00:02The 2015 film The Martian shows a desperate yet optimistic
00:05Mac Damon growing potatoes on Mars.
00:07But while his endeavors were ultimately successful, scientists are now saying that growing food
00:12on Mars may be much harder than previously thought.
00:17Researchers were able to synthesize to a degree Martian dirt and planted a couple of different
00:22plants in it, finding that those that were planted in the synthetic dirt that most closely
00:26matched the chemical makeup of Martian soil wouldn't grow.
00:28Even when given ample fertilizer and controlled light.
00:31Developer of the synthetic Martian dirt, planetary scientist Kevin Cannon said about the experiment,
00:36It's not surprising at all that as you get dirt that's more and more accurate, closer
00:39to Mars, that it gets harder and harder for plants to grow in it.
00:42That's because unlike on Earth where all manner of microbial life helps plants flourish, on
00:47Mars the soil is mostly crushed rock.
00:49But that's not all.
00:49Martian dirt also has a higher pH than that of Earth, and a toxic salt called calcium perchlorate
00:54that is found on around 2% of the Martian surface.
00:58That's why.
00:59.
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