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Bill Nye: We Are Not Going To Live on Mars, Let Alone Turn It Into Earth (usatoday.com)

pgmrdlm writes: Bill Nye says the idea of Mars colonization and terraforming -- making a planet more Earth-like by modifying its atmosphere -- is science fiction. "This whole idea of terraforming Mars, as respectful as I can be, are you guys high?" Nye said in an interview with USA TODAY. "We can't even take care of this planet where we live, and we're perfectly suited for it, let alone another planet." As for living on Mars permanently: Sorry, Nye says that's not happening either. "People disagree with me on this, and the reason they disagree is because they're wrong," he quipped. The famous science educator and CEO of The Planetary Society appears on National Geographic Channel's series "MARS." While the series explores human beings living on the Red Planet and even mining it, that doesn't mean Nye buys into the idea. For starters, he points to Antarctica, where scientists are stationed even during the harsh winter months but no one lives permanently.

"Nobody goes to Antarctica to raise a family. You don't go there and build a park, there's just no such thing. Nobody's gonna go settle on Mars to raise a family and have generations of Martians," Nye said. "It's not reasonable because it's so cold. And there is hardly any water. There's absolutely no food, and the big thing, I just remind these guys, there's nothing to breathe." Plus living in a dome, then putting on a spacesuit to go outside will get tiring -- fast. "When you leave your dome, you're gonna put on another dome, and I think that will get old pretty quick," he said. "Especially the smell in the spacesuit 00 all the Febreze you can pack, I think it will really help you up there."

6 of 646 comments (clear)

  1. SPACEFORCE CAN DO IT! by DalM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Because.... SPACEFORCE!

    (Go ahead and down rank me. I deserve it. Sorry.)

  2. Re:What about the moon? by SpankiMonki · · Score: 3, Funny

    Better idea: why not aim the comets at the moon? What could possibly go wrong?

  3. Re: gratuitous insult by Type44Q · · Score: 4, Funny
    Glasses, bowtie and/or tweed jacket... and be sure to never say anything, just look at them inscrutably when they speak.

    You'll get tenure in a fucking week.

  4. Re:gratuitous insult by macker · · Score: 4, Funny

    Shhhhhhhhh: don't tell them that our 3rd rock has been secretly colonized by denizens from the 2nd rock, who have already begun terraforming...errrr...venusforming(?) it, and have made tremendous progress in that direction in just a bit less than a single century, local time...

    --
    (T)he (O)ld (M)an
  5. Re:gratuitous insult by CaptainDork · · Score: 2, Funny

    If we read the literature about serious terraforming and stuff, it's a slow, meticulous process that would take centuries with cost overruns.

    You know, kinda like getting Lockheed Martin to build a fucking outdated F-35.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  6. Re: gratuitous insult by DalM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Why not? Our entire federal government is run by a reality television show host.

    I kinda prefer the kids show host better.