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Low Gravity of Mars May Alter Plants, Animals Once Mars is settled, the much lower gravity of the Red Planet might profoundly alter many features of transplanted Earth life, including humans. Start Date: 2/1/99 Looking ahead to the real prospect of human settlements on the moon and Mars, scientists are starting to ask tough questions about the long-term effects of reduced gravity upon plants and animals, according to a January 25, 1999 Associated Press report by Paul Recer. Shuttle experiments in orbit have already shown some unexpected problems. For example, it is now known that lowered gravity changes the surface tension of water, making it harder for some plant seedlings to absorb nutrients. The gravity of the moon is about one-sixth that of Earth, while that of Mars is about one-third. NASA scientists fear that many organisms might have gravity-sensitive genes. If so, reduced gravity might actually change those organisms into something genetically different; perhaps the effects would be lethal. "We don't know the effect of these changes," said Emily Morey-Holton of NASA Ames Research Center, speaking at a recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. "We have to learn if Earth organisms can live and evolve in these changed conditions." More optimistically, she said, "If we find gravity-sensitive genes, there is no reason why we can't have designer organisms that would be viable in the new environment." Kim Stanley Robinson, author of an acclaimed trilogy of novels on the settlement of Mars (Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars), has explored what might happen as generations of humans are born and grow up on the Red Planet. In one-third Earth gravity, along with major differences in available sunlight, cosmic radiation, and engineered atmosphere, the human skeleton, muscles and some organs (lungs and heart) would certainly change. Such humans would find it very difficult to return to Earth -- they would be truly native Martians. In time, an entirely Martian ecosystem would evolve from original Earth organisms, Robinson says. Scientists now foresee the day when humans really will settle Mars. The research on plant and animal adaptability to extraterrestrial environments is sure to accelerate. Excelsior, Michael Lindemann's new novel (written under the pen name Michael Paul), depicts a wholly plausible near future in which human cloning is both widespread and widely abused; terrorists have access to target-specific biological weapons; recreational space travel is commonplace; and mounting pressures of global climate change, environmental decline, population growth and civil unrest inspire radical new approaches to urban security. Built by Frontier on a Macintosh on 6/17/00; 11:58:47 AM. Web Comments - Produced by Larry Lowe Served 29465 times since 2/1/99.

Newly Discovered Exo-Planet Could Be Smallest Yet An extra-solar planet recently discovered about 70 light years from Earth might be about the size of Saturn, which would make it the smallest such planet yet found. More Evidence Supporting Ocean on Europa Several new studies of data from the Galileo spacecraft suppport the notion that Jupiter's moon Europa has a liquid salt-water ocean, probably below several miles of ice and slush. If E.T. Hasn't Visited Yet, Here's a Reason Why Astrophysicist James Annis has proposed that giant gamma ray bursts periodically wipe out most life in the galaxy, meaning that intelligent E.T.s might not have time to evolve to the spacefaring stage. First Interstellar Space Mission Now Under Study Scientists are working on a plan to launch the world's first interstellar space mission, an unmanned nuclear powered rocket that would carry a space telescope well beyond the edge of our solar system. Leading Cosmologist Says Universe is Immortal Cosmologist Andrei Linde says the Big Bang theory is all wrong. Instead, he says, the known universe 'bubbled off' from a previous universe and will in turn 'bubble off' other universes in a sequence that lasts literally forever. New Planet Discovered Around Nearby Star Swiss scientists working at a Chilean observatory announced on November 24, 1998 the discovery of a Jupiter-like planet orbiting a star called Gliese 86. New Evidence Supports Claims of Life on Mars Several unrelated discoveries announced in mid-March, 1999 seemed to lend further support to the claim that bacteria-like organisms may have once lived on Mars. Ideal Moon Bases Identified At South Pole Plenty of sun and the likelihood of water make the moon's south pole a promising spot for human activity. Mexico City Fights Smog by Electrifying Air A new experiment in Mexico City is attempting to control rampant air pollution by injecting electricity into the air. Gene Found That Activates Illness-Causing Bacteria Altering certain genes in disease-causing bacteria offers a promising new approach to fighting infectious disease.