There can be no mistaking that interest in Mars is growing. Last month, three brand new spacecraft arrived at the Red Planet. The first was the UAE’s Emirates Mars Mission, also known as Hope, which entered orbit on 9 February to study the planet’s atmosphere. Just days later China’s Tianwen-1 settled in, and is now getting ready to deploy a lander that will carry a rover to the surface in May. The third visitor, NASA’s Perseverance rover, is carrying equipment to look for the chemical traces of past life.
However, it may just be the UAE’s mission that history remembers as the most significant. It is nothing less than the first step in the country’s stated ambition to establish an international human settlement on Mars by 2117.
And it’s not just the UAE that is thinking about living on Mars.
In February 2020, The Mars Society, an organisation dedicated to the human exploration and settlement of the Red Planet, launched an international competition to design a Martian city. Entries came from 175 teams from more than a dozen countries.
“Reading them, I was struck by the ingenuity displayed by the teams in coming up with extremely clever technical, economic and aesthetic solutions to the problems of designing a practical and beautiful Mars City state,” says Dr Robert Zubrin, founder and president of the Mars Society.
One of the teams that entered was the Sustainable Offworld Network (SONet), a community of professionals in the academic and private sectors dedicated to the development of sustainable human settlements on other worlds. Their entry: Nüwa city.
THE MARTIAN MINDSET
Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
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Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
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COULD MARINE CLOUD BRIGHTENING HELP US FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?
The theory behind marine cloud brightening is that brighter or whiter clouds reflect more sunlight back into space.
IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?
A running streak, where you run every day without taking rest days, can be highly motivating and beneficial for overall fitness. Running is great cardiovascular exercise and isn't to be discouraged (and finding a routine with some consistency is great). Getting a bit of exercise as often as possible is also hugely beneficial for your mental health.
WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?
The Mediterranean diet may help you live longer, especially if you also adopt the lifestyle of people living near the Med during the 1950s.
WHAT IS MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE?
The world's deepest blue hole (marine sinkhole) lies off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It's at least 420m (1,378ft) deep, but explorers still haven't found its bottom.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I'VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?
Cortisol is a hormone produced by glands in our bodies called the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, reducing inflammation and helping the body respond to stress. While essential for our health, chronic elevation of cortisol levels can lead to several issues.
THE LUNGFISH
In 1836, European scientists discovered a peculiar animal from the River Amazon that they struggled to identify. Its eel-like body was a few feet long and its air-filled lungs persuaded anatomists it must be a reptile.
ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?
The Stone Age might conjure up images of early humans, sitting around a campfire or hunting prehistoric beasts, but evidence shows that we're not the only species that has learned how to work with stone tools. Wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use stone tools to crack open nuts.
Should we scrap daylight saving time?
Most of us look forward to the extra hour we get in bed every October, but researchers argue that changing the clocks twice a year harms our health
THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS
SCIENTISTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC TAGS AND SATELLITES TO TRACK WILD ANIMALS AND CREATE A DATA NETWORK THAT COULD HELP US ADDRESS THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS
MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION
The number of things competing for our attention is often overwhelming. Can dreamy soundscapes created with neuroscience help our bewildered brains to concentrate?
