium and thicken up its

this Mars terrarium and thicken up its atmosphere a little bit there’s a couple

atmosphere a little bit there’s a couple

atmosphere a little bit there’s a couple of options we could take asteroids and

of options we could take asteroids and

of options we could take asteroids and comets and send them hurtling into the

comets and send them hurtling into the

comets and send them hurtling into the Martian atmosphere and have them smash

Martian atmosphere and have them smash

Martian atmosphere and have them smash into the polar ice caps when you throw

into the polar ice caps when you throw

into the polar ice caps when you throw these asteroids and comets into these

these asteroids and comets into these

these asteroids and comets into these poles they’ll cause them to sublimate

poles they’ll cause them to sublimate

poles they’ll cause them to sublimate turn directly from solid into a gas

turn directly from solid into a gas

turn directly from solid into a gas hopefully that will pump enough carbon

hopefully that will pump enough carbon

hopefully that will pump enough carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere or you

dioxide gas into the atmosphere or you

dioxide gas into the atmosphere or you could take giant space mirrors that will

could take giant space mirrors that will

could take giant space mirrors that will focus the sun’s rays onto the polar ice

focus the sun’s rays onto the polar ice

focus the sun’s rays onto the polar ice caps causing basically the same effect

caps causing basically the same effect

caps causing basically the same effect [Music]

[Music]

[Music] I’ve got to keep your space bears clean

or and this is a fun option too you can

or and this is a fun option too you can build a whole bunch of giant factories

build a whole bunch of giant factories

build a whole bunch of giant factories on the surface of the planet that

on the surface of the planet that

on the surface of the planet that produce a lot of CFCs

produce a lot of CFCs

produce a lot of CFCs chlorofluorocarbons you know the things

chlorofluorocarbons you know the things

chlorofluorocarbons you know the things that we outlawed in the 80s because of

that we outlawed in the 80s because of

that we outlawed in the 80s because of all the hairspray were using so now

all the hairspray were using so now

all the hairspray were using so now we’ve got a thicker warmer atmosphere so

we’ve got a thicker warmer atmosphere so

we’ve got a thicker warmer atmosphere so we’ve got a lid for our Mars jar here

we’ve got a lid for our Mars jar here

we’ve got a lid for our Mars jar here but it’s still basically an atmosphere

but it’s still basically an atmosphere

but it’s still basically an atmosphere of poison no matter if there’s anything

of poison no matter if there’s anything

of poison no matter if there’s anything that will magically turn carbon dioxide

that will magically turn carbon dioxide

that will magically turn carbon dioxide into something like oxygen for us to

into something like oxygen for us to

into something like oxygen for us to breathe plants now we have plants all we

breathe plants now we have plants all we

breathe plants now we have plants all we need is time this plants on their own

need is time this plants on their own

need is time this plants on their own will take carbon dioxide from the air

will take carbon dioxide from the air

will take carbon dioxide from the air and turn that into oxygen that we can

and turn that into oxygen that we can

and turn that into oxygen that we can breathe mission accomplished we

breathe mission accomplished we

breathe mission accomplished we terraform Mars right kind of Amin

terraform Mars right kind of Amin

terraform Mars right kind of Amin there’s a couple of big things we need

there’s a couple of big things we need

there’s a couple of big things we need to think about first one is it’s gonna

to think about first one is it’s gonna

to think about first one is it’s gonna be really expensive and it’s gonna take

be really expensive and it’s gonna take

be really expensive and it’s gonna take a long time

and another problem which is probably

and another problem which is probably the worst is that Mars doesn’t have a

the worst is that Mars doesn’t have a

the worst is that Mars doesn’t have a magnetosphere a protective magnetic

magnetosphere a protective magnetic

magnetosphere a protective magnetic shield like the earth does solar wind

shield like the earth does solar wind

shield like the earth does solar wind the charged particles that come off of

the charged particles that come off of

the charged particles that come off of the Sun slam into that atmosphere and

the Sun slam into that atmosphere and

the Sun slam into that atmosphere and will strip away atoms and molecules fins

will strip away atoms and molecules fins

will strip away atoms and molecules fins over a long enough period of time we’re

over a long enough period of time we’re

over a long enough period of time we’re gonna have to start this terraforming

gonna have to start this terraforming

gonna have to start this terraforming process all over again let’s say we

process all over again let’s say we

process all over again let’s say we could solve all those problems and

could solve all those problems and

could solve all those problems and terraform Mars anyway we made it so that

terraform Mars anyway we made it so that

terraform Mars anyway we made it so that the next generation of astronauts could

the next generation of astronauts could

the next generation of astronauts could live there no problem would you want to

live there no problem would you want to

live there no problem would you want to go Mars was warmer and wetter and even

go Mars was warmer and wetter and even

go Mars was warmer and wetter and even had an ocean that covered the entire

had an ocean that covered the entire

had an ocean that covered the entire northern hemisphere so where did that

northern hemisphere so where did that

northern hemisphere so where did that ocean go