How humans could evolve to survive in space
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0:02 - 0:05So there are lands
few and far between on Earth itself -
0:05 - 0:09that are hospitable to humans
by any measure, -
0:09 - 0:11but survive we have.
-
0:12 - 0:16Our primitive ancestors, when they found
their homes and livelihood endangered, -
0:16 - 0:19they dared to make their way
into unfamiliar territories -
0:19 - 0:21in search of better opportunities.
-
0:22 - 0:24And as the descendants of these explorers,
-
0:24 - 0:27we have their nomadic blood
coursing through our own veins. -
0:28 - 0:29But at the same time,
-
0:30 - 0:32distracted by our bread and circuses
-
0:32 - 0:35and embroiled in the wars
that we have waged on each other, -
0:36 - 0:39it seems that we have forgotten
this desire to explore. -
0:40 - 0:44We, as a species, we're evolved uniquely
-
0:45 - 0:49for Earth, on Earth, and by Earth,
-
0:50 - 0:53and so content are we
with our living conditions -
0:53 - 0:56that we have grown complacent
and just too busy -
0:56 - 0:58to notice that its resources are finite,
-
0:59 - 1:01and that our Sun's life is also finite.
-
1:02 - 1:05While Mars and all the movies
made in its name -
1:05 - 1:08have reinvigorated
the ethos for space travel, -
1:08 - 1:14few of us seem to truly realize
that our species' fragile constitution -
1:14 - 1:17is woefully unprepared
for long duration journeys into space. -
1:18 - 1:20Let us take a trek
to your local national forest -
1:20 - 1:22for a quick reality check.
-
1:22 - 1:24So just a quick show of hands here:
-
1:24 - 1:28how many of you think you would be able
to survive in this lush wilderness -
1:28 - 1:29for a few days?
-
1:30 - 1:31Well, that's a lot of you.
-
1:31 - 1:33How about a few weeks?
-
1:34 - 1:35That's a decent amount.
-
1:35 - 1:36How about a few months?
-
1:38 - 1:39That's pretty good too.
-
1:39 - 1:42Now, let us imagine
that this local national forest -
1:42 - 1:45experiences an eternal winter.
-
1:45 - 1:49Same questions: how many of you think you
would be able to survive for a few days? -
1:50 - 1:52That's quite a lot.
-
1:52 - 1:53How about a few weeks?
-
1:54 - 1:59So for a fun twist, let us imagine
that the only source of water available -
1:59 - 2:03is trapped as frozen blocks
miles below the surface. -
2:03 - 2:07Soil nutrients are so minimal
that no vegetation can be found, -
2:07 - 2:11and of course hardly any atmosphere
exists to speak of. -
2:13 - 2:17Such examples are only a few
of the many challenges we would face -
2:17 - 2:19on a planet like Mars.
-
2:20 - 2:25So how do we steel ourselves for voyages
whose destinations are so far removed -
2:25 - 2:27from a tropical vacation?
-
2:28 - 2:30Will we continuously ship supplies
from Planet Earth? -
2:31 - 2:34Build space elevators,
or impossible miles of transport belts -
2:34 - 2:37that tether your planet of choice
to our home planet? -
2:38 - 2:43And how do we grow things like food
that grew up on Earth like us? -
2:45 - 2:47But I'm getting ahead of myself.
-
2:48 - 2:51In our species' journey
to find a new home under a new sun, -
2:52 - 2:56we are more likely than not
going to be spending much time -
2:56 - 2:57in the journey itself,
-
2:58 - 2:59in space,
-
2:59 - 3:02on a ship, a hermetic flying can,
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3:03 - 3:05possibly for many generations.
-
3:05 - 3:09The longest continuous amount of time
that any human has spent in space -
3:09 - 3:12is in the vicinity of 12 to 14 months.
-
3:13 - 3:15From astronauts' experiences in space,
-
3:15 - 3:19we know that spending time
in a microgravity environment -
3:19 - 3:23means bone loss, muscle atrophy,
cardiovascular problems, -
3:23 - 3:25among many other complications
-
3:25 - 3:28that range for the physiological
to the psychological. -
3:29 - 3:31And what about macrogravity,
-
3:31 - 3:33or any other variation
in gravitational pull -
3:33 - 3:35of the planet that we find ourselves on?
-
3:37 - 3:40In short, our cosmic voyages
will be fraught with dangers -
3:40 - 3:42both known and unknown.
-
3:43 - 3:47So far we've been looking to this
new piece of mechanical technology -
3:47 - 3:49or that great next generation robot
-
3:49 - 3:53as part of a lineup to ensure
our species safe passage in space. -
3:54 - 3:57Wonderful as they are,
I believe the time has come -
3:57 - 4:01for us to complement
these bulky electronic giants -
4:01 - 4:03with what nature has already invented:
-
4:04 - 4:06the microbe,
-
4:06 - 4:11a single-celled organism that is itself
a self-generating, self-replenishing, -
4:11 - 4:12living machine.
-
4:13 - 4:15It requires fairly little to maintain,
-
4:15 - 4:17offers much flexibility in design
-
4:17 - 4:20and only asks to be carried
in a single plastic tube. -
4:21 - 4:25The field of study that has enabled us
to utilize the capabilities of the microbe -
4:25 - 4:27is known as synthetic biology.
-
4:28 - 4:32It comes from molecular biology,
which has given us antibiotics, vaccines -
4:32 - 4:35and better ways to observe
the physiological nuances -
4:35 - 4:36of the human body.
-
4:37 - 4:38Using the tools of synthetic biology,
-
4:39 - 4:41we can now edit the genes
of nearly any organism, -
4:41 - 4:43microscopic or not,
-
4:43 - 4:46with incredible speed and fidelity.
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4:47 - 4:50Given the limitations
of our man-made machines, -
4:50 - 4:54synthetic biology will be a means for us
to engineer not only our food, -
4:54 - 4:56our fuel and our environment,
-
4:56 - 4:59but also ourselves
-
4:59 - 5:01to compensate
for our physical inadequacies -
5:01 - 5:04and to ensure our survival in space.
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5:05 - 5:06To give you an example
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5:06 - 5:09of how we can use synthetic biology
for space exploration, -
5:09 - 5:11let us return to the Mars environment.
-
5:12 - 5:17The Martian soil composition is similar
to that of Hawaiian volcanic ash, -
5:17 - 5:19with trace amounts of organic material.
-
5:19 - 5:22Let's say, hypothetically,
-
5:22 - 5:24what if martian soil
could actually support plant growth -
5:24 - 5:26without using Earth-derived nutrients?
-
5:27 - 5:29The first question
we should probably ask is, -
5:29 - 5:32how would we make
our plants cold-tolerant? -
5:32 - 5:34Because, on average,
the temperature on Mars -
5:34 - 5:37is a very uninviting
negative 60 degrees centigrade. -
5:38 - 5:40The next question we should ask is,
-
5:40 - 5:42how do we make
our plants drought-tolerant? -
5:42 - 5:45Considering that most of the water
that forms as frost -
5:45 - 5:48evaporates more quickly
than I can say the word "evaporate." -
5:49 - 5:52Well, it turns out
we've already done things like this. -
5:52 - 5:56By borrowing genes
for anti-freeze protein from fish -
5:56 - 5:59and genes for drought tolerance
from other plants like rice -
5:59 - 6:02and then stitching them
into the plants that need them, -
6:02 - 6:05we now have plants that can tolerate
most droughts and freezes. -
6:05 - 6:08They're known on Earth as GMOs,
-
6:08 - 6:10or genetically modified organisms,
-
6:11 - 6:15and we rely on them to feed
all the mouths of human civilization. -
6:16 - 6:20Nature does stuff like this already,
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6:20 - 6:21without our help.
-
6:21 - 6:24We have simply found
more precise ways to do it. -
6:25 - 6:29So why would we want to change
the genetic makeup of plants for space? -
6:30 - 6:34Well, to not do so
would mean needing to engineer -
6:34 - 6:37endless acres of land
on an entirely new planet -
6:37 - 6:41by releasing trillions of gallons
of atmospheric gasses -
6:41 - 6:44and then constructing
a giant glass dome to contain it all. -
6:44 - 6:47It's an unrealistic engineering enterprise
-
6:47 - 6:50that quickly becomes
a high-cost cargo transport mission. -
6:51 - 6:53One of the best ways to ensure
-
6:53 - 6:56that we will have the food supplies
and the air that we need -
6:56 - 6:59is to bring with us organisms
that have been engineered -
6:59 - 7:02to adapt to new and harsh environments.
-
7:03 - 7:07In essence, using engineered organisms
to help us terraform a planet -
7:07 - 7:09both in the short and long term.
-
7:10 - 7:14These organisms can then also
be engineered to make medicine or fuel. -
7:16 - 7:20So we can use synthetic biology
to bring highly engineered plants with us, -
7:20 - 7:21but what else can we do?
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7:22 - 7:25Well, I mentioned earlier
that we, as a species, -
7:25 - 7:27were evolved uniquely for planet Earth.
-
7:28 - 7:30That fact has not changed much
in the last five minutes -
7:30 - 7:33that you were sitting here
and I was standing there. -
7:33 - 7:37And so, if we were to dump
any of us on Mars right this minute, -
7:37 - 7:41even given ample food, water, air
-
7:41 - 7:42and a suit,
-
7:42 - 7:45we are likely to experience
very unpleasant health problems -
7:45 - 7:49from the amount of ionizing radiation
that bombards the surface -
7:49 - 7:53of planets like Mars that have little
or nonexistent atmosphere. -
7:53 - 7:55Unless we plan
to stay holed up underground -
7:55 - 7:58for the duration of our stay
on every new planet, -
7:58 - 8:01we must find better ways
of protecting ourselves -
8:01 - 8:04without needing to resort
to wearing a suit of armor -
8:04 - 8:06that weighs something
equal to your own body weight, -
8:06 - 8:09or needing to hide behind a wall of lead.
-
8:10 - 8:13So let us appeal
to nature for inspiration. -
8:14 - 8:16Among the plethora of life here on Earth,
-
8:16 - 8:19there's a subset of organisms
known as extremophiles, -
8:19 - 8:21or lovers of extreme living conditions,
-
8:21 - 8:24if you'll remember
from high school biology. -
8:24 - 8:28And among these organisms is a bacterium
by the name of Deinococcus radiodurans. -
8:29 - 8:34It is known to be able to withstand cold,
dehydration, vacuum, acid, -
8:34 - 8:37and, most notably, radiation.
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8:37 - 8:40While its radiation
tolerance mechanisms are known, -
8:40 - 8:43we have yet to adapt
the relevant genes to mammals. -
8:44 - 8:46To do so is not particularly easy.
-
8:46 - 8:49There are many facets
that go into its radiation tolerance, -
8:49 - 8:51and it's not as simple
as transferring one gene. -
8:52 - 8:55But given a little bit of human ingenuity
-
8:55 - 8:56and a little bit of time,
-
8:57 - 8:59I think to do so is not very hard either.
-
9:00 - 9:06Even if we borrow just a fraction
of its ability to tolerate radiation, -
9:06 - 9:09it would be infinitely better
than what we already have, -
9:09 - 9:11which is just the melanin in our skin.
-
9:13 - 9:15Using the tools of synthetic biology,
-
9:15 - 9:18we can harness Deinococcus
radiodurans' ability -
9:18 - 9:21to thrive under otherwise
very lethal doses of radiation. -
9:24 - 9:25As difficult as it is to see,
-
9:26 - 9:28homo sapiens, that is humans,
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9:29 - 9:31evolves every day,
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9:32 - 9:33and still continues to evolve.
-
9:34 - 9:36Thousands of years of human evolution
-
9:36 - 9:39has not only given us
humans like Tibetans, -
9:39 - 9:42who can thrive in low-oxygen conditions,
-
9:42 - 9:47but also Argentinians,
who can ingest and metabolize arsenic, -
9:47 - 9:50the chemical element
that can kill the average human being. -
9:50 - 9:54Every day, the human body evolves
by accidental mutations -
9:54 - 9:57that equally accidentally
allow certain humans -
9:57 - 9:59to persevere in dismal situations.
-
10:00 - 10:02But, and this is a big but,
-
10:03 - 10:08such evolution requires two things
that we may not always have, -
10:08 - 10:09or be able to afford,
-
10:10 - 10:12and they are death and time.
-
10:14 - 10:17In our species' struggle
to find our place in the universe, -
10:17 - 10:19we may not always have the time necessary
-
10:19 - 10:22for the natural evolution
of extra functions -
10:22 - 10:24for survival on non-Earth planets.
-
10:24 - 10:29We're living in what E.O. Wilson
has termed the age of gene circumvention, -
10:29 - 10:34during which we remedy our genetic defects
like cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy -
10:34 - 10:37with temporary external supplements.
-
10:38 - 10:39But with every passing day,
-
10:40 - 10:43we approach the age
of volitional evolution, -
10:43 - 10:45a time during which we as a species
-
10:45 - 10:50will have the capacity to decide
for ourselves our own genetic destiny. -
10:51 - 10:53Augmenting the human body
with new abilities -
10:53 - 10:55is no longer a question of how,
-
10:56 - 10:57but of when.
-
10:58 - 10:59Using synthetic biology
-
11:00 - 11:03to change the genetic makeup
of any living organisms, -
11:03 - 11:04especially our own,
-
11:04 - 11:06is not without its moral
and ethical quandaries. -
11:07 - 11:10Will engineering ourselves
make us less human? -
11:11 - 11:13But then again, what is humanity
-
11:13 - 11:16but star stuff
that happens to be conscious? -
11:17 - 11:20Where should human genius direct itself?
-
11:21 - 11:25Surely it is a bit of a waste
to sit back and marvel at it. -
11:26 - 11:27How do we use our knowledge
-
11:27 - 11:30to protect ourselves
from the external dangers -
11:30 - 11:33and then protect ourselves from ourselves?
-
11:34 - 11:36I pose these questions
-
11:36 - 11:38not to engender the fear of science
-
11:38 - 11:40but to bring to light
the many possibilities -
11:40 - 11:44that science has afforded
and continues to afford us. -
11:45 - 11:49We must coalesce as humans
to discuss and embrace the solutions -
11:49 - 11:50not only with caution
-
11:51 - 11:53but also with courage.
-
11:54 - 11:58Mars is a destination,
-
11:58 - 12:00but it will not be our last.
-
12:01 - 12:04Our true final frontier
is the line we must cross -
12:04 - 12:09in deciding what we can and should make
of our species' improbable intelligence. -
12:10 - 12:14Space is cold, brutal and unforgiving.
-
12:15 - 12:18Our path to the stars
will be rife with trials -
12:18 - 12:21that will bring us to question
not only who we are -
12:21 - 12:22but where we will be going.
-
12:23 - 12:27The answers will lie in our choice
to use or abandon the technology -
12:27 - 12:29that we have gleaned from life itself,
-
12:29 - 12:33and it will define us for the remainder
of our term in this universe. -
12:33 - 12:34Thank you.
-
12:34 - 12:39(Applause)
- Title:
- How humans could evolve to survive in space
- Speaker:
- Lisa Nip
- Description:
-
If we hope to one day leave Earth and explore the universe, our bodies are going to have to get a lot better at surviving the harsh conditions of space. Using synthetic biology, Lisa Nip hopes to harness special powers from microbes on Earth — such as the ability to withstand radiation — to make humans more fit for exploring space. "We're approaching a time during which we'll have the capacity to decide our own genetic destiny," Nip says. "Augmenting the human body with new abilities is no longer a question of how, but of when."
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 12:51
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene approved English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space | ||
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for How humans will evolve to survive in space |