terraforming

A research team is proposing a major philosophical shift in our thinking about the spread of Earthly microbes in space and on Mars in particular. Believing interplanetary contamination to be “inevitable,” the team argues that future Martian colonists should use microorganisms to reshape the Red Planet—a proposition deemed grossly premature by some experts. In a … Continued

We Should Deliberately Contaminate Mars With Our Microbes, Controversial Study Argues

By George Dvorsky Published September 27, 2019

Mars’ surface, as far as we can tell, is not habitable to humans—it’s far too cold. But eventually, humanity would like to put an outpost on the planet. That will require warming things up a bit, but how? Scientists now propose using an insulating material called silica aerogel to make parts of the Martian surface … Continued

Scientists Develop Material to Create Habitable Areas on Mars

By Ryan F. Mandelbaum Published July 15, 2019

Terraforming Mars could be our only option once we screw this planet up beyond repair, but how exactly are we going to do it? One popular scheme involves releasing truckloads of nuclear warheads over the poles, unlocking billions of tons of frozen carbon dioxide and triggering a runaway greenhouse. But if sending your kids to … Continued

Maybe We Don’t Have to Nuke Mars (So Much) After All

By Maddie Stone Published August 18, 2016

Long ago, a clan of hardy microbes called cyanobacteria helped terraform the lifeless Earth into a vibrant biosphere. Today, the very same critters could be the key to colonizing Mars. Plants are going to have a tough time on the Red Planet’s hostile surface, but cyanobacteria have coped with extreme environments for eons. A paper … Continued

The Key to Colonizing Mars Could Be These Tiny Green Microbes

By Maddie Stone Published September 22, 2015

The Spratly islands are not a natural spot for a layover. They are isolated—tiny, shallow islands spread out over a huge chunk of the South China Sea. So why are so many nations rushing to construct airline runways and other infrastructure there? On a map, the islands look like someone flicked a paintbrush at Earth … Continued

Why So Many Countries Are Building Airstrips on These Remote Islands

By Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Published August 3, 2015

Before we talk about terraforming another planet like Mars, we have to talk about Earth—and whether we should be spending our resources trying to save it, or moving on to another pale blue dot. It’s a grim debate that some scientists say it’s time to have. Terraform This We’ve been imagining how to create a … Continued

Should We Terraform a New Planet Or Fix Our Own?

By Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Published June 19, 2015

It’s been more than a year since we first started following China’s project to build artificial islands in contested areas of the South China Sea, setting off what could properly be called a diplomatic shit storm. Today, China reassured the world that it’s almost done, alright? Image: The Center for Strategic and International Studies For … Continued

China Says Its Artificial Island Project Will Be Done In a Few Days

By Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Published June 16, 2015

We Can’t Stop Watching This Music Video About The Colonization Of Mars

This music video from British-based music producer and remix artist Jamie XX for his song Gosh has captivated me all week. It takes a minute for the slow journey to Mars to sink in, and watching Mars turn slowly below as it’s terraformed makes for a beautiful video.

By Andrew Liptak Published June 6, 2015

In the short film Red Witch, an aging geologist hopes to learn Mars’ history before terraforming alters the planet’s landscape forever. But she finds that the people she’s working with aren’t interested in hearing Mars’ story — they just want to prepare the planet for colonization. Aron Bothman made Red Witch as his fourth year … Continued

Geologist Races To Learn Mars’ Secrets Before The Planet Is Terraformed

By Lauren Davis Published May 7, 2015

A remote archipelago in the South China Sea has come under an extraordinary amount of scrutiny lately. Here, China is building up small reefs and atolls into whole artificial islands—all in hotly disputed territory. In the clearest sign yet of its military intentions, one of those islands now has an airstrip. Satellite images taken on … Continued

China Is Turning a Remote Reef Into an Artificial Island With a Runway

By Sarah Zhang Published April 21, 2015

Bad Astronomy’s Phil Plait recently visited the SpaceX construction factory. His visit also included a chat with CEO Elon Musk. This should excite you. Plait is a consummate nerd, and Elon Musk is Elon Musk. Bring them together and you’re bound to get good things (the quote up top, for instance). Above: The SpaceX Falcon … Continued

Elon Musk: “Humans Need To Be A Multiplanet Species”

By Robbie Gonzalez Published April 16, 2015

It seems strange that a remote patch of water would become the focus of international controversy and millions of dollars worth of infrastructure. But that’s exactly what’s happening in the South China Sea right now. At a news conference today, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson spoke about the country’s project to reclaim seven reefs, turning them … Continued

Incredible Satellite Images Show China Building Artificial Archipelago

By Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan Published April 9, 2015

The key to the human race’s future may be right beneath our feet. It sounds bizarre, but fungi better known as mushrooms can help solve many of society’s greatest challenges, from cleaning up the environment and living more sustainability to colonizing other planets. Threaded into nearly every square inch of the ground are tiny, biological … Continued

The Technology That Will Build Our Future May Be Found In Mushrooms

By Maddie Stone Published April 1, 2015

Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy is one of the most important books about terraforming (and interplanetary colonization) of the past 20 years. And Robinson spent 10 years working on it, learning a lot about the subject as he went. But it all started becuase he fantasized about going backpacking on Mars. Over in Kirkus Reviews, … Continued

Kim Stanley Robinson Wanted To Go Hiking On Mars, So He Wrote Red Mars

By Charlie Jane Anders Published January 8, 2015