Why We Aren’t On Mars (Yet)

I wonder if we’ll ever be able to grow black beans on Mars.

Mars, HAB units, Mars UndergroundThis afternoon – during the girls (and Cochise’s) nap time I shelled a basket of black beans.  The yield was about a half of a zip-lock sandwich baggie of dried beans.  A little disappointing, but under the weather conditions we’ve had… eh, better than nothing at all, and there are many more bean plants to harvest yet.  I’ll probably get a jar full to tuck away for winter soup making.  While shelling these I watched a YouTube video called Mars Underground.

I was hoping it was a Sci-Fi movie.  It started off like a sci-fi movie, then turned documentary.  Then it started sounding like one of those conspiracy flicks and I expected them to say “We don’t need to go to Mars, Martians are already here and in control of our Government.”  And I was prepared to believe it because that’s one of the better excuses for the US government’s insane behavior.   Continue reading “Why We Aren’t On Mars (Yet)”

Immigrating to “The New World”: Mars

mars, settlement, colony, Mars One
Mars One settlement
Credit_Mars One-Bryan Versteeg

In the past, immigrating to “The New World” meant sailing across an ocean to the continent of North America.  And many people in many countries longed to do so… and did.  Today the term takes on new meaning as a Dutch firm plans to send settlers to another New World.  This time they’ll not be crossing an ocean, but an interplanetary void: heading for Mars.  Pipe dreams and science fiction? Apparently not. Continue reading “Immigrating to “The New World”: Mars”