00:00 We often see humans living on other planets like Mars.
00:04 Colonizing our solar system and beyond has long been a dream of humankind.
00:08 The idea of humans going to space dates back to at least 1610.
00:13 A German astronomer named Johannes Kepler wrote to an Italian astronomer named Galileo.
00:20 Kepler said that we could create ships to travel in space,
00:23 and even create maps of the stars.
00:26 People got more excited about space during the famous space race.
00:30 NASA was created in the 50s.
00:33 They did many cool things like sending space stations, Mars rovers, and exploring other planets.
00:39 All this made space travel seem more real.
00:43 Today, we've developed to the point where we finally discuss the possibility of space tourism.
00:49 We're already sending regular people into space.
00:52 Only very rich people, of course.
00:55 But many believe that in just a few decades, space tourism will become normal.
01:01 We'll be able to fly to Earth's orbit and back, as if on some kind of tour.
01:06 Spaceships will replace airplanes, and it will only take two hours to get from Australia to England.
01:12 And finally, we'll begin to travel to other planets in our solar system.
01:17 Some scientists even believe we'll have colonies on the Moon or Mars by the 2060s.
01:22 In the future, we could colonize not only Mars, but some of the moons,
01:27 like our own, Ceres, Titan, and others.
01:31 But the thing is, why do we even want to live on other planets?
01:36 Surprising question, huh?
01:39 Sure, the answer might seem obvious at first glance.
01:43 Humans want to learn about space and other planets.
01:46 This curiosity is what led us to other big discoveries like going to the Antarctic and the Moon.
01:52 Next, safety, of course.
01:55 Humans have a moral duty to ensure our survival.
01:58 Colonizing space could protect us from disasters that might wipe out life on Earth.
02:03 Plus, by settling space, we improve our chances of survival and fulfill a moral obligation to do so.
02:10 Besides, with Earth's overpopulation, colonizing other planets could relieve the strain on our home planet.
02:17 Another thing is, colonizing a planet means living there and using its resources.
02:23 And let me tell you, there are lots of resources in space.
02:27 Our solar system alone has things to use for fuel, like Titan.
02:32 Space colonization could bring us clean energy, access to new materials, new technologies, and so on.
02:38 The more we colonize space and learn about it, the more we could benefit humanity.
02:44 More technology, more exploration, more innovation, and so on.
02:49 History also says explorers are way less likely to get into fights.
02:54 Expanding and exploring, scientists claim, keeps us busy with cool discoveries, growth, and research.
03:02 The more we explore, the less we're stuck with our earthly problems.
03:06 But on the other hand, not everyone is interested in going to space.
03:11 And maybe colonizing space isn't as good an idea as it seems.
03:15 First of all, is it even possible?
03:18 Some people say that living in space is just too far-fetched.
03:22 You might have heard about terraforming.
03:24 Terraforming basically means changing and improving the planet however we want,
03:29 as if we were in some character maker in a video game.
03:32 Sounds great.
03:34 In theory.
03:35 In reality, terraforming Mars, for example, could take hundreds of years and cost millions of dollars, according to experts.
03:42 Colonizing our moon could cost an unimaginable $104 billion.
03:48 It's seven times NASA's yearly budget.
03:51 And that's not even counting the earthly costs.
03:55 But the biggest, most important question is, is it really that cool to live in space, though?
04:02 Space isn't your cozy home at all.
04:05 Most celestial bodies are radiation hotspots, all because of the solar winds.
04:11 Imagine a wind so fierce that it can strip planets of their very atmospheres.
04:16 Our sun is a real danger to each planet in the system.
04:20 Yes, including our own Earth.
04:23 Stars are crazy powerful.
04:25 They shoot out charged particles all the time.
04:29 These particles can zoom around at incredible speeds, going up to 5 million miles per hour.
04:35 These gusts of particles can leave an entire planet all barren.
04:40 Poof.
04:41 No more life-sustaining air.
04:43 The water on the planet would evaporate, then freeze.
04:47 The temperature would plummet to very chilling.
04:50 And even daytime skies would be as black as night.
04:54 Lucky for us, Earth has an amazing shield called a magnetosphere.
04:59 It protects us from these space winds.
05:02 But scientists are studying these winds to help us find other friendly planets out there.
05:07 By checking out stars' properties, gravity, and magnetic fields,
05:12 we can see if their planets can truly host life.
05:15 And it's very hard to find a planet that isn't showered by radiation all the time.
05:20 It has to have a very thick atmosphere, like on Earth, to prevent this from happening.
05:26 Unfortunately, we haven't discovered any planets like this so far,
05:30 which is why living in space would mean dealing with crazy health problems.
05:35 Temperatures and radiation are just the beginning.
05:38 What about muscle loss, troubles with vision, and many other things?
05:42 Humans are way too vulnerable for that.
05:45 Robots are more suited for space exploration due to its hostile conditions.
05:50 Let's take Mars, for example.
05:53 The red planet is freezing and very uninviting.
05:56 In fact, the Earth could face almost anything,
05:59 even mega-problems, and still be better than Mars.
06:03 Mars is a desert with barely any water, very far from the idea of a dream home.
06:09 Let's imagine that the Earth's air get polluted.
06:12 Mars still wouldn't be better.
06:14 The air there is super thin and 96% carbon dioxide.
06:18 Earth's air is a cakewalk compared to that.
06:21 Or even if a huge asteroid crashes into Earth,
06:24 we're still better off here than on other planets.
06:27 It might even be a pretty big asteroid, like the one that wiped off the dinosaurs.
06:33 This event was absolutely catastrophic, plunging the Earth into utter chaos.
06:40 It created a massive crater called the Chichilub Crater.
06:44 The impact led to massive fires, tsunamis,
06:47 and a lot of dust and debris flying into the sky.
06:50 The dust and debris blocked out the sun for a long time.
06:55 Can you imagine what happens when there's no sunlight at all for a while?
06:59 Everything got really cold and dark.
07:02 This darkness and coldness affected plants and animals.
07:05 Without sunlight, plants couldn't make food through photosynthesis,
07:09 and that meant many animals lost their source of food.
07:13 And these were only short-term consequences.
07:16 Of course, many species became extinct because of that.
07:19 But even with all that, 25% of species managed to survive somehow.
07:25 If this same asteroid had hit Mars, the outcome would have been much worse.
07:30 Mars doesn't have enough things like water and air to support life like Earth does,
07:35 so the consequences would be way harsher.
07:38 Actually, the Earth survived not one, but five mass extinctions.
07:44 And life still managed to thrive on our planet, even after all that.
07:49 As you can see, it's almost impossible to make the Earth completely inhabitable.
07:55 Our planet will always be the most habitable place
07:58 compared to anywhere else in our solar system,
08:01 unless we do something extremely insane,
08:05 which is why we need to protect it.
08:08 Here we come to the famous "the Earth's in trouble" argument.
08:12 If something bad happens to our planet,
08:14 why not focus on fixing it instead of flying away?
08:18 Critics argue that if we can't take care of Earth,
08:20 we shouldn't spread our problems to other planets or moons.
08:24 Are we really capable of responsibly colonizing other worlds
08:28 if we can't even manage our own?
08:30 Plus, there's still so much to explore even on our own planet.
08:34 Humans haven't even lived in Antarctica or under Earth's oceans yet.
08:38 Are we sure we're ready for worlds that are even more extreme than that?
08:43 So, even if Earth gets into trouble, we shouldn't just ditch it.
08:48 We have to work together and create safe zones.
08:51 It would be a big challenge, sure,
08:53 but it's still way more doable and cheaper than building space colonies.
08:57 Of course, the idea of humans living in space
09:00 and traveling to other planets is very exciting,
09:03 but we should never forget our sweet home.
09:05 And we should remember that life isn't science fiction.
09:09 We should use our technology rationally
09:11 and focus on making the Earth safer and better.
09:14 And what do you think about it?
09:17 That's it for today.
09:18 So, hey, if you pacified your curiosity,
09:20 then give the video a like and share it with your friends.
09:23 Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the Bright Side!
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