For the astronomer Marcelo Gleiser, is only a matter of time (and money) to get to visit other planets, to colonize their lands and exploit its natural resources. Gleiser, astrophysics professor at Dartmouth College, one of the most prestigious colleges in the United States, is one of the interviewees of the program The Universe, which premieres this Sunday (15/01) National Geographic channel at 21pm.
The series aims to show the most important discoveries of space research, using computer graphics techniques, role play and examples of day-to-day to explain concepts of astronomy. The first episode shows how humans could survive the rigors of space and addressing adverse as radiation from the sun, huge swings in temperature and the absence of gravity.
In conversation with the magazine Galileu, Gleiser said some details of the program and explained how humans could explore space and colonize other solar systems. See the interview:
"The series The Universe can pass some concepts of astronomy so very simple. How do you do to make this science, which sometimes seems so far away, into something meaningful to the lay public?
The interesting thing about this series is that it is not about abstract subjects. Rather. The first episode is about how humans can survive in space, it's about space exploration. The second is about how we could mine the other planets. There is another episode about how we can build space structures, driving on the moon, for example. This series is not about the great mysteries of the universe, is not about dark energy, black holes, Big Bang.
People have a huge interest in both practical issues (Are we going to Mars?) And these fundamental questions (How did the universe? What's inside a black hole). These are issues that are part of our collective culture. It is this kind of theme that science is playing a role very different from traditional, becomes part of a metaphysical question. The trick is to speak of abstract matters in the most concrete possible, using metaphors and analogies. But this is not the case with this program. Not that I do not like to discuss these issues, but the series is very real. Each episode deals with issues that would be part of the day to day if we were to space.
But you think it will happen someday?
The only thing left for us to take astronauts to Mars is money. There are still some obstacles. Radiation, for example, is intense, we must develop ways to protect ourselves against it. The atmosphere of Mars would also be terrible for us. But problems are technological, not fundamental. We must invest in research to get these new technologies. I think it's a matter of political will, which today is in the hands of the United States and China. At the time of the Cold War, it was worth investing in trip to the moon Now, however, the gain is not so clear.
At the end of the first episode, you say that the construction of artificial gravity environments to help in space exploration. Why?
One of the major problems of space travel is the fact that we have put men in the absence of gravity. We develop accustomed to our weight here on Earth. We have a muscle and bone structure that supports this force. In space, just letting you use these muscles. Then there is a serious problem of muscle atrophy and weakening of the skeleton.
What to do with the human body that will stay six months in zero gravity? One of the things that must be done is to create artificial gravity. We can, for example, accelerate a spacecraft. You have a car sped up and felt that push back? This is like an artificial gravity. At first, we could use this acceleration. However, since this would mean much fuel, is an infeasible solution. Another proposal is to build a spaceship that has rotation. If it's spinning like a carousel, you feel a pull out. This also simulates the gravity pull. I do not know if you remember the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey, but it is one of the ships.
Space travel may one day become commonplace?
I think so. Our grandchildren are going to vacation on Mars. Will have summer camps on the planet for them. I see this as a kind of evolutionary necessity, just look at the history of colonization of the planet Earth. Africans and Asians have spread across the planet in search of food and environments to stay. And that has happened since the first nomadic hunters to European settlers. Along with this, there is an urge to go further. Human beings are by definition colonizers. We have a historical necessity to leave the planet, colonize the solar system and eventually go to other systems.
When that will happen nobody knows. I do not know if it is true that we to Mars in 15 years. But eventually it will happen. A series of episodes shows, for example, which may be diamond and Urano Neptune. If such a thing happens, the economic viability of this trip becomes resolved. For now, space exploration has been something of governments. But perhaps the future is in the private interests in the hands of entrepreneurs wanting to make money.
Some theorists propose that, to colonize space, we should send humans into no return trips to other planets. But that would not be cruel, since the conditions they would face would be terrible?
At least at the time of the Spaniards, they believed in the existence of El Dorado, so there was some hope that they would find a nice place. Quite different from what awaits us in space. However, I once saw an interview of a millionaire who paid for a trip to the space shuttle. He was so moved by what he saw to revolve around the Earth, if you were offered the opportunity to go to Mars and not return, he would yesterday. I think we would find a surprising number of volunteers for this type of travel.
But there is the possibility that such colonization is made gradually. Before you send people, we could send probes to build a remote environment, as well as the South Pole have an environment where people can survive, which is relatively large. And when this place was ready, send out some families there, knowing that never return. Then gradually, more people would come. And eventually we would create a community land there. This series is about the human aspirations of one day spread throughout the universe. Its beauty is that it responds to this enormous curiosity about the possibility of getting out of the earth and to be aliens from other planets."
Source Galileu.
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