Big Picture Science: Mad About Mars
Long before
Orson Welles provoked a panic with his 1938 radio broadcast of a Martian
invasion in War of the Worlds, we were fascinated with the possibility of life
on the Red Planet. We may be a step closer to finding it after the Perseverance
rover turned up tantalizing evidence of possible ancient life in the form of
mineral deposits in a Martian rock. But to be sure, we need to test that rock
sample in a lab here on Earth, and the NASA Mars Sample Return Mission has been
suspended. Still, our passion for our favorite inhabited world has not
diminished. From the latest possible biosignature, to the supposed canals on
Mars, to how the early 20th century Martian craze influenced vaudeville, we
consider the many ways we are Mad About Mars.
Guests:
Janice Bishop – Senior research scientist at
the SETI Institute.
Adam Frank – Astrophysicist at the
University of Rochester
David Baron – Author of “The Martians: The True Story of an
Alien Craze that Captured Turn of the Century America”
Download podcast at - https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/mad-about-mars
You
can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/
Get early
access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon.
Thanks for your support!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment