Keys to Life (On Mars): Hard Work, Dirt, and a Little Bit of Sweat.

I’m certainly not the biggest space nerd out there, but like every lonely stoner, I like to free my mind at night.  The night sky has a different appeal when you have been facing death.  I find it therapeutic to sit alone and stare up at the vastness of the night sky. It serves as a constant reminder that our existence is equally miraculous as it is fra-gi-le (must be Italian). The James Webb Telescope is turning out some mind-blowing discoveries like massive black holes and lemon shaped planets.  Coinciding with the wackiness that humans are creating here on earth it’s no surprise there are some of us looking to abandon ship. 

I have always figured the chatter about a human civilization on Mars was just Sci-Fi.  I mean, we were all supposed to be living like the Jetsons 25 years ago.  But don't underestimate what humans can do with hard work, sweat, and a little bit of space dust.    

 NASA scientists have announced a way to create robust bricks on Mars using only local dust, minerals and a small amount of human sweat, effectively turning the grit under an astronaut’s boots into structural material. In reports shared in Jul, the agency described how this process could produce dense, durable bricks that lock together into walls and radiation shields, cutting out the need to ship conventional construction materials across interplanetary space.

HOLY SHIT!!!! NASA figured out bricks! 

I guess these bricks are special. 

"We can build a synthetic community by mimicking natural lichens," says Jin. "We developed a way to make synthetic lichens to create biological materials that stick Martian regolith particles to structures. Then, using 3D printing, we can produce a wide range of structures, such as buildings, houses, and furniture."

Now they’ve lost me. Bricks that grow themselves? Apparently, I'm not the only one getting stoned, staring at the sky and coming up with farfetched ideas.  I don’t know if I'll be around to see people make a human civilization on Mars.  I do know that when humans get a crazy idea, work relentlessly, and aren’t afraid to get a little sweaty and dirty; they can start stacking bricks on top of bricks and accomplish some crazy shit.