5 ms·

"Survive" means, after growing in normal Earth conditions, seven days' exposure to Mars-like conditions didn't kill the plants, and they were able to regenerate

"Survive" means, after growing in normal Earth conditions, seven days' exposure to Mars-like conditions didn't kill the plants, and they were able to regenerate after being returned to Earth-like conditions. So it doesn't show the plants could actually grow on Mars.

lawlessone 2y ago
If they kept exposing them I wonder could they use artificial selection to make something that could grow in those conditions?
- spiritbear14 2y ago
  Probably not, there is not much on Mars, specifically water and nitrogen availability and other minerals, organic materials like amino acids in the soil, and lack of a root microbiome. A plant would have to completely change how it operates, which is unlikely under selection processes.
  - TheLoafOfBread 2y ago
    Maybe sending something anaerobic, like cyanobacteria?
throwaway4aday 2y ago
Life is pretty good at adapting. If we did a lot of selective breeding and genetic manipulation ahead of time and then made a sustained effort to repeatedly seed the more temperate locations on Mars we might eventually see something survive. I do think it's a bit early for that stage of terraforming. We really should experiment with smashing asteroids into Mars to see if we can kick up enough CO2 to make a difference first. I also like the idea of repeatedly impacting a single crater in order to excavate a very deep and wide hole to trap atmospheric gasses and create enough pressure near the bottom for a more human friendly environment. It'd have the added benefit of depositing a bunch of metals and other elements in a convenient location where they could be mined and smelted.
- ics 2y ago
  I look forward to seeing The Moss in theaters several years from now. Opening scene is a beautiful valley which turns out to be Mars followed by two hours of seeing how it has spread, done some irreparable damage to the planet which requires intervention to save surrounding planets, all while the mutant gene continues wreaking havoc on unsuspecting scientists trying to study the issue. Killer weed from outer space. Spreads on metals which alters their material properties. Filters certain gases or creates localized atmospheric conditions which prevent the team of scientists, and maybe frontier communities, from escaping the planet while their other resources get taken over by the moss... there's a lot of shlock possible here.
  - iwontberude 2y ago
    Why not just remake andromeda strain
    - dylan604 2y ago
      they did in 2008. how many times does it need to be remade?
      - iwontberude 2y ago
        Oof, whoops.
  - skhr0680 2y ago
    Creepshow?
  - dylan604 2y ago
    I'd expect it to be more like "Life - 2017" where we think we can be smart and manipulate something in a "controlled" environment only to have the hubris bite us in the ass.
- renegade-otter 2y ago
  "Surviving" is different from "thriving". The Universe in general seems to be very, very hostile to life.
stonemetal12 2y ago
So you are saying if we used this stuff as an air recycler in a Mars colony, and there was a catastrophic failure we could repair the recycler without losing the greenery?

lawlessone 2y ago

If they kept exposing them I wonder could they use artificial selection to make something that could grow in those conditions?

spiritbear14 2y ago
Probably not, there is not much on Mars, specifically water and nitrogen availability and other minerals, organic materials like amino acids in the soil, and lack of a root microbiome. A plant would have to completely change how it operates, which is unlikely under selection processes.
- TheLoafOfBread 2y ago
  Maybe sending something anaerobic, like cyanobacteria?

throwaway4aday 2y ago

Life is pretty good at adapting. If we did a lot of selective breeding and genetic manipulation ahead of time and then made a sustained effort to repeatedly seed the more temperate locations on Mars we might eventually see something survive. I do think it's a bit early for that stage of terraforming. We really should experiment with smashing asteroids into Mars to see if we can kick up enough CO2 to make a difference first. I also like the idea of repeatedly impacting a single crater in order to excavate a very deep and wide hole to trap atmospheric gasses and create enough pressure near the bottom for a more human friendly environment. It'd have the added benefit of depositing a bunch of metals and other elements in a convenient location where they could be mined and smelted.

ics 2y ago
I look forward to seeing The Moss in theaters several years from now. Opening scene is a beautiful valley which turns out to be Mars followed by two hours of seeing how it has spread, done some irreparable damage to the planet which requires intervention to save surrounding planets, all while the mutant gene continues wreaking havoc on unsuspecting scientists trying to study the issue. Killer weed from outer space. Spreads on metals which alters their material properties. Filters certain gases or creates localized atmospheric conditions which prevent the team of scientists, and maybe frontier communities, from escaping the planet while their other resources get taken over by the moss... there's a lot of shlock possible here.
- iwontberude 2y ago
  Why not just remake andromeda strain
  - dylan604 2y ago
    they did in 2008. how many times does it need to be remade?
    - iwontberude 2y ago
      Oof, whoops.
- skhr0680 2y ago
  Creepshow?
- dylan604 2y ago
  I'd expect it to be more like "Life - 2017" where we think we can be smart and manipulate something in a "controlled" environment only to have the hubris bite us in the ass.
renegade-otter 2y ago
"Surviving" is different from "thriving". The Universe in general seems to be very, very hostile to life.

stonemetal12 2y ago

So you are saying if we used this stuff as an air recycler in a Mars colony, and there was a catastrophic failure we could repair the recycler without losing the greenery?