Becoming Martian - by Scott Solomon (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

How living in space will affect future generations--and what the potential unintended consequences of space settlements are.

We are on the cusp of a golden age of space travel in which for the first time it will be possible for large numbers of people to venture into space. Some intend to stay. But what happens--and will happen--to us in the extreme conditions of space? What should space tourists expect to happen to them during a journey to an orbiting space station, the Moon, or Mars? What would happen to children born on another planet? Would they evolve into a new species? In Becoming Martian, Scott Solomon explores the many ways in which humanity's migration into space will change our bodies and our minds.

This book focuses on the latest science, taking readers to the front lines of where research is happening. We hear from astronauts, including Scott Kelly who writes the foreword, and we join a team of scientists guiding a rover across the surface of Mars. We visit a high security lab where engineers are simulating space radiation to measure its effects on the body. We travel to isolated islands where field biologists are gleaning insights into evolutionary processes applicable to people isolated on faraway planets. We meet synthetic biologists developing gene editing tools to equip future humans to thrive in alien environments. We watch a rocket designed to carry humanity to Mars make its first successful launch. And then we ask, knowing what we know, should we go?

About the Author

Scott Solomon is Teaching Professor at Rice University in Houston. He is also a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History. He is the author of Future Humans, which was a 2017 Best Book by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He is also the host of the podcast Wild World with Scott Solomon and co-writer and co-producer of Becoming Martian.