Martian Soil Is Deadly. And That's Why It Might Support Life
Tardigrades can survive almost anything—even most of Mars. But one Martian chemical stops even them.
Martian Soil Is Deadly. And That's Why It Might Support Life PBS Space Time
The tardigrade survives extreme drying, freezing, heat, radiation, and the vacuum of space—possibly hitchhiking to Mars on asteroid ejecta. A new study confirms it can endure most of the Martian surface's hostility. Most. Add one chemical that's abundant on Mars and brutally toxic, and even this champion extremophile gives out. So if nothing on Earth can handle Mars, can anything live there today?
About the Program
PBS Space Time
PBS Space Time explores the outer reaches of space, the craziness of astrophysics, the possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can think of beyond Planet Earth. Host Matt O'Dowd breaks down both the basic and incredibly complex sides of space and time.
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