00:04Terraforming, it's the idea that we can travel to distant planets, which have an environment
00:08and atmosphere much different than our own, and change it, transforming it from something
00:13like this to something a little more like this.
00:15And one of NASA's leading experts in the field, Jim Green, tells the New York Times
00:19it could be possible with mankind's next destination, Mars.
00:22His model suggests that if we could build a giant magnetic shield that would allow us
00:26to rebuild the Martian atmosphere.
00:28The magnetic shield would prevent the Sun from picking away at what's left of the atmosphere,
00:32allowing us to build a breathable one and raise surface temperatures, which Green says would
00:36also increase surface air pressure.
00:38It's sort of a snowball effect, then allowing an increased level of farming, which then
00:42raises oxygen levels and so on.
00:44But beyond Mars, Green says it may be possible with Venus as well.
00:47Of course, with Venus, we would need a shield to block much of the Sun's heat and bring
00:50temperatures down to reasonable levels, as currently their daily high temperatures peak
00:54at around 880 degrees Fahrenheit.
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