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Reducing Plant Stress Leads to Martian Farms

Posted by Zonk on from the nothing-that-eats-people,-please dept.

Saint Aardvark the Carpeted writes "NASA is looking for ways to get plants to grow on Mars -- and surprisingly, reducing their stress is a good first step. By splicing genes from Earth-bound extremophiles into seeds whose descendants are destined for the red planet, scientists hope to breed plants that can handle the wide range of temperatures (pdf) that will be found on Mars."

9 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. Solution doesn't need to be scientific... by RootsLINUX · · Score: 3, Funny

    I heard that singing to plants helps thenm grow and reduce their stress levels. Now all we need to do is to perform some experiments and figure out what type of singing/music genre provides the best stress relief. I'm thinking reggae would do the trick personally... >_>

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    Hero of Allacrost, a FOSS RPG for *NIX/*BSD/OS X/Win
    1. Re:Solution doesn't need to be scientific... by ediron2 · · Score: 3, Funny
      I'm thinking reggae would do the trick personally...

      Yes! Certain varieties of cannabis are very hardy. We could crash a satellite full of genetically-modified extremophile marijuana seeds on Mars. Then, when we finally get people there, paradise will surely await them! Brilliant! Sign me up!

      ... and the astronauts won't care if they're stranded.

      ... and astronaut-volunteer rates will soar.

      ... ensuring mars will *never* attack us.

      ... the planet's residents will promptly petition for a namechange, from Mars to Eros.

      ... upon the colonial-ship's arrival, all communication stops abruptly. When it restarts, only two words come to Earth, repeated ad infinitum: "Send Munchies!"

      ... a haze quickly forms planetwide, CO2 levels soar, greenhouse effects kick in, and Martians-For-Global-Warming cheers lazily.

      ... Bob Marley's headstone takes off earth, self-propelled, and navigates toward Mars. Very 2001, mon.

  2. Kudzu by Reverend528 · · Score: 4, Funny

    We should send a bunch of kudzu to mars. That stuff will grow anywhere.

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    Badass Resumes
  3. Mars Hills Are Green... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Plants will grow if their stress levels are reduced while astronauts die from being exposed to cosmic radiation. Somebody must love plants.

  4. stress affects humans too!?!? by myowntrueself · · Score: 2, Funny

    If this stress thing applies to people too... how are they going to have any IT staff on Mars?

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    In the free world the media isn't government run; the government is media run.
  5. Just come to Ottawa by pcb · · Score: 4, Funny

    scientists hope to breed plants that can handle the wide range of temperatures that will be found on Mars.

    Just come to Ottawa (Canada). Minus 35 C in the winter, plus 35 C in the summer! And I see corn growing across the street. Why am I living here again...might as well move to Mars.

    PCB

    --
    'Men never commit evil so fully and joyfully as when they do it for religious convictions.' B. Pascal
    1. Re:Just come to Ottawa by RevengeOfPoopJuggler · · Score: 1, Funny

      No national health care on Mars

  6. They shoud start with apple.. by E+IS+mC(Square) · · Score: 2, Funny

    They should start with apple(not Apple). After all, they too deserve their own sin.

  7. Re:Stupid fucking potheads... by Prophetic_Truth · · Score: 2, Funny

    dad?

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    time is your 6th sense, the wierd ones are 7+