1
00:00:12,470 --> 00:00:10,070
hey everybody welcome back to NASA in

2
00:00:14,660 --> 00:00:12,480
Silicon Valley live I'm your host Abbey

3
00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:14,670
Tabor and if this is your first time

4
00:00:19,130 --> 00:00:16,410
joining us NASA and Silicon Valley live

5
00:00:21,349 --> 00:00:19,140
is a conversational show out of NASA's

6
00:00:23,450 --> 00:00:21,359
Ames Research Center and this is where

7
00:00:25,910 --> 00:00:23,460
we talk about all the nerdy NASA news

8
00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:25,920
you need to know about so today I have

9
00:00:33,139 --> 00:00:30,090
with me my lovely co-host Allison hi hi

10
00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:33,149
everyone I am your co-host Allison if

11
00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:34,410
you didn't know we are simultaneously

12
00:00:39,500 --> 00:00:37,410
live on twitch YouTube Facebook and

13
00:00:41,450 --> 00:00:39,510
periscope but if you want to participate

14
00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:41,460
in the chat and ask our guests questions

15
00:00:49,220 --> 00:00:43,530
there's only one place you can do that

16
00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:49,230
and that's at WWE TV slash NASA yes and

17
00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:50,730
I am sure you're gonna want to ask

18
00:00:53,889 --> 00:00:52,170
questions because today we are dealing

19
00:00:56,389 --> 00:00:53,899
with one of life's biggest questions

20
00:00:59,299 --> 00:00:56,399
seriously we're gonna talk about are we

21
00:01:01,790 --> 00:00:59,309
alone in the universe yeah this is such

22
00:01:04,340 --> 00:01:01,800
a great topic yes I'm sure everyone will

23
00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:04,350
agree and today we have some really

24
00:01:09,380 --> 00:01:06,510
amazing guests with us to talk about it

25
00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:09,390
yeah hi hi everyone I'm Alfonso Davila

26
00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:11,130
I'm a master biologist here at NASA Ames

27
00:01:16,039 --> 00:01:12,930
and I search for life on other planets

28
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:16,049
the lid I'm Michael for a long I'm a

29
00:01:19,730 --> 00:01:18,210
roboticist here at ed Ames and I build

30
00:01:21,170 --> 00:01:19,740
intelligent robots to explore other

31
00:01:23,870 --> 00:01:21,180
worlds oh cool

32
00:01:25,399 --> 00:01:23,880
so Abbi before we get into the show how

33
00:01:27,649 --> 00:01:25,409
about we remind our audience about our

34
00:01:29,960 --> 00:01:27,659
cool clock right here yes exactly right

35
00:01:31,819 --> 00:01:29,970
so this right here this beautiful thing

36
00:01:33,770 --> 00:01:31,829
is our moon countdown clock

37
00:01:36,230 --> 00:01:33,780
that's because five years from now in

38
00:01:38,539 --> 00:01:36,240
2024 we are planning to send humans to

39
00:01:40,429 --> 00:01:38,549
the moon that's part of our Artemis

40
00:01:43,730 --> 00:01:40,439
program and this clock is counting down

41
00:01:45,950 --> 00:01:43,740
the days hours minutes and seconds until

42
00:01:49,010 --> 00:01:45,960
we set the next man and the first woman

43
00:01:50,330 --> 00:01:49,020
to walk on the moon's South Pole so we

44
00:01:51,770 --> 00:01:50,340
will talk about that later in the show

45
00:01:55,490 --> 00:01:51,780
but if you want to learn more you can

46
00:01:59,450 --> 00:01:55,500
always go to www.nasa.gov slash Artemis

47
00:02:03,440 --> 00:01:59,460
alright so let's get right to it is

48
00:02:05,270 --> 00:02:03,450
there life beyond Earth well short

49
00:02:07,340 --> 00:02:05,280
answer we don't know and that's the

50
00:02:09,710 --> 00:02:07,350
reason why we have to search all right

51
00:02:11,990 --> 00:02:09,720
but I will say these the more we explore

52
00:02:12,890 --> 00:02:12,000
that looks that the odds are looking

53
00:02:14,149 --> 00:02:12,900
better in there

54
00:02:17,149 --> 00:02:14,159
we might find something out there they

55
00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:17,159
are I'm glad you're that yeah well think

56
00:02:21,319 --> 00:02:19,170
about it thirty years ago what did we

57
00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:21,329
know about other planets in the

58
00:02:24,229 --> 00:02:22,650
possibility of life out there we knew

59
00:02:26,179 --> 00:02:24,239
there was one planet that is inhabited

60
00:02:29,179 --> 00:02:26,189
as the earth mm-hmm there was another

61
00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:29,189
planet Mars that maybe yes maybe no we

62
00:02:33,710 --> 00:02:31,170
didn't were not really sure and that was

63
00:02:35,929 --> 00:02:33,720
the extent of it fast forward 30 years

64
00:02:37,550 --> 00:02:35,939
later we know that there are moons out

65
00:02:39,679 --> 00:02:37,560
in the in the outer solar system around

66
00:02:42,710 --> 00:02:39,689
Jupiter and Saturn that have subsurface

67
00:02:44,059 --> 00:02:42,720
oceans of liquid water Wow yeah and we

68
00:02:44,899 --> 00:02:44,069
know that there are millions of planets

69
00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:44,909
around other stars

70
00:02:48,710 --> 00:02:46,530
some of them the right distance from

71
00:02:50,750 --> 00:02:48,720
their Sun that liquid water could be

72
00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:50,760
stable on the surface okay so these look

73
00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:52,290
like very promising places to look and

74
00:02:57,140 --> 00:02:54,810
to look in search of life more and more

75
00:02:58,849 --> 00:02:57,150
opportunities places we might find

76
00:02:59,300 --> 00:02:58,859
something the more we learn the better

77
00:03:01,039 --> 00:02:59,310
it gets

78
00:03:03,140 --> 00:03:01,049
outstanding which brings the question

79
00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:03,150
like what is life how do we even define

80
00:03:07,339 --> 00:03:05,250
it well it's it's that's a complex well

81
00:03:09,559 --> 00:03:07,349
it's a complicated one that fundamental

82
00:03:11,599 --> 00:03:09,569
it's chemistry right with beta off made

83
00:03:14,059 --> 00:03:11,609
of chemistry molecules interacting

84
00:03:16,970 --> 00:03:14,069
reacting at doing things that allow

85
00:03:18,259 --> 00:03:16,980
those systems to survive and so when we

86
00:03:21,069 --> 00:03:18,269
search for life we're essentially

87
00:03:23,330 --> 00:03:21,079
looking for that that type of chemistry

88
00:03:24,970 --> 00:03:23,340
ideally because it's easier to find

89
00:03:27,379 --> 00:03:24,980
chemistry that is similar to us but

90
00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:27,389
obviously there's chances that whatever

91
00:03:32,300 --> 00:03:29,010
life chemistry is out there it might be

92
00:03:34,550 --> 00:03:32,310
very different what's your perspective

93
00:03:36,259 --> 00:03:34,560
as a roboticist on this Michael well I

94
00:03:37,909 --> 00:03:36,269
mean that's it's it's it's a hard

95
00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:37,919
problem to begin with but especially for

96
00:03:41,030 --> 00:03:39,030
sending robots out they're gonna be

97
00:03:42,199 --> 00:03:41,040
doing exploration for us instead of

98
00:03:44,899 --> 00:03:42,209
having humans looking at all the data

99
00:03:47,300 --> 00:03:44,909
coming back actually trying to quantify

100
00:03:49,339 --> 00:03:47,310
so a computer can say yes this is life

101
00:03:50,479 --> 00:03:49,349
it is a massive challenge in of itself

102
00:03:52,039 --> 00:03:50,489
and I think it's fair to say we don't

103
00:03:53,750 --> 00:03:52,049
really have a good good way to do that

104
00:03:55,580 --> 00:03:53,760
just yet know we know and and if the

105
00:03:56,839 --> 00:03:55,590
question is already difficult imagine

106
00:03:59,420 --> 00:03:56,849
trying to answer the questions with

107
00:04:01,490 --> 00:03:59,430
Roberts with surrogates not with humans

108
00:04:03,319 --> 00:04:01,500
doing the actual experiments you know

109
00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:03,329
that that's the real challenge like you

110
00:04:06,530 --> 00:04:05,370
say you have to teach a machine to do

111
00:04:07,789 --> 00:04:06,540
that you really do have to do these

112
00:04:09,409 --> 00:04:07,799
things that you can sort of

113
00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:09,419
instinctively do but it's hard for you

114
00:04:14,539 --> 00:04:13,290
to write down yeah fascinating well

115
00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:14,549
where would you go to look for life if

116
00:04:18,110 --> 00:04:15,930
you were gonna go out there and really

117
00:04:19,759 --> 00:04:18,120
place your bets on the best place to

118
00:04:21,890 --> 00:04:19,769
look where would you go if I have to

119
00:04:22,830 --> 00:04:21,900
pick one place Mars is still top of my

120
00:04:25,409 --> 00:04:22,840
list

121
00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:25,419
yeah and the reason is because Mars is

122
00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:27,970
close enough to the earth that we can

123
00:04:33,330 --> 00:04:31,450
actually study it repeatedly we've been

124
00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:33,340
sending probes to Mars almost

125
00:04:36,870 --> 00:04:34,990
continuously for the past 20 years and

126
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:36,880
that's that's a ski that's given as a

127
00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:39,010
very good perspective and idea of how

128
00:04:43,110 --> 00:04:41,050
the planet is today and how it was in

129
00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:43,120
the past good enough that we know now

130
00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:45,610
that Mars in very many different aspects

131
00:04:49,379 --> 00:04:47,290
is very similar to the earth it's very

132
00:04:52,950 --> 00:04:49,389
it's a very familiar place mountains

133
00:04:54,930 --> 00:04:52,960
volcanoes meteorite impacts sediments

134
00:04:56,850 --> 00:04:54,940
rocks that are composed of the same

135
00:05:00,450 --> 00:04:56,860
types of minerals that rocks on earth

136
00:05:01,980 --> 00:05:00,460
and so it looks like at some point the

137
00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:01,990
conditions for life to exist on Mars

138
00:05:06,330 --> 00:05:04,660
might have existed and if that was the

139
00:05:08,790 --> 00:05:06,340
case those forms of life might have been

140
00:05:12,750 --> 00:05:08,800
similar to us similar enough that we

141
00:05:14,850 --> 00:05:12,760
might recognize okay not something

142
00:05:16,170 --> 00:05:14,860
completely alien that wouldn't we

143
00:05:18,510 --> 00:05:16,180
wouldn't be able to recognize even if it

144
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:18,520
was staring at us in the face okay so

145
00:05:22,500 --> 00:05:19,810
Mars is a good candidate for those

146
00:05:30,390 --> 00:05:22,510
reasons there's some comments about

147
00:05:31,710 --> 00:05:30,400
already Hobbes I hope there is human

148
00:05:34,860 --> 00:05:31,720
life on Mars in my lifetime

149
00:05:36,930 --> 00:05:34,870
so first the robots are gonna go yeah

150
00:05:39,510 --> 00:05:36,940
fun fact there is there is life on Mars

151
00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:39,520
that we know of because obviously every

152
00:05:47,750 --> 00:05:40,990
every mission that goes to Mars carries

153
00:05:52,260 --> 00:05:50,580
technically Michael what do you think

154
00:05:56,100 --> 00:05:52,270
the odds are of actually finding life on

155
00:05:57,570 --> 00:05:56,110
Mars I mean honestly like we've taken

156
00:06:00,529 --> 00:05:57,580
samples now and so probably haven't

157
00:06:02,969 --> 00:06:00,539
found definitive proof of life and so

158
00:06:04,950 --> 00:06:02,979
the odds don't look great but that's

159
00:06:06,450 --> 00:06:04,960
because it's a very big planet and we're

160
00:06:09,330 --> 00:06:06,460
sort of sifting through it like grams at

161
00:06:10,590 --> 00:06:09,340
a time but then so that's different

162
00:06:12,719 --> 00:06:10,600
though than asking what's the

163
00:06:14,610 --> 00:06:12,729
probability that there is or was life

164
00:06:17,909 --> 00:06:14,620
there to be found yeah that's a good

165
00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:17,919
point and and and that it's important to

166
00:06:22,529 --> 00:06:20,289
recognize that when you look at Mars and

167
00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:22,539
the history of Mars is really a tale of

168
00:06:27,570 --> 00:06:24,610
two different planets really Mars today

169
00:06:30,060 --> 00:06:27,580
is a very extreme environment a lot of

170
00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:30,070
people think that it cannot sustain life

171
00:06:33,960 --> 00:06:32,560
at least not near the surface but the

172
00:06:35,430 --> 00:06:33,970
more we learn them on about Mars it

173
00:06:35,879 --> 00:06:35,440
tells us that way back in the past it

174
00:06:37,679 --> 00:06:35,889
was a very

175
00:06:39,779 --> 00:06:37,689
for an environment where water was

176
00:06:43,290 --> 00:06:39,789
flowing on the surface where there were

177
00:06:45,959 --> 00:06:43,300
lakes maybe seas even maybe oceans not

178
00:06:48,809 --> 00:06:45,969
too dissimilar to lakes and seas and

179
00:06:50,820 --> 00:06:48,819
rivers on earth and so conditions in the

180
00:06:54,540 --> 00:06:50,830
past might have been a lot better for

181
00:06:56,790 --> 00:06:54,550
life and so it is these dual history of

182
00:06:58,050 --> 00:06:56,800
Mars this to a perspective of Mars that

183
00:07:01,439 --> 00:06:58,060
we need to consider when we think about

184
00:07:03,659 --> 00:07:01,449
life on Mars early life in a in a

185
00:07:05,189 --> 00:07:03,669
friendly environment or more recent life

186
00:07:06,989 --> 00:07:05,199
in a very an Flynn and friendly

187
00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:06,999
environment yeah yeah I see so yes if it

188
00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:08,650
was more it was a friendlier in the past

189
00:07:15,209 --> 00:07:12,930
and life did emerge maybe we would find

190
00:07:16,740 --> 00:07:15,219
possibilities that we find fossil

191
00:07:18,719 --> 00:07:16,750
evidence of it another present and other

192
00:07:20,519 --> 00:07:18,729
possibilities that when conditions on

193
00:07:22,499 --> 00:07:20,529
the surface became extreme that life

194
00:07:24,149 --> 00:07:22,509
retreated to other places maybe deeper

195
00:07:25,709 --> 00:07:24,159
in the planet under and it's still

196
00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:25,719
trying to survive in those in those

197
00:07:29,909 --> 00:07:27,250
environments yeah that's very exciting

198
00:07:31,829 --> 00:07:29,919
is exciting really bad teeth asks is

199
00:07:33,959 --> 00:07:31,839
there enough sunlight reaching Mars in

200
00:07:36,149 --> 00:07:33,969
order for it to sustain healthy plant

201
00:07:39,809 --> 00:07:36,159
life or will we have to rely on

202
00:07:41,279 --> 00:07:39,819
artificial growing processes but when it

203
00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:41,289
comes to sunlight that that's not a

204
00:07:44,850 --> 00:07:42,490
problem that's not a limiting factor

205
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:44,860
there are in fact microorganisms on

206
00:07:49,170 --> 00:07:46,810
earth that can survive hundreds of

207
00:07:50,969 --> 00:07:49,180
meters deep in the ocean with very tiny

208
00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:50,979
amounts of light a lot less light and

209
00:07:55,230 --> 00:07:52,210
what reaches Mars

210
00:07:56,550 --> 00:07:55,240
so sunlight not an issue we would need

211
00:07:59,490 --> 00:07:56,560
to worry about things like temperature

212
00:08:01,350 --> 00:07:59,500
and radiation and other and toxic

213
00:08:05,790 --> 00:08:01,360
elements in the ground for those plants

214
00:08:07,740 --> 00:08:05,800
to grow but sunlight yeah one more

215
00:08:10,469 --> 00:08:07,750
question from the from the from the chat

216
00:08:11,879 --> 00:08:10,479
here twitch or ask what is life does it

217
00:08:15,269 --> 00:08:11,889
have to be a nurse does it have to have

218
00:08:17,249 --> 00:08:15,279
a nervous system or a brain or both well

219
00:08:19,079 --> 00:08:17,259
I don't think so some of us don't have a

220
00:08:22,350 --> 00:08:19,089
brain and we can be called

221
00:08:23,939 --> 00:08:22,360
alive most of the history of life on

222
00:08:25,679 --> 00:08:23,949
Earth there were no brains and no

223
00:08:28,050 --> 00:08:25,689
nervous systems it was microbial life

224
00:08:30,749 --> 00:08:28,060
single-celled microorganisms and in fact

225
00:08:31,950 --> 00:08:30,759
if anything the example of life on Earth

226
00:08:33,990 --> 00:08:31,960
is telling us is that being a

227
00:08:35,550 --> 00:08:34,000
single-cell organism with our brain and

228
00:08:36,930 --> 00:08:35,560
the nervous system might be a good thing

229
00:08:38,459 --> 00:08:36,940
because they've been around for billions

230
00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:38,469
of years oh yeah brains and nervous

231
00:08:43,319 --> 00:08:41,110
systems have been around for a lot less

232
00:08:45,210 --> 00:08:43,329
time and so yeah definitely not if not

233
00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:45,220
required

234
00:09:01,480 --> 00:08:52,250
like microbes though right right those

235
00:09:01,490 --> 00:09:10,280
one

236
00:09:15,290 --> 00:09:12,499
actually US vehicles to land on the

237
00:09:18,710 --> 00:09:15,300
surface there and it was about 40 odd

238
00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:18,720
years ago in the 1970s and they were

239
00:09:22,220 --> 00:09:20,910
these largest structures that landed

240
00:09:24,019 --> 00:09:22,230
there and they took pictures of the

241
00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:24,029
surface and they tried to collect soil

242
00:09:35,720 --> 00:09:25,290
samples and did some really interesting

243
00:09:37,699 --> 00:09:35,730
biological experiments there yeah so you

244
00:09:39,110 --> 00:09:37,709
can see the the lander and there's a

245
00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:39,120
human in there to give you a sense of

246
00:09:43,490 --> 00:09:41,730
scale and what he's holding up is the

247
00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:43,500
arm that extended out of the Viking

248
00:09:47,449 --> 00:09:45,569
Lander and scooped up the soil that was

249
00:09:49,730 --> 00:09:47,459
then brought back into the end of the

250
00:09:51,620 --> 00:09:49,740
vehicle to be experimented on oh man hey

251
00:09:55,009 --> 00:09:51,630
we have another photo - maybe of the of

252
00:09:58,430 --> 00:09:55,019
it on Mars the Viking took the first

253
00:10:00,819 --> 00:09:58,440
images on the surface of Mars this one

254
00:10:05,269 --> 00:10:00,829
but things like this look how red it is

255
00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:05,279
spectacular to see so that's the arm

256
00:10:08,689 --> 00:10:07,410
that was collecting soil yes yeah that's

257
00:10:10,309 --> 00:10:08,699
grabbing the soil out in the scene there

258
00:10:12,139 --> 00:10:10,319
okay and then what did it do with that

259
00:10:13,850 --> 00:10:12,149
that was part of an experiment that was

260
00:10:15,680 --> 00:10:13,860
part of a very cool experiment the first

261
00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:15,690
experiment to search for life on another

262
00:10:20,090 --> 00:10:18,569
planet it's no more and no less if I can

263
00:10:22,519 --> 00:10:20,100
meet a lot of cool stuff it took a lot

264
00:10:24,110 --> 00:10:22,529
of pictures it showed us Mars up close

265
00:10:25,850 --> 00:10:24,120
for the first time but the biological

266
00:10:28,730 --> 00:10:25,860
experiments is what really made the

267
00:10:30,949 --> 00:10:28,740
mission truly exciting and there were

268
00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:30,959
three biological experiments one of them

269
00:10:34,370 --> 00:10:32,850
is particularly interesting it was

270
00:10:36,980 --> 00:10:34,380
called the labeled release experiment

271
00:10:39,439 --> 00:10:36,990
labeled release re-released experiment

272
00:10:41,090 --> 00:10:39,449
that was an experiment that the the idea

273
00:10:43,850 --> 00:10:41,100
for the experiment was that the the arm

274
00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:43,860
with the scoop would collect some with

275
00:10:47,689 --> 00:10:46,050
scoop some dirt from the ground and put

276
00:10:54,879 --> 00:10:47,699
it in a container and then add a

277
00:11:05,600 --> 00:10:57,559
an example of one of the vials that was

278
00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:05,610
made in 1974 1974 June July July 3rd

279
00:11:15,660 --> 00:11:07,450
1974

280
00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:15,670
and this is a vintage chicken soup it's

281
00:11:21,870 --> 00:11:17,110
perfectly clear it's chicken soup for my

282
00:11:23,700 --> 00:11:21,880
groups think about it if you are a

283
00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:23,710
viewer in the cold if you have a cold or

284
00:11:26,670 --> 00:11:25,090
you're cold and you're starving and

285
00:11:29,130 --> 00:11:26,680
you're dehydrated and you're miserable

286
00:11:33,980 --> 00:11:29,140
at home yeah what what's the best thing

287
00:11:36,900 --> 00:11:35,700
microorganisms on Mars if they were

288
00:11:39,810 --> 00:11:36,910
present in the soil they will be

289
00:11:41,580 --> 00:11:39,820
dehydrated no water very cold it's

290
00:11:44,250 --> 00:11:41,590
called very low temperatures mm-hmm and

291
00:11:46,590 --> 00:11:44,260
so to to help them come back alive and

292
00:11:48,660 --> 00:11:46,600
actually be able to detect them we would

293
00:11:51,060 --> 00:11:48,670
add this chicken soup so the microbes

294
00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:51,070
would have something to feed on grow and

295
00:11:56,310 --> 00:11:53,290
then we would be able to measure the

296
00:11:57,300 --> 00:11:56,320
gases that are produced as they eat the

297
00:11:58,590 --> 00:11:57,310
chicken soup so that's what the

298
00:12:00,510 --> 00:11:58,600
experiment did that's what the

299
00:12:02,490 --> 00:12:00,520
experiment did add the chicken soup to

300
00:12:04,290 --> 00:12:02,500
the soil and then sniff the gasses that

301
00:12:06,060 --> 00:12:04,300
would come out of the microbes chewing

302
00:12:08,550 --> 00:12:06,070
on the molecules like sugars and amino

303
00:12:09,780 --> 00:12:08,560
acids all the yummy stuff that microbes

304
00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:09,790
like to eat and was added with the

305
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:10,330
chicken soup

306
00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:12,250
all right we're looking at traces of

307
00:12:18,870 --> 00:12:17,410
them digested so our first evidence of

308
00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:18,880
life on another planet could have been

309
00:12:33,510 --> 00:12:24,730
Michael poop poop something all wife

310
00:12:36,780 --> 00:12:33,520
does yeah it was really interesting and

311
00:12:38,070 --> 00:12:36,790
he was very inconclusive so the

312
00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:38,080
observation it was a very interesting

313
00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:39,850
observation one when the chicken soup

314
00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:40,930
was added to the soil there was a

315
00:12:45,090 --> 00:12:43,090
chemical reaction almost immediately and

316
00:12:46,740 --> 00:12:45,100
gases were released and the same types

317
00:12:48,900 --> 00:12:46,750
of gases that you would expect microbes

318
00:12:50,460 --> 00:12:48,910
to produce if they were present that was

319
00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:50,470
interesting and exciting yeah the

320
00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:52,330
problem was that the the rate at which

321
00:12:57,360 --> 00:12:55,090
those gases were released was odd was

322
00:12:58,800 --> 00:12:57,370
way too fast almost instantaneous oh do

323
00:13:00,510 --> 00:12:58,810
you expect that microbes to be present

324
00:13:02,970 --> 00:13:00,520
you should they should take their time

325
00:13:04,410 --> 00:13:02,980
to come out come back apple eyes and eat

326
00:13:06,570 --> 00:13:04,420
their things and then eventually it

327
00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:06,580
releases those gases so that was odd the

328
00:13:10,140 --> 00:13:07,990
other odd thing is that part of the

329
00:13:12,330 --> 00:13:10,150
experiment was to scoop out another

330
00:13:13,710 --> 00:13:12,340
sample of soil and heat it up to very

331
00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:13,720
high temperatures to kill everything

332
00:13:17,610 --> 00:13:15,490
that might have been living there and

333
00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:17,620
then add the chicken soup if the

334
00:13:20,900 --> 00:13:19,330
reaction original reaction was due to

335
00:13:24,170 --> 00:13:20,910
biology we shouldn't see a reaction

336
00:13:25,610 --> 00:13:24,180
in the second case everybody was and

337
00:13:27,020 --> 00:13:25,620
what happened was quite the opposite

338
00:13:29,180 --> 00:13:27,030
they added the chicken soup to the dead

339
00:13:30,740 --> 00:13:29,190
sample and there was a reaction similar

340
00:13:32,300 --> 00:13:30,750
to the first one suggesting that

341
00:13:36,230 --> 00:13:32,310
whatever was causing the reaction was

342
00:13:38,780 --> 00:13:36,240
not a microbe that must've been crazy

343
00:13:40,910 --> 00:13:38,790
you sent your your experiment on a Rover

344
00:13:43,370 --> 00:13:40,920
to Mars and it gets there and it does

345
00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:43,380
its thing and you're not sure and you're

346
00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:52,110
not sure but definitely the the the

347
00:13:59,120 --> 00:13:53,310
experiment was very interesting very

348
00:14:01,190 --> 00:13:59,130
conclusively right so then what well it

349
00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:01,200
was clear from Viking that maybe our

350
00:14:04,610 --> 00:14:02,760
thinking about searching for life at

351
00:14:06,260 --> 00:14:04,620
that time was a bit naive because we

352
00:14:07,430 --> 00:14:06,270
really didn't know much about Mars until

353
00:14:10,820 --> 00:14:07,440
Viking went to Mars

354
00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:10,830
now inside is always 20/20 so with what

355
00:14:14,420 --> 00:14:12,300
we know now we might think it was naive

356
00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:14,430
at the time it was probably a very smart

357
00:14:17,870 --> 00:14:15,810
thing to do well we hadn't been there

358
00:14:20,030 --> 00:14:17,880
yet we hadn't been there yet so but what

359
00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:20,040
what followed up after Viking was a

360
00:14:24,530 --> 00:14:22,050
realization that when next time we

361
00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:24,540
search for life we might want to know in

362
00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:26,970
advance a bit more about the planet what

363
00:14:30,350 --> 00:14:28,830
conditions are there and what the

364
00:14:32,180 --> 00:14:30,360
history of the planet was and so a lot

365
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:32,190
of the follow-up missions tried to

366
00:14:36,890 --> 00:14:33,530
bridge that gap that knowledge gap

367
00:14:39,050 --> 00:14:36,900
understand what happened to Mars over

368
00:14:41,900 --> 00:14:39,060
the course of its history how it became

369
00:14:44,270 --> 00:14:41,910
the extremely dry extremely cold planet

370
00:14:45,830 --> 00:14:44,280
the release today and maybe try to

371
00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:45,840
understand if life was present at some

372
00:14:49,370 --> 00:14:47,490
point whether it could still be there

373
00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:49,380
maybe in other places or maybe the

374
00:14:54,380 --> 00:14:52,410
chances of life surviving throughout

375
00:14:56,450 --> 00:14:54,390
Mars as history were pretty much zero

376
00:14:59,750 --> 00:14:56,460
yeah yeah yeah how'd you go from oceans

377
00:15:02,510 --> 00:14:59,760
to desert desert somehow this life react

378
00:15:04,610 --> 00:15:02,520
to that yeah so we've had a lot of

379
00:15:07,040 --> 00:15:04,620
robotic missions to Mars since then

380
00:15:08,570 --> 00:15:07,050
right Michael what's what have we what

381
00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:08,580
are we done over there well we've sent a

382
00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:11,370
lot of Rovers to the surface now and the

383
00:15:16,940 --> 00:15:14,610
latest one that was curiosity and that's

384
00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:16,950
going and actually collecting samples

385
00:15:20,990 --> 00:15:18,410
and driving around it has a bunch of

386
00:15:23,210 --> 00:15:21,000
instruments it has a drill on board for

387
00:15:27,050 --> 00:15:23,220
collecting samples it has a laser for

388
00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:27,060
zapping rocks so we have video better an

389
00:15:35,410 --> 00:15:33,310
and the thing that personally excites me

390
00:15:38,260 --> 00:15:35,420
is that our curiosity has the ability to

391
00:15:48,790 --> 00:15:38,270
choose what it zaps with its laser which

392
00:15:50,710 --> 00:15:48,800
is which is pretty pretty neat that's

393
00:15:51,900 --> 00:15:50,720
cool and that's very cool for you the

394
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:51,910
roboticists

395
00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:54,290
teaching they're getting progressively

396
00:15:58,360 --> 00:15:56,450
smarter and progressively more capable

397
00:16:02,620 --> 00:15:58,370
of acting with a little bit less

398
00:16:05,050 --> 00:16:02,630
oversight from us yeah awesome what do

399
00:16:07,540 --> 00:16:05,060
we find out from these Rovers on from

400
00:16:09,630 --> 00:16:07,550
curiosity Rover's many many things but

401
00:16:13,210 --> 00:16:09,640
maybe the one that is interesting to the

402
00:16:14,890 --> 00:16:13,220
question of life on Mars is it provided

403
00:16:16,390 --> 00:16:14,900
the first clear evidence that there were

404
00:16:17,770 --> 00:16:16,400
environments on Mars three

405
00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:17,780
three-and-a-half billion years ago that

406
00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:19,690
could have sustain life as we know it

407
00:16:23,140 --> 00:16:21,290
microorganisms on earth would have been

408
00:16:25,930 --> 00:16:23,150
happy really in those environments that

409
00:16:28,060 --> 00:16:25,940
in that case is a lake environment yeah

410
00:16:29,890 --> 00:16:28,070
which had plenty of water it was long

411
00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:29,900
lived and the chemistry of that Lake was

412
00:16:33,220 --> 00:16:31,730
completely compatible with life as we

413
00:16:34,780 --> 00:16:33,230
know it was so similar it was very

414
00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:34,790
similar and so the conditions were there

415
00:16:41,260 --> 00:16:37,730
for life to exist in to thrive and

416
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:41,270
that's that's a major discovery so the

417
00:16:45,130 --> 00:16:43,250
water is kind of the key to all this

418
00:16:47,110 --> 00:16:45,140
water is the key and the progression of

419
00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:47,120
those missions is being precisely follow

420
00:16:50,890 --> 00:16:47,690
the water

421
00:16:52,030 --> 00:16:50,900
important for life and through following

422
00:16:54,700 --> 00:16:52,040
the water we've reached these

423
00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:54,710
environments on the surface that it's

424
00:16:57,790 --> 00:16:55,850
clear that they could have sustained

425
00:16:59,560 --> 00:16:57,800
life in the past yeah how did we first

426
00:17:02,140 --> 00:16:59,570
find water that was one of the robotic

427
00:17:04,030 --> 00:17:02,150
missions wasn't it yeah actually the

428
00:17:05,740 --> 00:17:04,040
Phoenix mission right that's right yeah

429
00:17:07,030 --> 00:17:05,750
it was another stationary Lander like

430
00:17:09,340 --> 00:17:07,040
the Viking that had an arm that could

431
00:17:12,940 --> 00:17:09,350
scoop up soil and collect samples yep

432
00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:12,950
okay as well an image of the Phoenix

433
00:17:19,570 --> 00:17:17,810
lander that scooping yep yep so that can

434
00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:19,580
reach out and collect soil samples yeah

435
00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:21,050
like if like Viking was a lander I

436
00:17:27,130 --> 00:17:23,090
didn't move mm-hmm

437
00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:27,140
we in reality we had an idea that there

438
00:17:32,140 --> 00:17:29,090
might have been there were there's water

439
00:17:35,790 --> 00:17:32,150
on Mars based on orbital data but

440
00:17:37,810 --> 00:17:35,800
Phoenix really truly confirmed those

441
00:17:39,610 --> 00:17:37,820
observed those observations from orbit

442
00:17:42,490 --> 00:17:39,620
and it confirmed it by digging a trench

443
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:42,500
in the soil and exposing ice water ice

444
00:17:47,110 --> 00:17:43,250
and

445
00:17:49,570 --> 00:17:47,120
at the polls right it was near the North

446
00:17:51,670 --> 00:17:49,580
Pole and based on what we know from

447
00:17:53,530 --> 00:17:51,680
orbit it's as you get closer to the

448
00:17:55,750 --> 00:17:53,540
poles of Mars either the in the North or

449
00:17:57,220 --> 00:17:55,760
the South Pole ground ice becomes more

450
00:17:59,080 --> 00:17:57,230
and more abundant and close to the

451
00:18:02,410 --> 00:17:59,090
surface and in fact the Felix idea was

452
00:18:05,830 --> 00:18:02,420
just a few inches under the cover of dry

453
00:18:07,990 --> 00:18:05,840
soil okay cool okay so water ice it has

454
00:18:11,460 --> 00:18:08,000
found Phoenix and you told me I mean

455
00:18:14,890 --> 00:18:11,470
another big discovery yeah so when

456
00:18:17,700 --> 00:18:14,900
Phoenix analyzed the ice it actually

457
00:18:21,190 --> 00:18:17,710
tasted the ice the first time we taste

458
00:18:22,870 --> 00:18:21,200
taste it tasted salty salty and that was

459
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:22,880
interesting not very salty but it did

460
00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:25,010
have some salt and the salt turned out

461
00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:26,690
to be another very interesting discovery

462
00:18:31,090 --> 00:18:28,250
from Phoenix I

463
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:31,100
one of the major salt components in the

464
00:18:35,470 --> 00:18:33,290
soil is called perchlorate it's a

465
00:18:37,810 --> 00:18:35,480
molecule that nobody really cared much

466
00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:37,820
about accepting the rocket fuel industry

467
00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:40,130
because it's actually rocket fuel

468
00:18:43,900 --> 00:18:42,110
but once he was discovered on Mars at

469
00:18:45,580 --> 00:18:43,910
significant abundances everybody became

470
00:18:49,540 --> 00:18:45,590
very interested yeah why is it there

471
00:18:53,770 --> 00:18:49,550
this rocket Mars Cobra team rocket fuel

472
00:18:56,380 --> 00:18:53,780
alright the natural compound it's found

473
00:18:58,480 --> 00:18:56,390
on earth as well in deserts and whatnot

474
00:19:00,130 --> 00:18:58,490
and it's a compound that some some

475
00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:00,140
microbes on earth can actually eat and

476
00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:02,090
there's an energy source yes so that

477
00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:03,910
became a very interesting astrobiology

478
00:19:08,860 --> 00:19:07,370
result an energy source for life sitting

479
00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:08,870
there on the surface very close to water

480
00:19:13,540 --> 00:19:11,330
ice but the other interesting thing

481
00:19:15,610 --> 00:19:13,550
about perchlorate is that it's a very

482
00:19:16,810 --> 00:19:15,620
reactive compound it's not reactive at

483
00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:16,820
room temperature you can have

484
00:19:19,270 --> 00:19:18,050
perchlorate here on the table and it's

485
00:19:21,370 --> 00:19:19,280
not going to happen and nothing's gonna

486
00:19:24,700 --> 00:19:21,380
happen to it over millions of years okay

487
00:19:27,430 --> 00:19:24,710
but if you expose it to radiation as on

488
00:19:29,650 --> 00:19:27,440
Mars the high radiation that we get UV

489
00:19:31,930 --> 00:19:29,660
it decomposes into very reactive

490
00:19:32,470 --> 00:19:31,940
molecules like the Sun breaks it down on

491
00:19:34,140 --> 00:19:32,480
the surface

492
00:19:36,730 --> 00:19:34,150
the radiation breaks it down and makes

493
00:19:39,340 --> 00:19:36,740
reactive compounds just like bleach for

494
00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:39,350
example the stuff at home okay and you

495
00:19:46,090 --> 00:19:40,850
know what happens when you mix bleach

496
00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:46,100
with chicken soup no gas released and

497
00:19:50,990 --> 00:19:48,170
you get very similar gases as they were

498
00:19:54,780 --> 00:19:51,000
released in the Viking experiments

499
00:19:57,090 --> 00:19:54,790
mr. Issa at a similar rate and the

500
00:19:59,970 --> 00:19:57,100
similar abundances as Viking observed so

501
00:20:02,370 --> 00:19:59,980
forth years after Viking indirectly

502
00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:02,380
without not actually looking for it

503
00:20:04,830 --> 00:20:02,890
right

504
00:20:07,410 --> 00:20:04,840
Phoenix found the culprit for the vacuum

505
00:20:09,210 --> 00:20:07,420
or the most likely culprit the Viking

506
00:20:11,670 --> 00:20:09,220
biological experiment results finally an

507
00:20:12,690 --> 00:20:11,680
answer yep that's crazy for the people

508
00:20:14,580 --> 00:20:12,700
who work on it I hope they were still

509
00:20:16,110 --> 00:20:14,590
always closed yeah yeah it was very

510
00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:16,120
exciting I'm sure for people who were

511
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:18,970
waiting 40 years to understand what

512
00:20:24,870 --> 00:20:22,690
happened exciting okay fascinating we've

513
00:20:29,010 --> 00:20:24,880
that bunch of questions coming in shall

514
00:20:30,780 --> 00:20:29,020
we turn to a question session we're

515
00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:30,790
gonna ask you a whole bunch as many as

516
00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:32,290
we can in five minutes and we'll look

517
00:20:42,290 --> 00:20:40,150
for rapid responses so master asks is it

518
00:20:45,570 --> 00:20:42,300
possible that we might find fossilized

519
00:20:47,850 --> 00:20:45,580
microbial life that's one of the issues

520
00:20:49,860 --> 00:20:47,860
with microbial life is the data only

521
00:20:52,140 --> 00:20:49,870
behind good fossils not certainly

522
00:20:55,100 --> 00:20:52,150
dinosaur bones that we can excavate and

523
00:20:59,130 --> 00:20:55,110
see and so that's that's a big challenge

524
00:21:00,570 --> 00:20:59,140
how to find evidence of life coming out

525
00:21:02,820 --> 00:21:00,580
of microbes that they're soft-bodied

526
00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:02,830
Chinese and unicellular organisms that

527
00:21:08,360 --> 00:21:04,780
when they die they decompose and don't

528
00:21:10,620 --> 00:21:08,370
leave behind we have some ideas in fact

529
00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:10,630
when you look at the fossil record on

530
00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:12,730
earth the oldest evidence of life on

531
00:21:17,850 --> 00:21:15,490
Earth which is dated 3.5 3.8 billion

532
00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:17,860
years ago it's actually structures made

533
00:21:22,590 --> 00:21:20,770
by microbes sprog structures made by

534
00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:22,600
microbes the microbes are long gone okay

535
00:21:25,950 --> 00:21:24,010
they just leave they left the house

536
00:21:28,380 --> 00:21:25,960
behind and what we see now is the house

537
00:21:30,150 --> 00:21:28,390
okay and so microbes can leave behind

538
00:21:33,060 --> 00:21:30,160
fossils but it's it's they're hard to

539
00:21:37,350 --> 00:21:33,070
find I mean that is cool I had a

540
00:21:41,070 --> 00:21:37,360
question about what what methods can you

541
00:21:42,390 --> 00:21:41,080
use besides metabolic investigations in

542
00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:42,400
these robotic missions and I think that

543
00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:45,250
that might be there are a number you

544
00:21:48,450 --> 00:21:47,230
could think of well if you go to a place

545
00:21:50,370 --> 00:21:48,460
where you think microbes might actually

546
00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:50,380
be alive and happy you could bring your

547
00:21:54,030 --> 00:21:52,450
microscope uh-huh bring a sample put it

548
00:21:56,490 --> 00:21:54,040
in water look at the microscope and if

549
00:21:59,940 --> 00:21:56,500
not something swims it's like I'm not

550
00:22:01,890 --> 00:21:59,950
waving at you another one could be using

551
00:22:03,660 --> 00:22:01,900
instruments that actually analyze

552
00:22:04,350 --> 00:22:03,670
chemistry you know a lot of it is

553
00:22:05,789 --> 00:22:04,360
organic

554
00:22:07,740 --> 00:22:05,799
mystery which is what we think life is

555
00:22:09,510 --> 00:22:07,750
gonna be paid off organic compounds and

556
00:22:12,710 --> 00:22:09,520
we can search for patterns in that

557
00:22:15,350 --> 00:22:12,720
chemistry that are too complex for

558
00:22:17,430 --> 00:22:15,360
something non-biological to produce Oh

559
00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:17,440
biology makes very complex organic

560
00:22:21,450 --> 00:22:19,210
compounds things like DNA and proteins

561
00:22:23,580 --> 00:22:21,460
yeah and so if we find something like

562
00:22:26,250 --> 00:22:23,590
these would be like finding a skyscraper

563
00:22:27,810 --> 00:22:26,260
on the moon it's like somebody must have

564
00:22:30,539 --> 00:22:27,820
built it somebody built that yeah yeah

565
00:22:33,210 --> 00:22:30,549
okay that was a question from Jet's 115

566
00:22:35,490 --> 00:22:33,220
that was a good hand eh 87 has one for

567
00:22:38,159 --> 00:22:35,500
you I think Michael what would a rover

568
00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:38,169
mission to the poles be viable or

569
00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:40,510
particularly interesting I think there

570
00:22:43,620 --> 00:22:41,710
definitely be interesting and I think

571
00:22:45,659 --> 00:22:43,630
actually operating in an icy environment

572
00:22:47,669 --> 00:22:45,669
I'm like where the Rovers have been

573
00:22:49,950 --> 00:22:47,679
driving would be a lot more interesting

574
00:22:51,030 --> 00:22:49,960
in her soil a big challenge and also

575
00:22:53,909 --> 00:22:51,040
interesting but then there's also the

576
00:22:55,409 --> 00:22:53,919
worry about planetary protection right

577
00:22:57,570 --> 00:22:55,419
because if we don't want to breathe

578
00:22:59,430 --> 00:22:57,580
bring things there and if there's ice

579
00:23:01,799 --> 00:22:59,440
there we could conceivably make water

580
00:23:03,780 --> 00:23:01,809
and if we make water and we have

581
00:23:05,070 --> 00:23:03,790
microbes on the rover then there's the

582
00:23:06,750 --> 00:23:05,080
risk that we could bring our own

583
00:23:08,789 --> 00:23:06,760
microbes there and Anna pollute the

584
00:23:11,700 --> 00:23:08,799
planet something else to worry about on

585
00:23:13,919 --> 00:23:11,710
top of everything else yeah yeah here's

586
00:23:15,930 --> 00:23:13,929
a related question from trebla door how

587
00:23:18,510 --> 00:23:15,940
long would it take to be certain there

588
00:23:21,180 --> 00:23:18,520
is no life and so so we wouldn't have to

589
00:23:22,890 --> 00:23:21,190
sterilize everything we send could you

590
00:23:24,360 --> 00:23:22,900
ever be certain you can never be certain

591
00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:24,370
I don't know you could be ever be

592
00:23:28,730 --> 00:23:26,650
certain because we're used to the earth

593
00:23:31,919 --> 00:23:28,740
as a planet where is covered in biology

594
00:23:33,210 --> 00:23:31,929
but when sometimes when you go to some

595
00:23:34,950 --> 00:23:33,220
places on the earth there are extreme

596
00:23:37,110 --> 00:23:34,960
life is not everywhere it's hiding in

597
00:23:38,669 --> 00:23:37,120
very specific places and if you can

598
00:23:40,770 --> 00:23:38,679
imagine a planet that is extreme like

599
00:23:43,140 --> 00:23:40,780
Mars maybe alive is sitting somewhere in

600
00:23:45,810 --> 00:23:43,150
a very tiny place maybe kilometers deep

601
00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:45,820
all right how can be sure how can be you

602
00:23:49,830 --> 00:23:48,130
be sure of that it's not there so we

603
00:23:54,299 --> 00:23:49,840
always need to proceed with caution I

604
00:23:57,750 --> 00:23:54,309
think yeah yeah smile bringer asks what

605
00:24:00,659 --> 00:23:57,760
about non carbon-based life-forms we

606
00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:00,669
usually base life upon life on earth

607
00:24:05,190 --> 00:24:02,890
there yeah there are good reasons why we

608
00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:05,200
are made the way we are and and there

609
00:24:09,360 --> 00:24:06,490
are some of them are reasons that are

610
00:24:11,070 --> 00:24:09,370
hard to there's there's only so much you

611
00:24:13,380 --> 00:24:11,080
can bend flaws of physics and chemistry

612
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:13,390
to make things work and their ideas

613
00:24:17,940 --> 00:24:16,090
about non carbon-based life but there

614
00:24:20,010 --> 00:24:17,950
are so far no places in

615
00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:20,020
in the universe that we know of where

616
00:24:25,860 --> 00:24:22,810
non confirm non carbon-based life could

617
00:24:29,390 --> 00:24:25,870
exist there might be there we haven't

618
00:24:32,700 --> 00:24:29,400
found them and so to start searching

619
00:24:33,930 --> 00:24:32,710
it's probably a good idea to search for

620
00:24:35,220 --> 00:24:33,940
first things that you're familiar with

621
00:24:37,170 --> 00:24:35,230
that you can recognize and you know

622
00:24:40,380 --> 00:24:37,180
where to search for rather than search

623
00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:40,390
for things that are so different that we

624
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:42,730
again might not be able to recognize it

625
00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:44,410
even if it's standing in front of us I

626
00:24:47,790 --> 00:24:46,330
wonder if that's related to this

627
00:24:51,390 --> 00:24:47,800
question so let me throw this out from

628
00:24:53,010 --> 00:24:51,400
death shaft 201 19 why follow water we

629
00:24:54,780 --> 00:24:53,020
don't know for sure that organisms live

630
00:24:55,290 --> 00:24:54,790
only through water right yeah it's a

631
00:24:57,750 --> 00:24:55,300
good point

632
00:25:02,400 --> 00:24:57,760
but he goes back to what we were talking

633
00:25:04,410 --> 00:25:02,410
about Mars had water other places in the

634
00:25:07,050 --> 00:25:04,420
solar system had water we know what life

635
00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:07,060
in water looks like or is made off

636
00:25:13,980 --> 00:25:10,750
thanks to earth biology so why not go

637
00:25:16,020 --> 00:25:13,990
there it's a familiar place right if we

638
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:16,030
find it there one of the interesting

639
00:25:20,070 --> 00:25:17,290
reasons why we search for life is

640
00:25:21,510 --> 00:25:20,080
because once we find life 2.0 even if

641
00:25:23,460 --> 00:25:21,520
it's water-based and carbon-based but

642
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:23,470
very different from us then our ideas of

643
00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:25,930
life will change we'll expand and then

644
00:25:31,740 --> 00:25:29,010
maybe we can think more seriously about

645
00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:31,750
life that is completely different yeah

646
00:25:36,540 --> 00:25:33,970
but I think we need life 2.0 before we

647
00:25:38,820 --> 00:25:36,550
can make that yeah big step that's so

648
00:25:40,620 --> 00:25:38,830
exciting I remember maybe a year ago the

649
00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:40,630
three of us had a conversation and you

650
00:25:50,970 --> 00:25:42,250
were telling us that even if you found

651
00:25:52,860 --> 00:25:50,980
one dead microbe on Mars that microbes

652
00:25:58,050 --> 00:25:52,870
living microbes anybody if we find a

653
00:26:01,260 --> 00:25:58,060
living microbe we have to kill it but

654
00:26:03,660 --> 00:26:01,270
but but yeah we that even a dead microbe

655
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:03,670
even a fossilized dead micro yeah half

656
00:26:08,310 --> 00:26:06,010
decomposed would tell us but

657
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:08,320
revolutionize our idea of life biology

658
00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:12,450
and everything so all it takes is one

659
00:26:21,450 --> 00:26:18,370
yeah Zola Dare asks how do you program a

660
00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:21,460
robot to search for life what sort of

661
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:23,770
decisions do you have to make in order

662
00:26:28,260 --> 00:26:26,890
to search the most likely locations well

663
00:26:30,120 --> 00:26:28,270
the first thing is you have to identify

664
00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:30,130
what the most likely locations are and

665
00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:31,450
the way you do that is actually

666
00:26:35,510 --> 00:26:33,850
people like sponsor and Jose go here go

667
00:26:37,590 --> 00:26:35,520
here this is cool we should look at that

668
00:26:39,390 --> 00:26:37,600
then when it comes to programming the

669
00:26:41,490 --> 00:26:39,400
robot there's there's a lot involved

670
00:26:42,570 --> 00:26:41,500
from just basic things like getting the

671
00:26:44,550 --> 00:26:42,580
robot to physically move in the

672
00:26:45,990 --> 00:26:44,560
environment and then making smarter

673
00:26:48,510 --> 00:26:46,000
decisions and that's really again about

674
00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:48,520
taking sensor data and then trying to

675
00:26:52,470 --> 00:26:49,810
say you know yes this is something

676
00:26:54,150 --> 00:26:52,480
valuable and traditionally we've again

677
00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:54,160
consulted with scientists and try to say

678
00:26:58,470 --> 00:26:56,350
you know well things that look like this

679
00:27:02,030 --> 00:26:58,480
is good things like that look different

680
00:27:10,140 --> 00:27:02,040
we ignore it's a very involved process

681
00:27:11,820 --> 00:27:10,150
takes a village yeah see the scientists

682
00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:11,830
and engineers really working their magic

683
00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:16,690
together well here here's an easy one

684
00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:20,410
from JB dev how do you boil down is it

685
00:27:34,890 --> 00:27:32,250
right now we can't say you know if this

686
00:27:36,990 --> 00:27:34,900
been life and perhaps the best way to do

687
00:27:38,970 --> 00:27:37,000
it is to try and extract the judgment of

688
00:27:40,740 --> 00:27:38,980
the scientists by studying how they

689
00:27:42,720 --> 00:27:40,750
behave and so machine learning

690
00:27:44,730 --> 00:27:42,730
techniques are kind of a promising

691
00:27:46,860 --> 00:27:44,740
approach for that so eventually you know

692
00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:46,870
I'll just sit and watch all the phones

693
00:27:49,350 --> 00:27:48,250
are long enough and I'll write down

694
00:27:51,270 --> 00:27:49,360
everything he does and I'll run it

695
00:27:52,740 --> 00:27:51,280
through a small Python script and then

696
00:28:01,440 --> 00:27:52,750
great yeah I'll ship that out in the

697
00:28:03,570 --> 00:28:01,450
space that's right my job is done and

698
00:28:05,460 --> 00:28:03,580
and and and if you think of the of their

699
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:05,470
members are easy something waving you do

700
00:28:09,390 --> 00:28:07,690
is and something like a meteorite

701
00:28:10,740 --> 00:28:09,400
there's nothing in there easy the

702
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:10,750
problems are they all the gray

703
00:28:19,020 --> 00:28:13,290
in-betweens that's the difficult part

704
00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:19,030
that's yeah that's also what drives yep

705
00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:20,530
yeah and there's something else to say

706
00:28:23,690 --> 00:28:21,970
is that it's it's also it's not one

707
00:28:25,500 --> 00:28:23,700
thing it's an accumulation of evidence

708
00:28:27,420 --> 00:28:25,510
different observations that we

709
00:28:28,980 --> 00:28:27,430
eventually collect to build confidence

710
00:28:33,060 --> 00:28:28,990
that we've seen something that might be

711
00:28:35,610 --> 00:28:33,070
life just looking for one one silver

712
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:35,620
bullet that's gonna science rarely you

713
00:28:39,510 --> 00:28:37,570
get a silver bullet you get a lot of

714
00:28:41,250 --> 00:28:39,520
smoking guns a lot of smoke and no guns

715
00:28:46,010 --> 00:28:41,260
some guns without smoke but no

716
00:28:50,790 --> 00:28:48,060
yeah I think we have time for a couple

717
00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:50,800
more before we move on to everyone lined

718
00:28:56,070 --> 00:28:54,130
up we got one G Nintendo asks what amino

719
00:28:59,850 --> 00:28:56,080
acids if any have been detected on Mars

720
00:29:01,410 --> 00:28:59,860
not non so far and good isn't that good

721
00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:01,420
a good place to start we found amino

722
00:29:05,850 --> 00:29:04,090
acids in in other planetary bodies small

723
00:29:07,740 --> 00:29:05,860
bodies and asteroids and comets but

724
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:07,750
sorry those are interesting because they

725
00:29:10,710 --> 00:29:09,490
are building blocks for proteins they're

726
00:29:12,540 --> 00:29:10,720
interesting for two reasons why is

727
00:29:14,010 --> 00:29:12,550
because life on Earth universally uses

728
00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:14,020
them to build proteins which are very

729
00:29:18,810 --> 00:29:15,850
important molecules the other one is

730
00:29:21,330 --> 00:29:18,820
because they are nature provides them

731
00:29:23,010 --> 00:29:21,340
for free amino acids are in presently

732
00:29:25,620 --> 00:29:23,020
meteorites they can form a Berkeley

733
00:29:27,420 --> 00:29:25,630
without the presence of life and so you

734
00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:27,430
would expect them to be available for

735
00:29:30,420 --> 00:29:29,110
life to emerge pretty much in any

736
00:29:32,100 --> 00:29:30,430
environment as far as the environment

737
00:29:33,900 --> 00:29:32,110
they can survive that environment okay

738
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:33,910
and so they are what we call prebiotic

739
00:29:38,580 --> 00:29:37,450
ly before life available and so it's a

740
00:29:40,230 --> 00:29:38,590
good there's a good place to start

741
00:29:42,420 --> 00:29:40,240
searching for our forever there are

742
00:29:44,330 --> 00:29:42,430
common ingredients or everything else

743
00:29:46,950 --> 00:29:44,340
lines up for life to a marriage

744
00:29:50,820 --> 00:29:46,960
exactly okay all right we haven't found

745
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:50,830
any on Mars yet all right from MDM PhD

746
00:29:55,380 --> 00:29:53,050
doctor for long what excites you about

747
00:29:58,500 --> 00:29:55,390
the future of robotics and other worlds

748
00:30:00,420 --> 00:29:58,510
what robot would you send to space um

749
00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:00,430
I'm prepared to send any and all robots

750
00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:07,330
to space exactly and so one of the

751
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:08,770
things that humans like doing when

752
00:30:12,990 --> 00:30:10,210
they're exploring is breathing oxygen

753
00:30:14,790 --> 00:30:13,000
and eating and coming back

754
00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:14,800
whereas robots are less demanding on

755
00:30:18,060 --> 00:30:16,090
that front and so if we're going to

756
00:30:19,350 --> 00:30:18,070
really explore farther away things and

757
00:30:23,670 --> 00:30:19,360
things that are much environment that

758
00:30:27,270 --> 00:30:23,680
are much more hazardous robots are in my

759
00:30:30,060 --> 00:30:27,280
opinion the thing to do yeah yeah so I

760
00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:30,070
think planets the moon still miss

761
00:30:35,220 --> 00:30:33,610
Lafleur in there Mars is Grace Europa is

762
00:30:37,710 --> 00:30:35,230
another possibly exciting relationship

763
00:30:39,660 --> 00:30:37,720
there right yes yeah yeah and that

764
00:30:41,430 --> 00:30:39,670
actually has the potential to have it's

765
00:30:43,500 --> 00:30:41,440
an icy world and may have water on as

766
00:30:52,119 --> 00:30:43,510
well so grad students are authority to

767
00:30:56,529 --> 00:30:54,469
the grad students to make the robots

768
00:31:01,459 --> 00:30:56,539
work that's true that's true

769
00:31:05,419 --> 00:31:01,469
that's a call to these guys new grad

770
00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:05,429
students so there's a comment that will

771
00:31:09,499 --> 00:31:07,710
lead us on to the next topic I want to

772
00:31:11,299 --> 00:31:09,509
talk about I want to hear about some of

773
00:31:13,700 --> 00:31:11,309
the new tools that you guys are

774
00:31:15,049 --> 00:31:13,710
developing and kind of where you want to

775
00:31:16,489 --> 00:31:15,059
look and how that determines how you're

776
00:31:18,619 --> 00:31:16,499
gonna look so this comment was from

777
00:31:21,619 --> 00:31:18,629
holla'd spy five I guess if there is

778
00:31:26,839 --> 00:31:21,629
life on Mars it's deep underground is

779
00:31:28,639 --> 00:31:26,849
that how does that drive yep in

780
00:31:30,259 --> 00:31:28,649
Indonesia if anything we've learned

781
00:31:33,079 --> 00:31:30,269
about Mars is that the surface is

782
00:31:34,759 --> 00:31:33,089
extreme but maybe as you get deeper and

783
00:31:38,029 --> 00:31:34,769
deeper conditions become better and

784
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:38,039
better and so then there are good

785
00:31:41,089 --> 00:31:39,570
reasons for it as you get closer to the

786
00:31:43,519 --> 00:31:41,099
center of the planet temperatures go up

787
00:31:44,570 --> 00:31:43,529
and we know there's plenty of ice buried

788
00:31:47,239 --> 00:31:44,580
underground so at some point

789
00:31:50,029 --> 00:31:47,249
theoretically that I should melt yes

790
00:31:52,099 --> 00:31:50,039
yeah maybe a habitable environment as

791
00:31:53,119 --> 00:31:52,109
you go deeper also some of the nasty

792
00:31:56,810 --> 00:31:53,129
things you get on the surface you don't

793
00:31:58,159 --> 00:31:56,820
get that like radiation and so it's does

794
00:32:00,139 --> 00:31:58,169
you go deeper you're more protected from

795
00:32:03,459 --> 00:32:00,149
these things so yeah it's good bet if

796
00:32:05,629 --> 00:32:03,469
you go deeper okay also harder yes yes

797
00:32:11,749 --> 00:32:05,639
so is that something you're working on

798
00:32:14,389 --> 00:32:11,759
like how to go deeper we are on their

799
00:32:16,639 --> 00:32:14,399
core to come up with ways to do it you

800
00:32:26,919 --> 00:32:16,649
roll up at Michael's office yes I said

801
00:32:29,029 --> 00:32:26,929
ma Michael get me we're actually we're

802
00:32:32,869 --> 00:32:29,039
developing a smart drill right now a

803
00:32:34,789 --> 00:32:32,879
smart drill yes yeah and and so we want

804
00:32:37,039 --> 00:32:34,799
a smart drill because again what does

805
00:32:38,659 --> 00:32:37,049
that mean well if the drill that I had

806
00:32:40,849 --> 00:32:38,669
deals with the problems it encounters so

807
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:40,859
we don't have to and so all these robots

808
00:32:43,909 --> 00:32:42,570
they're far away it takes you know upon

809
00:32:46,639 --> 00:32:43,919
Mars it takes about 20 minutes to get

810
00:32:49,159 --> 00:32:46,649
signal back right so you can have

811
00:32:50,329 --> 00:32:49,169
encountered a problem before we even the

812
00:32:51,829 --> 00:32:50,339
drill can it have encountered a problem

813
00:32:53,869 --> 00:32:51,839
before we even know that it's going on

814
00:32:55,549 --> 00:32:53,879
and it could be too late at that

815
00:32:57,099 --> 00:32:55,559
juncture if it just keeps trying to just

816
00:32:59,060 --> 00:32:57,109
just drill as if everything was normal

817
00:33:01,790 --> 00:32:59,070
so the smart roll

818
00:33:05,270 --> 00:33:01,800
tries to recognize problems and then fix

819
00:33:07,370 --> 00:33:05,280
them by well basically by trying to feel

820
00:33:09,650 --> 00:33:07,380
how its how its it's behaving so if

821
00:33:12,020 --> 00:33:09,660
you're drilling at home you know you're

822
00:33:13,310 --> 00:33:12,030
putting a screw into a piece of wood if

823
00:33:15,410 --> 00:33:13,320
something goes wrong you can feel the

824
00:33:16,670 --> 00:33:15,420
drill shakes or it hits a knot and it

825
00:33:19,490 --> 00:33:16,680
just starts skipping or you thread the

826
00:33:21,470 --> 00:33:19,500
screw every sorry you strip the head of

827
00:33:22,730 --> 00:33:21,480
the screw you know you feel that it's

828
00:33:24,260 --> 00:33:22,740
not right

829
00:33:26,180 --> 00:33:24,270
similar we can do similar things with

830
00:33:27,620 --> 00:33:26,190
our drill we can look at vibrations we

831
00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:27,630
can look at how much power it's drawing

832
00:33:31,430 --> 00:33:29,490
to do the drilling we can look at the

833
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:31,440
temperature how hot it's getting and we

834
00:33:35,660 --> 00:33:33,450
can use that to then try and decide okay

835
00:33:37,610 --> 00:33:35,670
this is a particular kind of fault and

836
00:33:39,050 --> 00:33:37,620
there's several different kinds of

837
00:33:41,420 --> 00:33:39,060
things that can go wrong with drilling

838
00:33:43,370 --> 00:33:41,430
and then we take particular actions to

839
00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:43,380
fix those problems and so it can be

840
00:33:47,990 --> 00:33:45,930
things like there's a rock between the

841
00:33:49,970 --> 00:33:48,000
drill and the hole that it's drilling

842
00:33:52,100 --> 00:33:49,980
and it just sort of binds up or there

843
00:33:54,020 --> 00:33:52,110
can be soil falling in and it can't

844
00:33:57,080 --> 00:33:54,030
clear the hole fast enough so it's it's

845
00:33:59,210 --> 00:33:57,090
not making progress say yes we

846
00:34:01,700 --> 00:33:59,220
instrument the drill put lots of sensors

847
00:34:03,470 --> 00:34:01,710
on it look at what data is coming back

848
00:34:06,620 --> 00:34:03,480
and say okay this is a binding fault

849
00:34:10,040 --> 00:34:06,630
this this is you know this is we've hit

850
00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:10,050
our hard surface we can't penetrate here

851
00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:13,050
take the appropriate action the drill

852
00:34:16,669 --> 00:34:14,970
itself can actually figure that out on

853
00:34:18,740 --> 00:34:16,679
its own oh is that what you're that's

854
00:34:22,159 --> 00:34:18,750
that's the idea teaching it to be a

855
00:34:24,230 --> 00:34:22,169
smarter drill the problem is that Skype

856
00:34:27,830 --> 00:34:24,240
Skype calls between Mars and Earth are

857
00:34:30,620 --> 00:34:27,840
really really bad 20 minutes to get a

858
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:30,630
hello back and so we cannot rely on on

859
00:34:34,220 --> 00:34:32,490
instruments there exactly and especially

860
00:34:35,990 --> 00:34:34,230
if we're drilling into like icy surfaces

861
00:34:37,490 --> 00:34:36,000
right we could conceivably melt the

862
00:34:39,380 --> 00:34:37,500
walls and again creating water which is

863
00:34:41,930 --> 00:34:39,390
a planetary protection problem but if it

864
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:41,940
also possibly refreeze and the drill

865
00:34:49,430 --> 00:34:46,890
stuck in definitely a Joule cannot wait

866
00:34:50,030 --> 00:34:49,440
for us to learn about it decide what to

867
00:34:52,100 --> 00:34:50,040
do next

868
00:34:53,510 --> 00:34:52,110
send the information by Danny might be

869
00:34:55,850 --> 00:34:53,520
too late right I can imagine trying to

870
00:34:57,500 --> 00:34:55,860
have a conversation with you and 20

871
00:35:00,020 --> 00:34:57,510
minutes later I get a response back and

872
00:35:05,210 --> 00:35:00,030
I do that hello Abby and if you're

873
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:05,220
asking for instructions or you might

874
00:35:10,010 --> 00:35:06,690
only get two chances in the day

875
00:35:11,690 --> 00:35:10,020
I'll say something oh that really

876
00:35:17,420 --> 00:35:11,700
underscores the need for some kind of

877
00:35:19,190 --> 00:35:17,430
autonomy here diagnosis on symptoms

878
00:35:21,650 --> 00:35:19,200
right especially so you've said it can

879
00:35:23,420 --> 00:35:21,660
back it back itself out or it can hammer

880
00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:23,430
through a hard yes drill we're

881
00:35:27,290 --> 00:35:25,410
developing is rotary percussive drill

882
00:35:29,059 --> 00:35:27,300
and so that means it can drill in like a

883
00:35:31,099 --> 00:35:29,069
normal drill or it can start hammering

884
00:35:32,059 --> 00:35:31,109
to break up whatever it's drilling

885
00:35:35,650 --> 00:35:32,069
through and make it easier to make

886
00:35:40,430 --> 00:35:38,420
sounds good I'll take what you have sent

887
00:35:41,870 --> 00:35:40,440
drills tomorrow's before though right

888
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:41,880
can you tell us a little bit about yeah

889
00:35:45,740 --> 00:35:43,530
sir curiosity actually has it has a

890
00:35:49,030 --> 00:35:45,750
drill it's it's similar it's a rotary

891
00:35:52,609 --> 00:35:49,040
percussive mechanism I have here this

892
00:35:54,290 --> 00:35:52,619
this is just a drill that I took from my

893
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:54,300
machine shop so this is not to scale

894
00:35:58,880 --> 00:35:55,890
it's not an accurate representation of

895
00:36:01,220 --> 00:35:58,890
what MSL has curiosity yeah so

896
00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:01,230
curiosity's drill is a little bit fatter

897
00:36:06,620 --> 00:36:05,130
and it's about gets about a five

898
00:36:08,839 --> 00:36:06,630
centimeter depth so something about this

899
00:36:10,550 --> 00:36:08,849
this length we actually a video of it

900
00:36:13,609 --> 00:36:10,560
drilling yes that we could watch right

901
00:36:16,130 --> 00:36:13,619
now on Mars curiosity it's gonna put

902
00:36:17,569 --> 00:36:16,140
down its drill the arm with yeah and

903
00:36:20,359 --> 00:36:17,579
this whole drilling process takes about

904
00:36:22,819 --> 00:36:20,369
25 minutes okay and again it takes 20

905
00:36:25,730 --> 00:36:22,829
minutes for the start of the drilling to

906
00:36:27,170 --> 00:36:25,740
get back to earth okay it's almost done

907
00:36:29,630 --> 00:36:27,180
by the time we'd find out it's begun

908
00:36:33,559 --> 00:36:29,640
okay something goes wrong at the start

909
00:36:36,980 --> 00:36:33,569
you're way too late yeah so it's on sped

910
00:36:39,230 --> 00:36:36,990
up right now right yeah we're seeing

911
00:36:45,050 --> 00:36:39,240
yeah right that's a slow process that I

912
00:36:48,470 --> 00:36:45,060
see it's not like my meticulous okay so

913
00:36:50,420 --> 00:36:48,480
it's drilling into Martian rocks we have

914
00:36:52,819 --> 00:36:50,430
photos also of holes that it's drilled

915
00:36:54,470 --> 00:36:52,829
which is kind of fun because it's on

916
00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:54,480
another planet and it looks just like a

917
00:37:00,920 --> 00:36:57,450
drill hole at home can we see the image

918
00:37:03,020 --> 00:37:00,930
of a hole drilled by curiosity yeah so

919
00:37:05,630 --> 00:37:03,030
the big hole is is the drill hole and

920
00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:05,640
then that gray material is the stuff

921
00:37:08,660 --> 00:37:06,930
that was cleared out of the hole as was

922
00:37:10,700 --> 00:37:08,670
making progress and there's that row of

923
00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:10,710
little holes that's where the lasers

924
00:37:14,960 --> 00:37:13,050
acted to sort of vaporize once there and

925
00:37:16,609 --> 00:37:14,970
see what the rock is made of I have a

926
00:37:18,870 --> 00:37:16,619
question why is it gray why is that

927
00:37:22,140 --> 00:37:18,880
powder gray so I'm gonna paint

928
00:37:24,089 --> 00:37:22,150
yeah so summarizes known as the Red

929
00:37:26,999 --> 00:37:24,099
Planet but it's really it's covered in

930
00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:27,009
rust oxidized materials that's why it's

931
00:37:30,930 --> 00:37:29,170
red okay but it's not read all the way

932
00:37:33,299 --> 00:37:30,940
through and that gives you a good idea

933
00:37:35,730 --> 00:37:33,309
of why it's important to go deep is

934
00:37:38,519 --> 00:37:35,740
because it's it's the depth dimension is

935
00:37:41,190 --> 00:37:38,529
another world we would have never

936
00:37:43,019 --> 00:37:41,200
learned that if imagine what we can do

937
00:37:44,849 --> 00:37:43,029
if we go even deeper right we might

938
00:37:46,589 --> 00:37:44,859
learn things well completely unexpected

939
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:46,599
that wasn't expected so curiosity taught

940
00:37:58,920 --> 00:37:48,250
us that it's it's not really a red

941
00:38:01,109 --> 00:37:58,930
planet and Andy might be ready in other

942
00:38:02,579 --> 00:38:01,119
places yes if anything with learning

943
00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:02,589
about Mars is that it's it's very

944
00:38:06,690 --> 00:38:04,690
different it's not the uniform planet

945
00:38:09,089 --> 00:38:06,700
once we thought it was which is why the

946
00:38:14,099 --> 00:38:09,099
Rover robots are so important we can't

947
00:38:20,519 --> 00:38:14,109
just characterize maybe you land in the

948
00:38:24,990 --> 00:38:20,529
one spot that is great you know 10 feet

949
00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:25,000
over from where life was yes so we've

950
00:38:29,640 --> 00:38:26,890
we've looked at the curiosity drill

951
00:38:34,079 --> 00:38:29,650
you've shown us how big that is what are

952
00:38:39,329 --> 00:38:34,089
you working on now yes this is the drill

953
00:38:42,150 --> 00:38:39,339
that we're working on so what you see

954
00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:42,160
here is these ridges here it's that are

955
00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:43,450
the flutes and this is what lifts the

956
00:38:48,029 --> 00:38:45,970
material out of the hole okay and so we

957
00:38:49,470 --> 00:38:48,039
drill this it's about about three feet

958
00:38:52,499 --> 00:38:49,480
long and then what we really care about

959
00:38:53,609 --> 00:38:52,509
is this last ten centimeter bite here at

960
00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:53,619
them at the bottom and that's you'll

961
00:38:57,569 --> 00:38:54,910
notice that the flutes are much more

962
00:38:59,490 --> 00:38:57,579
tightly spaced yes yes yeah the ridges

963
00:39:01,650 --> 00:38:59,500
the the ramp right because this is young

964
00:39:05,759 --> 00:39:01,660
it's a ramp it pushes things up and goes

965
00:39:07,470 --> 00:39:05,769
out though the top of the hole so again

966
00:39:09,059 --> 00:39:07,480
they're denser here because we don't

967
00:39:10,920 --> 00:39:09,069
want the material to move by too quickly

968
00:39:13,769 --> 00:39:10,930
once we've hit the depth we care about

969
00:39:17,130 --> 00:39:13,779
and then we pull this out of the hole up

970
00:39:23,370 --> 00:39:17,140
to a sample collection device which then

971
00:39:25,170 --> 00:39:23,380
takes the soil to the instruments and

972
00:39:27,569 --> 00:39:25,180
then we look for things like microbes or

973
00:39:28,890 --> 00:39:27,579
yeah compound or any compounds and

974
00:39:30,500 --> 00:39:28,900
things like these so what is this hole

975
00:39:31,970 --> 00:39:30,510
here I'm looking down a

976
00:39:33,830 --> 00:39:31,980
right there yeah so there's a hole in

977
00:39:35,270 --> 00:39:33,840
the bottom and that's for cables to go

978
00:39:38,060 --> 00:39:35,280
down because again this is a smart drill

979
00:39:39,500 --> 00:39:38,070
and smart means sensors and so we have

980
00:39:41,030 --> 00:39:39,510
the in this drill will have a

981
00:39:42,410 --> 00:39:41,040
temperature sensor to see how hot it's

982
00:39:43,820 --> 00:39:42,420
getting because that tells you like how

983
00:39:45,260 --> 00:39:43,830
hard is it to drill into while you're

984
00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:45,270
drilling through and it also has a

985
00:39:52,670 --> 00:39:49,290
conductivity sensor and that'll help us

986
00:39:54,410 --> 00:39:52,680
detect if we hit water or we're making

987
00:39:57,380 --> 00:39:54,420
liquid water yeah there's liquid water

988
00:39:59,450 --> 00:39:57,390
it's gonna send a signal if it's dry no

989
00:40:02,330 --> 00:39:59,460
signal so why is that data useful what

990
00:40:04,700 --> 00:40:02,340
does that tell you well it tells dam or

991
00:40:06,530 --> 00:40:04,710
he tells the drill how to operate when

992
00:40:08,510 --> 00:40:06,540
to stop when to proceed if it gets very

993
00:40:10,550 --> 00:40:08,520
hard you might want to stop and let it

994
00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:10,560
cool down one reason might be planetary

995
00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:11,970
protection we don't want to create an

996
00:40:15,260 --> 00:40:13,770
environment if we're drilling in things

997
00:40:16,460 --> 00:40:15,270
like ice for example we don't want to

998
00:40:18,100 --> 00:40:16,470
create an environment where microbes

999
00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:18,110
especially microbes we bring with us

1000
00:40:23,690 --> 00:40:21,870
micro planetary protection but we also

1001
00:40:25,700 --> 00:40:23,700
can learn about what what's the

1002
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:25,710
consistency and this and the strength of

1003
00:40:29,810 --> 00:40:27,930
the materials were drilling into so it's

1004
00:40:31,010 --> 00:40:29,820
information that is good for science but

1005
00:40:35,150 --> 00:40:31,020
it's information is good for the health

1006
00:40:38,420 --> 00:40:35,160
of the drill alright so this you would

1007
00:40:40,580 --> 00:40:38,430
attach on to a rover or a lander yeah

1008
00:40:42,050 --> 00:40:40,590
right okay whatever vehicle is taking

1009
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:42,060
the drill to the places we want drilling

1010
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:52,610
and that's something you test right now

1011
00:40:56,420 --> 00:40:54,930
yeah we've got a team of scientists down

1012
00:41:00,710 --> 00:40:56,430
in the Atacama Desert in Chile and

1013
00:41:13,070 --> 00:41:00,720
they're testing a visceral with in an

1014
00:41:15,470 --> 00:41:13,080
actual simulated environment sent back

1015
00:41:18,620 --> 00:41:15,480
to us here yeah names from the atacama

1016
00:41:20,690 --> 00:41:18,630
yes yeah so this is the drill site and

1017
00:41:23,270 --> 00:41:20,700
so a few days ago yeah yeah and that's

1018
00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:23,280
where the scientists are set up in the

1019
00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:25,650
and that's our workhorse robot care x2

1020
00:41:32,870 --> 00:41:30,090
mounted with the tracks for exchange and

1021
00:41:34,550 --> 00:41:32,880
there you can see the drill and the blue

1022
00:41:35,780 --> 00:41:34,560
structure is the arm that we use to

1023
00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:35,790
collect sample on delivery of the

1024
00:41:41,850 --> 00:41:39,690
instruments and it's digging yeah I see

1025
00:41:43,410 --> 00:41:41,860
the drill turning yeah

1026
00:41:46,140 --> 00:41:43,420
that gear right there is where the

1027
00:41:48,570 --> 00:41:46,150
sample comes out of the drill has a when

1028
00:41:49,980 --> 00:41:48,580
it pulls back up and the bucket is the

1029
00:41:51,930 --> 00:41:49,990
copper and here is one of our

1030
00:41:53,610 --> 00:41:51,940
researchers just observing and taking

1031
00:41:57,090 --> 00:41:53,620
notes on the experiment as it trying

1032
00:41:59,430 --> 00:41:57,100
look at that landscape looks a lot like

1033
00:42:01,290 --> 00:41:59,440
the Viking picture we saw a little while

1034
00:42:04,020 --> 00:42:01,300
ago from the surface of Mars this truly

1035
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:04,030
is Martian Mars on earth yeah yeah so

1036
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:05,770
cool what is it yeah tell us a little

1037
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:07,330
bit more was like to be there because

1038
00:42:10,860 --> 00:42:08,650
hey you guys have been there yourselves

1039
00:42:12,300 --> 00:42:10,870
yeah yeah so that's the reason the drill

1040
00:42:13,890 --> 00:42:12,310
is there and the rover and the

1041
00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:13,900
scientists this is part of a project

1042
00:42:21,450 --> 00:42:16,690
called Eretz it's the atacama rover

1043
00:42:24,210 --> 00:42:21,460
astrobiology drilling studies yes and

1044
00:42:28,800 --> 00:42:24,220
and the goal of the rover of the project

1045
00:42:31,290 --> 00:42:28,810
is to to precisely learn Mars science on

1046
00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:31,300
earth so go to the driest place on the

1047
00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:32,890
planet that's the Atacama Desert in

1048
00:42:37,380 --> 00:42:34,330
northern Chile it's the driest place on

1049
00:42:39,270 --> 00:42:37,390
earth it's what we call in in

1050
00:42:42,420 --> 00:42:39,280
astrobiology in planetary sciences and

1051
00:42:44,340 --> 00:42:42,430
an analog environment analog analog this

1052
00:42:46,290 --> 00:42:44,350
is similar not exactly the same but very

1053
00:42:49,740 --> 00:42:46,300
similar two places out there and other

1054
00:42:52,170 --> 00:42:49,750
planets and so it allows us to do

1055
00:42:53,790 --> 00:42:52,180
science and test engineering without

1056
00:42:55,350 --> 00:42:53,800
going to those places before we go to

1057
00:42:57,330 --> 00:42:55,360
those places right getting ready to go

1058
00:42:58,950 --> 00:42:57,340
when it comes to engineering

1059
00:43:00,240 --> 00:42:58,960
make sure that things work properly in

1060
00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:00,250
environments that are similar to the

1061
00:43:03,930 --> 00:43:02,050
places we want to go when it comes to

1062
00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:03,940
science it allows us to understand

1063
00:43:07,410 --> 00:43:05,650
things like what happens if you have

1064
00:43:09,690 --> 00:43:07,420
chicken soup to soil that is very dry

1065
00:43:12,570 --> 00:43:09,700
then when we go to Mars and do the

1066
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:12,580
experiment we can kind of predict what

1067
00:43:16,470 --> 00:43:14,890
might happen and so that's what iris is

1068
00:43:17,880 --> 00:43:16,480
doing its preparing NASA to search for

1069
00:43:19,050 --> 00:43:17,890
life on other planets by going to the

1070
00:43:20,760 --> 00:43:19,060
Atacama Desert and testing this

1071
00:43:23,610 --> 00:43:20,770
instrumentation that's so cool I love

1072
00:43:25,530 --> 00:43:23,620
these projects as drying as the other

1073
00:43:27,720 --> 00:43:25,540
comic is we still find life there we

1074
00:43:30,720 --> 00:43:27,730
don't you know this is the earth it's

1075
00:43:33,900 --> 00:43:30,730
hard not to find life and so it's a

1076
00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:33,910
place where we can test how good or bad

1077
00:43:39,570 --> 00:43:37,290
our instruments are it's definitely a

1078
00:43:41,580 --> 00:43:39,580
place where if you don't find anything

1079
00:43:43,410 --> 00:43:41,590
maybe you don't bright you don't have

1080
00:43:45,090 --> 00:43:43,420
the right instrument okay because we

1081
00:43:46,830 --> 00:43:45,100
expect we would expect live on Mars if

1082
00:43:48,660 --> 00:43:46,840
it was present or fossilized life on

1083
00:43:51,060 --> 00:43:48,670
Mars to be a lot less abundant than even

1084
00:43:54,740 --> 00:43:51,070
the Atacama Desert yeah it's a lot a lot

1085
00:44:00,040 --> 00:43:54,750
worse than something of an environment

1086
00:44:10,970 --> 00:44:02,620
you gotta copy the driest place on earth

1087
00:44:12,710 --> 00:44:10,980
where you've been there I haven't it's

1088
00:44:14,599 --> 00:44:12,720
so dry that no plants or animals

1089
00:44:16,220 --> 00:44:14,609
survived the only forms of life that

1090
00:44:17,930 --> 00:44:16,230
survive in the driest parts of their

1091
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:17,940
camera are microorganisms and they're

1092
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:19,170
not doing very well for that matter

1093
00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:22,770
mm-hmm and so authentic Mars and

1094
00:44:26,030 --> 00:44:24,450
everything we know about it it tells us

1095
00:44:28,099 --> 00:44:26,040
it's a hundred to a thousand times drier

1096
00:44:30,140 --> 00:44:28,109
than the Atacama so the idea is if you

1097
00:44:32,540 --> 00:44:30,150
can't find it in the Atacama understand

1098
00:44:33,920 --> 00:44:32,550
a chance on Mars yeah you finally got a

1099
00:44:35,839 --> 00:44:33,930
comet you might still not be able to

1100
00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:35,849
find it on Mars because it's so much

1101
00:44:38,510 --> 00:44:37,170
more extreme but the Atacama gives you

1102
00:44:40,130 --> 00:44:38,520
that confidence that if you find it

1103
00:44:41,630 --> 00:44:40,140
there maybe you're in the good truck and

1104
00:44:43,370 --> 00:44:41,640
the right track to find it on Mars

1105
00:44:46,220 --> 00:44:43,380
this is kind of like a test test case

1106
00:44:55,730 --> 00:44:46,230
for Mars yeah yeah I like to call it a

1107
00:44:58,160 --> 00:44:55,740
dry run in the driest desert fascinating

1108
00:45:00,800 --> 00:44:58,170
so yes I did get to go last year to

1109
00:45:03,109 --> 00:45:00,810
cover the story yep and there were lots

1110
00:45:04,790 --> 00:45:03,119
of scientists there last year working in

1111
00:45:06,770 --> 00:45:04,800
the field but this year what's different

1112
00:45:08,599 --> 00:45:06,780
is a whole bunch of you are here yes

1113
00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:08,609
that's right so this is the fourth year

1114
00:45:13,099 --> 00:45:10,890
of the project is the fourth time I

1115
00:45:15,440 --> 00:45:13,109
think that big thing goes to the

1116
00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:15,450
Araucana in the previous years it's been

1117
00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:17,810
a lot of Science in on the ground and

1118
00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:20,490
testing different pieces by themselves

1119
00:45:24,620 --> 00:45:22,290
or integrated into the rover you're

1120
00:45:25,970 --> 00:45:24,630
taking soil samples analyzing it so we

1121
00:45:27,410 --> 00:45:25,980
did a lot of things but this year is

1122
00:45:29,300 --> 00:45:27,420
special because what we're doing this

1123
00:45:32,300 --> 00:45:29,310
year is simulate a Mars mission hmm and

1124
00:45:33,800 --> 00:45:32,310
so we have boots on the ground with the

1125
00:45:35,630 --> 00:45:33,810
rover and the drill and the instruments

1126
00:45:38,150 --> 00:45:35,640
and then we have a backroom science team

1127
00:45:40,430 --> 00:45:38,160
here at Ames directing the rover what to

1128
00:45:42,650 --> 00:45:40,440
do receiving data from the rover and

1129
00:45:44,510 --> 00:45:42,660
based on that data giving the next steps

1130
00:45:46,069 --> 00:45:44,520
in instructions on what to do next just

1131
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:46,079
the way you would do it on a Mars

1132
00:45:52,940 --> 00:45:48,810
mission you would have a team of

1133
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:52,950
scientists back on earth every week we

1134
00:45:56,420 --> 00:45:55,050
meet we collected we get the data that

1135
00:45:58,069 --> 00:45:56,430
the rover collected the previous day and

1136
00:46:00,770 --> 00:45:58,079
the instruments we analyze that data

1137
00:46:03,140 --> 00:46:00,780
it's not processed data it's quick looks

1138
00:46:04,910 --> 00:46:03,150
did we call which tell us yeah you've

1139
00:46:07,650 --> 00:46:04,920
got the sample you got the data it looks

1140
00:46:09,450 --> 00:46:07,660
good move on and based on

1141
00:46:11,130 --> 00:46:09,460
we learned a few snippets we get from

1142
00:46:13,410 --> 00:46:11,140
that from those datasets we decided well

1143
00:46:15,630 --> 00:46:13,420
go there and get that sample or go

1144
00:46:16,980 --> 00:46:15,640
deeper and get another sample hmm it's a

1145
00:46:19,980 --> 00:46:16,990
tactical decision that we need to make

1146
00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:19,990
on the fly you guys you call it dirt to

1147
00:46:23,340 --> 00:46:21,730
data right there's the data that's

1148
00:46:25,620 --> 00:46:23,350
happening on the rover thanks to

1149
00:46:27,810 --> 00:46:25,630
intelligent Rovers that we can tell them

1150
00:46:33,390 --> 00:46:27,820
pick that up and the next thing we know

1151
00:46:34,620 --> 00:46:33,400
is the composition thanks Michael I love

1152
00:46:36,840 --> 00:46:34,630
that term because it makes it really

1153
00:46:38,940 --> 00:46:36,850
clear that the rover is drilling it's

1154
00:46:40,770 --> 00:46:38,950
pulling up dirt it's taking the sample

1155
00:46:42,780 --> 00:46:40,780
throwing it into the instruments that

1156
00:46:44,070 --> 00:46:42,790
carry it with us and then the

1157
00:46:46,020 --> 00:46:44,080
instruments are processing the sample

1158
00:46:49,610 --> 00:46:46,030
analyzing the sample and sending the

1159
00:46:57,690 --> 00:46:49,620
data and humans are not in the loop

1160
00:46:59,520 --> 00:46:57,700
airplane man 1997 says that's cool yeah

1161
00:47:01,980 --> 00:46:59,530
here's a question also about the drill

1162
00:47:05,100 --> 00:47:01,990
MGM PhD asks what material is it made of

1163
00:47:07,050 --> 00:47:05,110
this is Steve yep

1164
00:47:14,610 --> 00:47:07,060
and it's probably something ideas that

1165
00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:14,620
we would send trap-trap ping VIN asked

1166
00:47:19,620 --> 00:47:17,170
how much analysis can be done directly

1167
00:47:22,410 --> 00:47:19,630
on Mars compared to how much can be done

1168
00:47:23,610 --> 00:47:22,420
by bringing samples back to earth so

1169
00:47:25,020 --> 00:47:23,620
that's a good question there there are

1170
00:47:27,150 --> 00:47:25,030
two different levels of analysis you

1171
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:27,160
might want to do a preliminary very

1172
00:47:33,450 --> 00:47:30,010
quick analysis to check the health of

1173
00:47:36,540 --> 00:47:33,460
the instruments or two to make sure that

1174
00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:36,550
you got data yes no and that has very

1175
00:47:41,490 --> 00:47:38,530
little science involved but then that

1176
00:47:43,170 --> 00:47:41,500
data gets transferred sent to us and

1177
00:47:46,170 --> 00:47:43,180
then we have all the time in the world

1178
00:47:48,750 --> 00:47:46,180
to look at it carefully and analyze the

1179
00:47:50,760 --> 00:47:48,760
details obviously we might want to make

1180
00:47:54,840 --> 00:47:50,770
decisions quickly for the next steps for

1181
00:47:56,940 --> 00:47:54,850
the mission but all the data gets saved

1182
00:47:58,920 --> 00:47:56,950
in the repository that scientists pretty

1183
00:48:02,550 --> 00:47:58,930
much around the world can access and

1184
00:48:05,250 --> 00:48:02,560
analyze and look and tease out over many

1185
00:48:08,880 --> 00:48:05,260
years so we're still looking at Viking

1186
00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:08,890
data and so you know that's it's that

1187
00:48:13,830 --> 00:48:11,370
science can move it moves a very hectic

1188
00:48:15,600 --> 00:48:13,840
pace at the beginning in the mission but

1189
00:48:17,100 --> 00:48:15,610
then we have all the time in the world

1190
00:48:18,270 --> 00:48:17,110
to actually dig through the data and

1191
00:48:20,010 --> 00:48:18,280
understand what's going on we do have a

1192
00:48:20,610 --> 00:48:20,020
mission where the looking at caching

1193
00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:20,620
samples

1194
00:48:28,350 --> 00:48:25,930
right for ya the next one Mars 2020 that

1195
00:48:30,270 --> 00:48:28,360
sort of follow-on from curiosity and

1196
00:48:32,010 --> 00:48:30,280
it's going to it's going to a lake bed

1197
00:48:33,540 --> 00:48:32,020
it's the venting of the lake yeah all

1198
00:48:35,160 --> 00:48:33,550
work we think was a lake based on what

1199
00:48:37,710 --> 00:48:35,170
we know from orbit yeah and it's going

1200
00:48:39,330 --> 00:48:37,720
to be the first step in campaign for

1201
00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:39,340
sample return to bring samples actually

1202
00:48:44,430 --> 00:48:40,330
back to earth

1203
00:48:45,750 --> 00:48:44,440
very exciting dr. Ryan asks any plans in

1204
00:48:47,970 --> 00:48:45,760
the future to take samples from the

1205
00:48:49,950 --> 00:48:47,980
areas where we see seasonal brine flow

1206
00:48:53,220 --> 00:48:49,960
on cliff faces so that's someone who's

1207
00:48:56,310 --> 00:48:53,230
been following the Mars news that's that

1208
00:48:58,710 --> 00:48:56,320
salty water was found flowing there are

1209
00:49:00,540 --> 00:48:58,720
there are intriguing observations on the

1210
00:49:02,490 --> 00:49:00,550
surface of Mars we're not still we're

1211
00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:02,500
still trying to figure out what the

1212
00:49:07,650 --> 00:49:05,770
cause for these patterns is but there is

1213
00:49:10,140 --> 00:49:07,660
one possibility there is liquid water or

1214
00:49:12,030 --> 00:49:10,150
salty water and so that that would be

1215
00:49:15,870 --> 00:49:12,040
like it you know for astrobiology that

1216
00:49:20,460 --> 00:49:15,880
would be a beacon go come here and take

1217
00:49:22,800 --> 00:49:20,470
me sample me but the but but it's not

1218
00:49:24,870 --> 00:49:22,810
easy there are many places we would like

1219
00:49:26,310 --> 00:49:24,880
to go and and normally the places we'll

1220
00:49:28,500 --> 00:49:26,320
want to go are the most challenging ones

1221
00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:28,510
they're always on the slope they're

1222
00:49:34,050 --> 00:49:30,850
always a difficult environment so for

1223
00:49:36,540 --> 00:49:34,060
whatever reason it's it's never easy but

1224
00:49:38,040 --> 00:49:36,550
this is definitely one of many places we

1225
00:49:41,040 --> 00:49:38,050
would like to go and collect samples

1226
00:49:44,430 --> 00:49:41,050
mm-hmm okay the challenges of drilling

1227
00:49:48,090 --> 00:49:44,440
offworld makes me think of plans for the

1228
00:49:51,300 --> 00:49:48,100
Artemis program NASA is heading to the

1229
00:49:53,940 --> 00:49:51,310
moon we're 2024 and I think that's gonna

1230
00:49:56,610 --> 00:49:53,950
be part of it isn't it it is yeah and so

1231
00:49:59,070 --> 00:49:56,620
I mean Artemis is the trip back to the

1232
00:50:04,980 --> 00:49:59,080
moon we're sending the first woman and

1233
00:50:06,690 --> 00:50:04,990
then more men to the yeah and so if

1234
00:50:09,180 --> 00:50:06,700
that's setting up to be long-term

1235
00:50:10,740 --> 00:50:09,190
habitation on the on the on the moon and

1236
00:50:14,100 --> 00:50:10,750
one of the things we need to do is try

1237
00:50:16,110 --> 00:50:14,110
and get resources there right so we've

1238
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:16,120
recently found out that there is water

1239
00:50:21,690 --> 00:50:18,090
on the moon which is kind of surprising

1240
00:50:23,970 --> 00:50:21,700
ice crystals right yeah yeah that's hard

1241
00:50:26,190 --> 00:50:23,980
to extract it's an icy material right

1242
00:50:28,110 --> 00:50:26,200
and again you will want a smart drill to

1243
00:50:29,700 --> 00:50:28,120
try and be mitigating the risks of

1244
00:50:30,720 --> 00:50:29,710
drilling into these icy surfaces so

1245
00:50:33,620 --> 00:50:30,730
stuff like we're doing on air it's

1246
00:50:35,970 --> 00:50:33,630
actually feeds into the to the Artem

1247
00:50:37,710 --> 00:50:35,980
kind of cool that is exciting right

1248
00:50:42,150 --> 00:50:37,720
so it's a multi-purpose drill

1249
00:50:44,490 --> 00:50:42,160
potentially for many locations off world

1250
00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:44,500
yes yeah yes I like that you've got you

1251
00:50:47,670 --> 00:50:45,490
know the scientists working with the

1252
00:50:50,130 --> 00:50:47,680
engineers for them Mars search for life

1253
00:50:51,660 --> 00:50:50,140
and oh it's also gonna be really helpful

1254
00:50:52,860 --> 00:50:51,670
when we get to the moon yeah it's an

1255
00:50:56,070 --> 00:50:52,870
example of how exploration drives

1256
00:50:57,690 --> 00:50:56,080
exploration yeah yeah yeah and we'll

1257
00:51:00,210 --> 00:50:57,700
that doesn't stop turning yeah that's

1258
00:51:03,120 --> 00:51:00,220
pretty cool so cool these things here's

1259
00:51:06,020 --> 00:51:03,130
a question I like from airplane man 1997

1260
00:51:08,790 --> 00:51:06,030
what would the drill sound like oh

1261
00:51:14,270 --> 00:51:08,800
that's a great question that mr. is a

1262
00:51:31,740 --> 00:51:29,570
yeah yeah the drill that's what you've

1263
00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:31,750
heard there's a high-pitched squeak

1264
00:52:02,180 --> 00:51:57,370
noise but it would listen to it we

1265
00:52:09,330 --> 00:52:05,780
also about the Martian environment

1266
00:52:11,400 --> 00:52:09,340
Lazzaro Martian gravity similar to what

1267
00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:11,410
we have on our planet no no no it's

1268
00:52:16,340 --> 00:52:14,770
about a third yeah does that affect the

1269
00:52:18,540 --> 00:52:16,350
drill and how you have to design it

1270
00:52:21,750 --> 00:52:18,550
that's a good question so when we're

1271
00:52:22,530 --> 00:52:21,760
drilling we apply force yeah and gravity

1272
00:52:24,210 --> 00:52:22,540
helps yeah

1273
00:52:25,440 --> 00:52:24,220
it doesn't actually I would guess effect

1274
00:52:26,820 --> 00:52:25,450
the rate that we could extract material

1275
00:52:28,470 --> 00:52:26,830
from the hole yeah

1276
00:52:30,810 --> 00:52:28,480
to compensate for some of the weight

1277
00:52:34,110 --> 00:52:30,820
loss yeah that you get on Mars yeah yeah

1278
00:52:36,210 --> 00:52:34,120
if you wanna diei for some times we

1279
00:52:38,310 --> 00:52:36,220
actually have to add some weight on the

1280
00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:38,320
drill so that he can push okay well

1281
00:52:44,420 --> 00:52:41,290
downwards we're gonna force enough

1282
00:52:49,110 --> 00:52:44,430
doesn't affect yeah all right

1283
00:52:51,540 --> 00:52:49,120
more more regal 16 asks as the drill

1284
00:52:53,820 --> 00:52:51,550
goes straight down or doesn't have the

1285
00:52:56,190 --> 00:52:53,830
ability to change directions or even go

1286
00:52:58,830 --> 00:52:56,200
horizontally straight down it's a

1287
00:53:00,300 --> 00:52:58,840
straight one one way yes yeah at least

1288
00:53:02,580 --> 00:53:00,310
in the setup that we're doing in Harrods

1289
00:53:04,950 --> 00:53:02,590
you could conceivably try and do slant

1290
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:04,960
drilling but that would be a more

1291
00:53:08,610 --> 00:53:07,090
complicated problem again and risky yeah

1292
00:53:10,920 --> 00:53:08,620
because it could like gonna go off to

1293
00:53:12,900 --> 00:53:10,930
one side or something if it you know or

1294
00:53:15,720 --> 00:53:12,910
even Snapp if you force it too much yeah

1295
00:53:16,350 --> 00:53:15,730
yeah it's made to go straight down sorry

1296
00:53:18,810 --> 00:53:16,360
Jen okay

1297
00:53:21,600 --> 00:53:18,820
space TV Internet wants to know if both

1298
00:53:23,160 --> 00:53:21,610
of our guests you guys could be this on

1299
00:53:24,840 --> 00:53:23,170
the surface of Mars tomorrow what would

1300
00:53:28,950 --> 00:53:24,850
be the first thing you would do to

1301
00:53:32,730 --> 00:53:28,960
search for life start digging

1302
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:32,740
bring some chicken soothe that's a good

1303
00:53:38,550 --> 00:53:36,970
question well I I have the as we

1304
00:53:43,740 --> 00:53:38,560
mentioned earlier the surface of Mars is

1305
00:53:47,310 --> 00:53:43,750
very different whatever you did so if I

1306
00:53:48,600 --> 00:53:47,320
was a bit at some places like near the

1307
00:53:53,580 --> 00:53:48,610
polar caps I would get some of that

1308
00:53:55,530 --> 00:53:53,590
water ice melted cup of tea maybe the

1309
00:53:58,110 --> 00:53:55,540
microscope and see if something swims

1310
00:54:01,590 --> 00:53:58,120
around if I was in the place layer like

1311
00:54:03,480 --> 00:54:01,600
were curiosities ancient rocks that

1312
00:54:03,780 --> 00:54:03,490
formed in the lake bed three billion

1313
00:54:06,120 --> 00:54:03,790
years ago

1314
00:54:08,160 --> 00:54:06,130
I might get some samples and run them

1315
00:54:09,840 --> 00:54:08,170
through very sensitive instruments that

1316
00:54:12,990 --> 00:54:09,850
can analyze the chemistry and search for

1317
00:54:14,820 --> 00:54:13,000
those traces of dead microbes maybe if I

1318
00:54:16,890 --> 00:54:14,830
could bring Michael with me and he could

1319
00:54:18,780 --> 00:54:16,900
drill 2 kilometers I would just wait in

1320
00:54:20,490 --> 00:54:18,790
the surface until we get the sample and

1321
00:54:22,380 --> 00:54:20,500
then and then see what's there if

1322
00:54:24,900 --> 00:54:22,390
something is actually lurking down there

1323
00:54:27,720 --> 00:54:24,910
so depends on where you are yeah yeah

1324
00:54:28,710 --> 00:54:27,730
it's it's a post everything was a very

1325
00:54:30,120 --> 00:54:28,720
environment it still is a very

1326
00:54:32,310 --> 00:54:30,130
environment from a geological

1327
00:54:34,110 --> 00:54:32,320
perspective yeah so it's it's just like

1328
00:54:36,410 --> 00:54:34,120
one place isn't enough if we want to

1329
00:54:42,150 --> 00:54:36,420
increase our odds of finding life yeah

1330
00:54:44,250 --> 00:54:42,160
over yeah but Meister zero-nine asks how

1331
00:54:47,130 --> 00:54:44,260
long would it take from discovering to

1332
00:54:49,860 --> 00:54:47,140
confirming to publishing that life has

1333
00:54:54,510 --> 00:54:49,870
been found scientific process

1334
00:54:58,529 --> 00:54:56,789
I guess it depends what you find please

1335
00:55:07,470 --> 00:54:58,539
find something waving back at you don't

1336
00:55:11,789 --> 00:55:07,480
even publish let everybody enjoy if we

1337
00:55:13,740 --> 00:55:11,799
if we find it's not gonna be probably

1338
00:55:14,579 --> 00:55:13,750
such clear-cut it's not gonna be a

1339
00:55:17,819 --> 00:55:14,589
straight path

1340
00:55:19,650 --> 00:55:17,829
it'd be surprising science how rarely

1341
00:55:22,049 --> 00:55:19,660
works that way that you have a clear

1342
00:55:24,329 --> 00:55:22,059
path from discovery to publication to

1343
00:55:26,549 --> 00:55:24,339
acceptance and especially with things so

1344
00:55:30,029 --> 00:55:26,559
important and and groundbreaking is

1345
00:55:32,750 --> 00:55:30,039
finding life on another planet so it's

1346
00:55:36,539 --> 00:55:32,760
gonna take a while to process the data I

1347
00:55:37,920 --> 00:55:36,549
I wish it was clear cut but if not and

1348
00:55:39,569 --> 00:55:37,930
there will be debates there will be

1349
00:55:41,940 --> 00:55:39,579
meetings and conferences where people

1350
00:55:44,250 --> 00:55:41,950
will go and have a back and forth

1351
00:55:46,589 --> 00:55:44,260
eventually papers will be published and

1352
00:55:48,900 --> 00:55:46,599
then the scientific method demands that

1353
00:55:50,779 --> 00:55:48,910
we don't stop there we try again we

1354
00:55:54,120 --> 00:55:50,789
continue and we confirm or disprove

1355
00:55:57,210 --> 00:55:54,130
those results and it's that process of

1356
00:55:59,250 --> 00:55:57,220
of building on results and testing and

1357
00:56:02,220 --> 00:55:59,260
new hypotheses and new experiments but

1358
00:56:06,029 --> 00:56:02,230
in the end that provides the evidence

1359
00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:06,039
that we need or or not so and so like

1360
00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:10,170
with Viking it took about 40 years so

1361
00:56:14,490 --> 00:56:12,010
there might be people out there that

1362
00:56:16,380 --> 00:56:14,500
were not convinced mm-hmm of the

1363
00:56:17,640 --> 00:56:16,390
perchlorate explanation okay and it's a

1364
00:56:18,930 --> 00:56:17,650
valid thing in science that you can

1365
00:56:21,690 --> 00:56:18,940
always doubt you should always doubt

1366
00:56:24,450 --> 00:56:21,700
yeah the standing explanation so and

1367
00:56:25,589 --> 00:56:24,460
keep testing and keep testing yeah you

1368
00:56:28,559 --> 00:56:25,599
can't prove things right you can only

1369
00:56:30,900 --> 00:56:28,569
prove them wrong right exactly all right

1370
00:56:33,539 --> 00:56:30,910
good one quick question from digital

1371
00:56:37,109 --> 00:56:33,549
donger will Mars 2020 Rover have any

1372
00:56:40,620 --> 00:56:37,119
instruments for life detection it does

1373
00:56:42,029 --> 00:56:40,630
in a sense because 2020 relies a lot on

1374
00:56:44,190 --> 00:56:42,039
the sound doing a lot of the science

1375
00:56:47,309 --> 00:56:44,200
when the samples come back to earth the

1376
00:56:49,319 --> 00:56:47,319
focus is on smart instruments that can

1377
00:56:52,370 --> 00:56:49,329
identify the right samples to bring back

1378
00:56:55,589 --> 00:56:52,380
ah and so that doesn't require really

1379
00:56:57,029 --> 00:56:55,599
analyzing every element in that walk to

1380
00:56:59,670 --> 00:56:57,039
know exactly where it came from we can

1381
00:57:01,589 --> 00:56:59,680
do that back on earth when the samples

1382
00:57:03,690 --> 00:57:01,599
come back but we do need instruments it

1383
00:57:05,549 --> 00:57:03,700
can tell well you know between those two

1384
00:57:06,970 --> 00:57:05,559
samples they looks this looks like a

1385
00:57:08,500 --> 00:57:06,980
better sample to cache

1386
00:57:10,810 --> 00:57:08,510
and preserve and bring back to earth

1387
00:57:12,040 --> 00:57:10,820
because of its composition it might be

1388
00:57:14,380 --> 00:57:12,050
different and things like this so those

1389
00:57:16,120 --> 00:57:14,390
instruments are selected precisely to do

1390
00:57:21,210 --> 00:57:16,130
that select the best possible samples

1391
00:57:25,420 --> 00:57:21,220
for return meet sleepy underscore Gary

1392
00:57:42,580 --> 00:57:25,430
asks were you inspired by any sci-fi to

1393
00:57:45,160 --> 00:57:42,590
pursue this field No start somewhere

1394
00:57:46,780 --> 00:57:45,170
right with the imagination yes yes but

1395
00:57:50,200 --> 00:57:46,790
endless debates about what's the best

1396
00:57:52,330 --> 00:57:50,210
science movie sci-fi movie md atacama

1397
00:58:08,230 --> 00:57:52,340
michael and i got a lot of time on your

1398
00:58:10,240 --> 00:58:08,240
hands there from mdhd what have we

1399
00:58:12,520 --> 00:58:10,250
learned about Martian dust or dirt that

1400
00:58:13,300 --> 00:58:12,530
would impact robotic tasks is that

1401
00:58:17,310 --> 00:58:13,310
something you're learning from the

1402
00:58:22,120 --> 00:58:19,120
we're actually having an interesting

1403
00:58:23,859 --> 00:58:22,130
problem in Aaron's right now in that

1404
00:58:25,390 --> 00:58:23,869
when we're drilling up dirt we have a

1405
00:58:26,680 --> 00:58:25,400
camera that's looking at where the dirt

1406
00:58:28,660 --> 00:58:26,690
comes out and goes into the scoop and

1407
00:58:30,970 --> 00:58:28,670
the dirt is all getting stuck to the

1408
00:58:33,460 --> 00:58:30,980
lens of the camera which is a problem

1409
00:58:36,990 --> 00:58:33,470
for cameras because they need to be able

1410
00:58:39,460 --> 00:58:37,000
see useful yeah so that's that kind of

1411
00:58:40,870 --> 00:58:39,470
that mitigation and dust mitigation is a

1412
00:58:42,340 --> 00:58:40,880
big thing that's a problem weight is a

1413
00:58:44,980 --> 00:58:42,350
problem do you remember we have these

1414
00:58:46,420 --> 00:58:44,990
scoop there is collecting cuttings from

1415
00:58:48,160 --> 00:58:46,430
the drill and then brings them to the

1416
00:58:49,690 --> 00:58:48,170
estimate if you have strong winds you're

1417
00:58:51,700 --> 00:58:49,700
canning smart blow out of the school so

1418
00:58:52,840 --> 00:58:51,710
we learned how to position the scoop and

1419
00:58:59,050 --> 00:58:52,850
the rover in a way that it blocks the

1420
00:59:02,320 --> 00:58:59,060
wind and prevent sample loss keep going

1421
00:59:05,140 --> 00:59:02,330
a Reds things before Rovers go to Mars

1422
00:59:06,979 --> 00:59:05,150
and start drilling but that is all the

1423
00:59:10,049 --> 00:59:06,989
time we have for today goes

1424
00:59:12,329 --> 00:59:10,059
but thank you so much to you guys for

1425
00:59:13,709 --> 00:59:12,339
joining us today fascinating and thank

1426
00:59:16,169 --> 00:59:13,719
you to everyone who joined us in the

1427
00:59:18,479 --> 00:59:16,179
chat on twitch join us next time that'll

1428
00:59:21,390 --> 00:59:18,489
be October 24th for our second annual

1429
00:59:23,640 --> 00:59:21,400
NASA themed Halloween costume and

1430
00:59:26,009 --> 00:59:23,650
cosplay contest so that was a lot of fun

1431
00:59:36,160 --> 00:59:26,019
last year join us for that thanks for