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Terraforming Versus Bioengineering Mars Settlers
- Terraforming Mars and genetically engineering humans are both colossal tasks with different challenges.
- Hank and John note terraforming needs multi-thousand-year horizons while altering humans can't remove reliance on atmosphere and pressure.
You Can’t Engineer Away Oxygen Requirements
- You can't easily make humans that don't need oxygen or atmospheric pressure.
- John explains breathable physiology needs substantial pressure and oxygen percentages, so habitats or suits remain necessary.
Photosynthetic Tadpoles Show Biological Workarounds Are Possible
- Scientists have made photosynthetic tadpoles by introducing cyanobacteria that let them survive in zero-oxygen conditions under light.
- Hank mentions the experiment as a far-reaching example of altering animals to extract oxygen from light.