As global warming continues and space technology improves, there is more and more talk about the growing possibility of a sci-fi future in which humans become a multiplanetary species. Specifically, that we could live on Mars. Biologist Kelly Weinersmith and cartoonist Zach Weinersmith have spent the last four years researching what this would look like if we did this anytime soon. In their new book A City On Mars, they get into all sorts of questions: How would we have babies in space? How would we have enough food? They join host Regina G. Barber and explain why it might be best to stay on Earth. Kelly and Zach Weinersmith's book A City On Mars is out now. Have another space story you want us to cover on a future episode? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we'd love to hear from you! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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So there's a sci fi fantasy that as an astrophysicist and a Trekkie, I've been watching Percolate all my life.
And in the last decade it feels like it's become more than fantasy.
Strap yourselves in.
We're going to Mars.
Not just a few astronauts.
Thousands of people are going to colonize Mars.
And I am telling you that they're going to do this soon.
I would love to see, you know, a trillion humans living in the solar system now.
The next Mars launch window opens in 2026.
At the rate we're going here, you wouldn't rule out seeing some sort of mission there.
In a couple of years time some.
Of you will end up on projects on Mars and I guarantee that some of your children will end up living there.
One path is we stay on Earth forever and then there will be some eventual extinction event.
The alternative is to become a space.