Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the sun and has a distinct rusty red appearance and two unusual moons. There has be some speculation that Mars may be the next planet that humans will inhabit.[1][2]
Not gonna happen. Get over it, buddy. We will never terraform[3] Mars.[4]
Why? Well because the core of Mars is dead. Mars is the only terrestrial planet beyond Earth known to have a core composed of iron, nickel, and sulfur that may have once supported a magnetic field. That core stopped providing the planet a magnetic field over 3 billion years ago.
Magnetic Field
The Martian magnetic field used to protect the planet from the solar wind and other hazards that the Sun tosses out from time to time.[5] That solar wind stripped the atmosphere of Mars like a peel being taken off of an orange with an industrial sandblaster.[6] No thick blanket of atmosphere, no terraforming the place.
Sure, I bet there was tons of neat stuff on Mars before all of that happened. There was a whole lot more water on the planet than there is now, and maybe even some other interesting stuff. But that's all gone, Sci-Fi nerd, so get over it. While you may continue to dream of bringing Mars back, the truth is it would take the entire output of the Earth in terms of money, time, and energy to do it...even if we actually had the technology to perform such a miracle.
Nope. You are staying on Earth.[7]
Hope?
Well, first off, there is no hope. Space isn't real and you are stuck in your miserable existance here. But if you must clutch at faint pipe dreams, read on.
In 2022 some volcanic activity was observed on Mars.[8] This might be a hopeful developement if you happen to think you can terraform Mars, and there has been a bit of evidence over the years that the planet has had some seismic activity.
Does this mean there is still some life down there in that cold, dead Martian core? Maybe.
It just so happens that Mars is only mostly dead. Scientists have found that a large region on Mars has been prone to quakes and even mild volcanic activity in recent geologic times, indicating something is brewing underneath the surface.[9]
Martian Future
All of this doesn't mean that mankind cannot go to Mars and live there. We can build huge underground cities there, and probably thrive long enough to figure a way to fix the problems. But you, me, and everybody you know will be long dead before that happens.
Additionally, this sort of thing will take more wealth than the entire Earth has put together in the history of mankind. There may be a bunch of rovers on the planet's surface, and Elon Musk may want to send astronauts there, but the shear amount of variables[10][11][12] stacked against this sort of mission are so vast, it should just be considered impossible.
References
- ↑ After we get done destroying the Earth
- ↑ https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/mars-settlement-likely-2050-says-unsw-expert-%E2%80%93-not-levels-predicted-elon-musk
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terraform
- ↑ https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/mars-terraforming-not-possible-using-present-day-technology/#:~:text=Taken%20together%2C%20the%20results%20indicate,Thermal%20Emission%20Imaging%20System)%20projects.
- ↑ https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4370/#:~:text=Scientists%20have%20long%20suspected%20the,solar%20wind%20erosion%20at%20Mars.
- ↑ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170330142211.htm
- ↑ https://science.nasa.gov/biological-physical/stories/van-allen-belts/
- ↑ https://earthsky.org/space/mantle-plume-mars-elysium-planitia-volcanoes/
- ↑ https://news.arizona.edu/story/giant-mantle-plume-reveals-mars-more-active-previously-thought
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1326386/
- ↑ https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2013/space-human-body/
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2023/how-space-affects-human-body/
Mars is a great example, but there are more...