HUMANITY NEEDS A NEW HOME,
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD A SECOND EARTH.
ON THIS MISSION, I INVESTIGATE
ONE OF THE WILDER IDEAS FROM SCIENCE FICTION.
THIS IS INSANE!
I GET ADVICE FROM THE SCI-FI-LOVING PUBLIC...
WE'RE GONNA GET SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EMPIRE.
...AND TAKE ON AN ENGINEERING CHALLENGE
THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.
I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.
I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST
AND A SCIENCE-FICTION [Echoing] FAN.
JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI [Echoing] SCIENCE.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER,
I'VE BEEN FASCINATED BY THE IDEA
OF LIVING ON ANOTHER PLANET.
AS A KID, I LOVED THOSE SCI-FI MOVIES WHERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK,
FEARLESS ASTRONAUTS VISITED OTHER WORLDS.
WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.
YOU WILL COME WITH US NOW.
IT'S CERTAINLY A DREAM SHARED BY ALL SCI-FI FANS.
MAYBE THEY'VE GOT SOME IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE.
HERE'S THE PROBLEM.
WE WANT TO LIVE ON ANOTHER PLANET.
HOW ARE WE GONNA DO IT?
START BY CHANGING THE ATMOSPHERE, WOULDN'T YOU?
BREATHING CAN BE AN ISSUE.
BREATHING CAN BE AN ISSUE, RIGHT.
Woman: AND WATER.
WATER'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM.
I DON'T WANT TO BRING MY OWN WATER.
WATER NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED.
LIGHTER GRAVITY WOULD MAKE YOUR GOLF GAME AWESOME!
LIVING ORGANISMS, OBVIOUSLY MALE AND FEMALE
SO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PROCREATE.
[ LAUGHS ]
WE HUMANS HAVE A LONG LIST OF REQUIREMENTS.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO BUILD ALL OF THESE INTO MY DESIGN.
SO, LET'S SET OUT SOME OBJECTIVES.
MY MISSION IS TO CREATE A NEW HOME FOR HUMANITY
IN OUTER SPACE, AND I HAVE TO SATISFY THREE CRITERIA.
FIRST, I HAVE TO FIND A NEARBY PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
BECAUSE I'LL BE TRANSPORTING BILLIONS OF PEOPLE THERE.
SECOND, WE HAVE TO CREATE EARTHLIKE CONDITIONS.
THAT MEANS A TEMPERATE CLIMATE AND A BREATHABLE ATMOSPHERE
SO WE DON'T NEED SPACE SUITS.
AND THIRD, WE NEED A PLANET TEEMING WITH LIFE,
WITH PLANTS AND ANIMALS JUST LIKE ON THE PLANET EARTH.
Man: "FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS."
SO, WHY NOT START WITH THE MOST OBVIOUS CANDIDATE?
OUR NEAREST NEIGHBOR...
Man: 36 MILLION MILES INTO OUTER SPACE.
...VENUS, THE SECOND-CLOSEST PLANET TO THE SUN.
ITS SIZE, MASS, AND GRAVITY ARE ALL CLOSE TO THE EARTH'S,
WHICH IS WHY IT'S BEEN CALLED THE EARTH'S TWIN.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE.
THAT'S WHERE ALL SIMILARITIES END.
NOW, IF YOU DID MANAGE TO LAND ON VENUS,
YOU WOULDN'T LAST VERY LONG AT ALL.
FIRST, THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE
IS A BLISTERING 870 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
YOU'D BE BURNT TO A CRISP.
AND IF YOU TRIED TO BREATHE
THE CHOKING CARBON-DIOXIDE ATMOSPHERE,
YOU'D BE CRUSHED TO DEATH.
IT'S A HUNDRED TIMES DENSER THAN THAT OF THE EARTH.
AND THEN WHEN IT RAINS, IT RAINS SULFURIC ACID.
YOU'D BE EATEN UP ALIVE.
OF COURSE, THERE'S ONE OUTLANDISH CONCEPT FROM SCI-FI
THAT MIGHT, JUST MIGHT GET AROUND THESE PROBLEMS.
THE FLOATING CITY --
A FUTURISTIC METROPOLIS LIKE CLOUD CITY
IN "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK."
BUT FLOATING CITIES ON VENUS?
YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING, RIGHT?
WELL, THIS GUY'S NOT KIDDING.
SPACE SCIENTIST GEOFF LANDIS IS GONNA PROVE
THAT A FLOATING CITY IS MORE THAN FANTASY.
Landis: THIS IS FROZEN CARBON DIOXIDE.
[ BLOWS ]
THAT'S REALLY COLD, RIGHT?
IT'S REALLY COLD STUFF.
THAT'S WHY I'M WEARING THESE GLOVES --
DON'T WANT TO TOUCH IT.
SO, WHAT I'M DOING IS I'M POURING WARM WATER
CARBON DIOXIDE.
MM.
AND NOW IT'S TURNING INTO GASEOUS CARBON DIOXIDE.
THIS IS JUST LIKE A MONSTER MOVIE FROM HOLLYWOOD, RIGHT?
JUST LIKE THE SMOKE EFFECTS FROM A MONSTER MOVIE.
AH.
THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS EVAPORATING.
SHOULD I PUT THE BALLOON ON TOP?
PUT THE BALLOON ON TOP. SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
OKAY.
IT'S FLOATING...
IT'S FLOATING.
...RIGHT ON TOP OF THE CARBON DIOXIDE, RIGHT?
IT'S FLOATING ON TOP.
YEAH, I GUESS CARBON DIOXIDE IS MUCH DENSER AND HEAVIER
THAN THE DENSITY OF AIR INSIDE THE BALLOON.
YOU GOT IT.
IF YOU MADE IT BIG ENOUGH, SAY, 2,000 FEET IN DIAMETER,
YOU COULD PUT THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING INSIDE THE BALLOON
AND EVERYBODY IN IT.
THIS IS INSANE!
YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU COULD PUT MANHATTAN, MY HOME,
INSIDE ONE OF THESE BALLOONS AND HAVE THEM FLOAT OVER VENUS?
EXACTLY. IT'S A CRAZY IDEA.
BUT IT WOULD WORK.
AND THE GREAT THING IS, NO EXTRA ENERGY IS REQUIRED.
ALL BY THEMSELVES.
EXACTLY.
THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS FREE.
GREAT IDEA.
YOU KNOW, BEFORE MEETING GEOFF,
I NEVER DREAMT THAT FLOATING CITIES
MIGHT ACTUALLY BE POSSIBLE.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK.
BUT EXPLOITING THE DIFFERENT DENSITIES OF GASES
TO FLOAT ENTIRE CITIES?
IT BLOWS MY MIND.
THE SURFACE OF VENUS IS A LIVING HELL.
SO THE IDEA OF FLOATING ABOVE THE CHAOS IS RATHER APPEALING.
IT'S VERY CLEVER.
IN FACT, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE SEEN
IN "STAR WARS" AND "FLASH GORDON."
SO, HOW WOULD I INCORPORATE IT INTO MY PLAN?
FIRST, I CONSTRUCT AN ENTIRE CITY
AND PUT IT ON TOP OF A SOLID PLATFORM.
THE WHOLE THING WOULD BE ENVELOPED
BY A GIANT AIR-FILLED SPHERE.
THOUSANDS OF THEM COULD FLOAT HIGH ABOVE VENUS
INSIDE THE PLANET'S DENSE ATMOSPHERE.
IT'S FABULOUS, BUT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
IS IT JUST A LITTLE TOO SCI-FI?
THE LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS
OF CREATING THOUSANDS OF THESE FLOATING CITIES
TO HOUSE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE OVER A PLANET WITH NO WATER,
OVER A SURFACE THAT YOU COULD NEVER VISIT --
I MEAN, NO WAY.
BUT I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA.
SCIENCE FICTION IS FULL OF STORIES
IN WHICH HUMANS PHYSICALLY TRANSFORM PLANETS
INTO HABITABLE WORLDS.
IT'S CALLED TERRAFORMING.
TO CREATE A SECOND HOME,
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE CAN BE NO HALF MEASURES.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO RE-ENGINEER THE DNA OF AN ENTIRE PLANET.
COMING UP, I MEET A SCIENTIST
WHO SAYS THE ANSWER LIES IN BURRITO WRAPPERS...
JUST A PIECE OF FOIL WRINKLED LIKE THIS.
BUOF COURSE, RIGHT?,
YEAH, WITHOUT THE EGG.
...AND LOOK AT A SOLUTION SO VOLATILE,
IT COULD BLOW OUR NEW WORLD APART.
THE EARTH HAS BEEN OUR HOME FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS,
BUT WE CAN'T STAY HERE FOREVER.
SOONER OR LATER, WE NEED A BACKUP PLAN.
WE NEED TO TRANSFORM ANOTHER PLANET INTO A SECOND EARTH.
WE NEED TO BECOME A TWO-PLANET SPECIES.
ALL RIGHT, SO, LIVING ON VENUS IS IMPOSSIBLE.
WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER OBVIOUS CANDIDATE?
MARS.
IT'S A DEAD PLANET.
BUT IT HAS ONE KEY REQUIREMENT FOR LIFE --
WATER TRAPPED BENEATH ITS POLAR ICE CAPS.
AND, LIKE EARTH,
IT ROTATES ONCE IN ABOUT 24 HOURS AND HAS SEASONS.
MAYBE MARS IS MY BEST OPTION.
Cascio: MARS IS A WORLD THAT COULD BE ALIVE,
HAS ENOUGH MASS TO HOLD A BIT OF AN ATMOSPHERE,
HAS WATER ON IT,
HAS SOME INTERESTING RAW MATERIALS IN THE SOIL.
IT'S A PLACE THAT, WITH THE RIGHT SPARK,
COULD BECOME A LIVING WORLD.
AND TO FIND THAT SPARK,
THE FIRST THING I NEED TO DO
IS RAISE THE MARTIAN TEMPERATURE
BY 80 TO 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
BUT HOW AM I GONNA DO THAT?
YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A WILD GOOSE CHASE,
THIS OUTLANDISH IDEA THAT WE CAN THAW OUT AN ENTIRE PLANET
AND MAKE IT INTO A GARDEN OF EDEN.
MAYBE WE'VE BIT OFF MORE THAN WE CAN CHEW.
MAYBE IT'S SIMPLY BEYOND OUR REACH.
BUT THERE'S ONE MAN WHO THINKS GEO-ENGINEERING ANOTHER PLANET
IS ENTIRELY PRACTICAL.
BOB ZUBRIN BELIEVES THE KEY TO TERRAFORMING MARS
IS CO2 -- CARBON DIOXIDE.
THINK ABOUT MARS AS BEING LIKE A WET TOWEL,
EXCEPT THIS TOWEL IS WET WITH WATER.
THE SURFACE OF MARS HAS GOT SOAKED-UP CO2 IN IT.
JUST LIKE WATER IN THIS TOWEL.
MM.
NOW, HOW CAN WE GET THE WATER OUT OF THIS TOWEL?
OH, BY HEATING IT UP.
BY WARMING IT.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE WERE TO WARM THE TOWEL
BY PUTTING IT IN THE DRYER...
START IT UP.
[ BEEP ]
SO, NOW THE WATER THAT'S IN THAT TOWEL
IS GONNA COME OUT AS WATER VAPOR.
WELL, IF WE COULD WARM MARS,
THAT WOULD MAKE THE CO2 COME OUTGASSING FROM THE SOIL,
JUST LIKE THE WATER IS OUTGASSING
FROM THAT TOWEL RIGHT NOW.
IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO WARM UP THE SURFACE OF MARS,
IT WOULD RELEASE CO2 TO CREATE A THICKER ATMOSPHERE.
CARBON DIOXIDE IS ALSO A GREENHOUSE GAS,
WHICH MEANS IT TRAPS SUNLIGHT AND RETAINS HEAT.
THE MORE OF IT WE PUT IN THE ATMOSPHERE,
THE WARMER THE PLANET GETS,
AND THAT CAUSES EVEN MORE OF IT TO OUTGAS FROM THE SOIL.
SO, YOU JUST SET IT INTO MOTION, AND IT TAKES OFF BY ITSELF.
EXACTLY.
IT'S LIKE A BALL AT THE TOP OF A HILL.
IF YOU JUST GET IT ROLLING ENOUGH TO GET ON THE SLOPE,
IT WILL ROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN.
SO, HOW DO WE PRODUCE SUFFICIENT HEAT
TO JUMP-START THIS RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT?
BOB'S CONVINCED THE ANSWER IS TO BUILD NUCLEAR REACTORS
ON THE PLANET'S SURFACE.
WE NEED ABOUT 5,000 MEGAWATTS OF POWER.
THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME POWER THAT CHICAGO USES.
HUMAN CAPABILITIES ARE ADVANCING AT AN AMAZING RATE.
WHAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TODAY
WILL BE POSSIBLE TOMORROW AND PRACTICAL THE DAY AFTER THAT.
BOY, THIS IDEA IS SO RADICAL,
IT MAKES THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF MY NECK STAND ON END.
WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT TERRAFORMING MARS,
I SAID TO MYSELF, "GIVE ME A BREAK."
I MEAN, NO WAY.
I MEAN, MARS IS FROZEN SOLID.
IT'S LIKE ONE GIGANTIC ICEBERG.
HOW CAN YOU THAW OUT A PLANET?
BUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING? I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.
I MEAN, MARS IS A GREENHOUSE EFFECT WAITING TO HAPPEN.
IT HAS PLENTY OF CARBON DIOXIDE IN THE ICE CAPS
AND ALSO IN THE ROCK.
THE QUESTION IS THE FUSE -- HOW DO YOU SET IT OFF?
BOB THINKS NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE THE ANSWER.
THEY HEAT THE PLANET TO RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE
AND POWER GAS FACTORIES.
THIS WOULD CREATE A GIGANTIC GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
IT'S INGENIOUS.
BUT IS THIS NUCLEAR OPTION THE RIGHT ONE?
IF IT GOES BAD...
[ EXPLOSION ]
MY DNA WAS ALL MESSED UP BY THE RADIATION.
I DON'T KNOW.
HOPEFULLY, I'D GET, LIKE, ANOTHER ARM TO SCRATCH MY BACK.
I DON'T LIKE TO BE IN A CITY WHERE I GO OUTSIDE
AND I JUST EXPLODE OR COOK INTERNALLY.
IT'S NOT GREAT FOR ME.
LIKE LOTS OF INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS,
I THINK THIS NUCLEAR ONE IS JUST TOO RISKY.
I NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
I WANT TO CREATE A SECOND HOME IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
BY TERRAFORMING ANOTHER PLANET --
A CONCEPT STRAIGHT OUT OF SCIENCE FICTION.
IT TURNS OUT THAT TERRAFORMING ANOTHER PLANET
IS NO LONGER JUST A DREAM.
IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO RAISE THE MARTIAN TEMPERATURE
BY JUST 10 DEGREES,
I COULD KICK-START A RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT
THAT WOULD DO THE REST OF THE WORK FOR ME,
WARMING AND THICKENING THE ATMOSPHERE --
A FIRST STEP TOWARD MAKING THE PLANET HABITABLE.
SO, HOW DO I RAISE THE TEMPERATURE BY 10 DEGREES?
BUILDING NUCLEAR REACTORS ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE
IS JUST TOO DANGEROUS.
THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY.
AND IF THERE IS, I'M PRETTY SURE THIS GUY WILL KNOW --
NASA RESEARCH SCIENTIST CHRIS McKAY.
RIGHT, RIGHT.
THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IN WARMING MARS
IS TRAPPING THE SUNLIGHT.
AND WE CAN DO THAT BY ENHANCING THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
WE CAN DO IT BY BRINGING MORE SUNLIGHT TO MARS,
FOR EXAMPLE, BY USING REFLECTORS OF SOME SORT --
SOMETHING MAYBE LIKE THIS BURRITO WRAPPER.
IMAGINE A GIANT FOIL AROUND MARS
REFLECTING SUNLIGHT DOWN TO THE SURFACE.
BUOF COURSE, RIGHT?,
YEAH, WITHOUT THE EGG
BUT REFLECTING SUNLIGHT ON THE POLAR REGIONS OF MARS.
IMAGINE THIS IS MARS.
THE POLAR REGIONS ARE THE KEY
THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS.
MM-HMM.
SO, ENERGY ON THE POLAR REGIONS
IS GONNA BE THE MOST EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF WARMING MARS UP.
NOW, HERE'S THE KILLER QUESTION.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO HEAT UP MARS?
FROM START TO A THICK, WARM ATMOSPHERE
WITH WATER, RAIN, AND EVERYTHING
COULD BE AS SHORT AS 100 YEARS.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS
THE MATERIAL I NEED TO MAKE THESE MIRRORS ALREADY EXISTS.
MYLAR -- THE SAME STUFF THAT NASA's USING
FOR THEIR SOLAR-SAIL PROPULSION SYSTEM.
MYLAR IS 10 TIMES THINNER THAN A HUMAN HAIR
AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT AT REFLECTING SUNLIGHT --
JUST WHAT I NEED TO BUILD AN ORBITAL MIRROR.
THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM.
IT'LL HAVE TO BE ENORMOUS.
IMAGINE A MIRROR THE SIZE OF TEXAS.
THESE ARE GIGANTIC STRUCTURES.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE BUILT IN SPACE,
USING MATERIALS THAT ARE ALREADY IN SPACE.
SO WHAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE IS SOME MACHINE
THAT GO CAPTURES A METAL-RICH ASTEROID, PULVERIZES IT,
MELTS IT, CREATES A MOLTEN METAL,
WHICH IT THEN SPRAYS ON SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE
TO CREATE A THIN FILM OF METAL.
IT'S ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE DONE IN ORBIT
BECAUSE OF THE SHEER SIZE OF THE MIRRORS INVOLVED.
YOU KNOW, THE BEST IDEAS
ARE ALWAYS THE SIMPLEST AND THE MOST ELEGANT.
I THINK CHRIS HAS REALLY GOT SOMETHING HERE.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF USING SUNLIGHT TO TERRAFORM MARS.
HIS SOLUTION IS ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT.
FIRST, I BUILD GIANT MIRRORS WITH ON-BOARD COMPUTER SYSTEMS
AND ROCKETS THAT COULD KEEP THEM IN POSITION
IN ORBIT AROUND MARS.
THE SUNLIGHT THEY BOUNCE BACK AT THE POLES
WOULD MELT THE FROZEN ICE WATER
AND RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE ON THE SURFACE
TO THICKEN THE ATMOSPHERE AND WARM THE PLANET.
IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT'S AN ENGINEERING NIGHTMARE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO MINE THE ASTEROID BELT.
THAT'S 100,000 TONS OF MATERIALS.
AND THEN IT HAS TO BE DONE IN OUTER SPACE.
WE CAN BARELY DOCK TWO CAPSULES IN OUTER SPACE,
LET ALONE MINE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TONS.
SO I'M BEGINNING TO THINK THAT MAYBE WE NEED A FRESH, NEW IDEA.
TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...
YOU KNOW, I FIND IT SO IRONIC THAT HERE ON EARTH,
WE'RE TROUBLED BY GREENHOUSE GASES CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING
AND HEATING UP THE PLANET.
BUT THESE VERY SAME GREENHOUSE GASES
COULD BE THE KEY TO TURNING THIS FROZEN DESERT CALLED MARS
INTO A PARADISE.
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT IS THE KEY TO TERRAFORMING MARS,
BUT I DON'T THINK I'VE HIT ON THE RIGHT IDEA YET.
THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION, THOUGH -- ARMAGEDDON.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST METEORITES
EVER TO HAVE FALLEN ON AMERICAN SOIL.
16 TONS OF IRON AND NICKEL IS JUST ONE TINY FRAGMENT
FROM A PASSING ASTEROID
THAT SURVIVED ITS IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.
THE EARTH, MARS, EVEN THE VERY GROUND UNDER MY FEET
WERE CREATED BY THE COLLISIONS OF HUGE QUANTITIES OF ROCK
JUST LIKE THIS.
SO, WHY NOT USE THIS NATURAL PROCESS
TO HELP TO JUMP-START THE TERRAFORMING OF MARS?
FIRST, THE HEAT OF THE IMPACT
WOULD BE THAT OF MILLIONS OF ATOMIC BOMBS,
WHICH WOULD RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF MARS.
AND SECOND, ASTEROIDS CONTAIN FROZEN GASES,
WHICH WOULD HELP TO THICKEN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND SET OFF A RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF ASTEROIDS
IN MOVIES LIKE "ARMAGEDDON" AND "DEEP IMPACT."
BUT TO HARNESS THE POWER OF ASTEROIDS
TO TERRAFORM ANOTHER PLANET,
WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.
SO, HERE'S THE QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU MOVE AN ASTEROID, WHICH IS MILES ACROSS,
MILLIONS OF MILES ACROSS SPACE UNTIL IT IMPACTS ON MARS?
SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE, RIGHT?
WELL, THERE IS A TRICK.
LET'S SAY THAT THIS PICKLED TOMATO REPRESENTS MARS.
AND LET'S SAY THAT THIS PICKLE HERE REPRESENTS AN ASTEROID.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS SLING THIS ASTEROID TOWARD MARS,
AND THE SECRET IS TO USE A KNISH.
THIS KNISH REPRESENTS JUPITER,
WITH A COLOSSAL GRAVITATIONAL FIELD.
SO, HERE'S WHAT I DO.
FIRST, I PUT ROCKETS ON THE END OF THE ASTEROID.
I SLING IT TOWARD THE BACKSIDE OF JUPITER.
AS IT WHIPS AROUND THE BACK,
IT SIPHONS OFF SOME OF THE GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY,
INCREASES IN VELOCITY, AND WHIPS AROUND THE OTHER SIDE,
AND THEN IMPACTS ON MARS,
WHICH INTRODUCES HEAT ENERGY INTO THE RED PLANET.
ALSO, WATER VAPOR IS CREATED BY THE COLLISION.
SO, THIS IS HOW WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF TERRAFORMING MARS.
WELL, THIS IS IT.
THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
THIS IS WHEN, AFTER ALL THESE WEEKS, I FINALLY FACE THE FANS.
I FEEL FANTASTIC! HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS?
[ ALL CHEERING ]
I'D LOVE TO LIVE ON MARS.
YEAH.
THAT'S MY RULING PLANET.
[ BOTH LAUGH ]
IT'S SO EXCITING 'CAUSE IT'S SCIENCE FICTION COME TO LIFE.
I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I'M LOOKING TO GET SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EMPIRE.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL CONFIDENT FACING THE FANS.
I'VE DONE MY HOMEWORK.
FOR WEEKS, WE FOLLOWED THE FINEST SCIENTISTS
IN THE UNITED STATES.
THIS IS THE CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR WORK.
[ Laughing ] HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE THING THAT BOTHERS ME.
IT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING IF ONE OF THE FANS
TURNED OUT TO BE SMARTER THAN US.
ONE OF THE FANS RAISES HIS HAND AND SAYS,
"UH, UH, PROFESSOR, YOU MADE A FLAW.
THERE'S A MISTAKE IN YOUR PLANS."
HEY, BUT THAT'S WHAT SCIENCE IS ALL ABOUT.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
HEY, GUYS.
GOOD TO HEAR.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE CONTINUE ]
ALL RIGHT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
TODAY I PRESENT TO YOU EARTH TWO,
A NEW HOME FOR US IN OUTER SPACE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE THINK THAT ONE DAY, WE WILL BE ON MARS?
RAISE YOUR HAND.
[ ALL CHEER ]
WELL, IF YOU'VE SEEN "STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN,"
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IN "TOTAL RECALL,"
YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SCIENCE FICTION OF TERRAFORMING MARS.
NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE FACT.
STEP ONE -- WE START WITH AN ASTEROID OR A COMET
MADE OUT OF ROCK, ICE, AND FROZEN GASES.
AND THEN WE PUT ROCKETS ON IT.
AND STEP TWO -- WE THEN SHOOT IT AROUND JUPITER
TO CREATE A SLINGSHOT EFFECT SO WE CAN AIM IT PRECISELY AT MARS.
TO MAKE IT FASTER, WE GET A FLEET OF THESE THINGS,
SLAM THEM INTO MARS WITH PRECISION ACCURACY,
AND ESPECIALLY THE POLAR ICE CAPS WILL BE MELTED,
RELEASING CARBON DIOXIDE.
STEP NUMBER THREE -- WE THEN CREATE A GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
MORE CARBON DIOXIDE MEANS MORE HEAT,
MEANS MORE CARBON DIOXIDE, UNTIL WE HAVE OCEANS ON MARS.
STEP FOUR -- GENETICALLY ALTER PLANTS,
THEN PROLIFERATE THROUGH THE OCEANS OF MARS
AND RELEASE OXYGEN INTO THE PLANET.
AND THAT'S IT.
THAT'S HOW WE CREATE A NEW EARTH TWO IN OUTER SPACE.
[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]
THIS IS A REAL THOUGHT-OUT PLAN.
AND NOW I AM REALLY GOING TO MARS.
Man: THIS IS AMAZING. I MEAN, EVEN TO THINK
THAT THIS IS POTENTIALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO HAPPEN
IN EITHER THE END OF MY LIFETIME OR THE LIFETIME OF MY CHILDREN,
I THINK IT JUST -- IT BLOWS MY MIND.
WHERE CAN I SIGN UP AND WHEN?
I LOVE HOW HE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE PRESENTATION STEP BY STEP.
HE REALLY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING IN DEPTH,
AND I LOVE THAT HE HAD THE GRAPHICS BEHIND HIM.
IT WAS GREAT.
I'D REALLY LIKE TO START TERRAFORMING SOME PLANETS
SO WE HAVE MORE SYSTEMS FOR THE EMPIRE.
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS