What will we build cities on Mars from? From dust and potatoes ● Uracil, one of the compounds of RNA, was discovered on asteroid Ryuga ● Traces of extraterrestrial life could already be on Earth

What will we build cities on Mars from? From dust and potatoes

Almost everyone dreams of the time when we will build the first Martian settlements. Well, some say that we will finally come home because the seeds of life may have flown to Earth from Mars itself. However, few thought about how and from what we will build these cities.

What will we do? Are we going to keep sending thousands of space dump trucks there full of building materials that will cost more than they do with labor and shipping and everything else? Or will we produce materials locally that are cheap and efficient, even environmentally friendly?

To end the tension over this issue, a team of researchers from the University of Manchester claim in a study published in the journal Open Engineering that they have found the most convenient solution. In particular, potato starch, because it will still be the food of the future on Mars, and dust from the surface of the Red Planet, which is found in abundance, free and for free, absolutely everywhere.

By combining the two elements, British scientists discovered that they form a type of concrete that is much stronger than regular concrete. For example, the Martian concrete, named StarCrete, can withstand a pressure of 72 megapascals, twice that of Earth’s concrete. Interestingly, when a material simulating lunar dust was used, the strength of the concrete increased to 91 megapascals.

It is much better than you think, because at the initial stage, instead of starch, urine and blood of future astronauts were taken into account. Additionally, to increase the strength of the material, researchers have found that magnesium chloride, a salt found in tears, works great. So to speak, we would build these cities with the blood, sweat and tears of astronauts, which does not sound too optimistic for you to want to go there.

Fortunately, magnesium chloride is found on the surface of Mars, so we don’t have to make astronauts cry about how long a Martian day is. But coming back to starch, it works even better than the previously mentioned eco-materials. Only 25 kilograms are needed to make 213 bricks. For a small three-bedroom apartment, multiply the amount by 35 to allow room for movement.

I left the crème de la crème for last. Namely, that future Martian bricks can be made in a simple kitchen oven, even in a microwave. Considering that the production of conventional concrete is responsible for 8% of annual carbon emissions, the use of StarCrete concrete on Earth will make this amazing material very much in demand here, not just on Mars.

In the end, everything is fine. We have the materials, all that’s left to do is for the guys and girls at NASA to take care of all the permits, approvals, town planning, approvals and fees because, you know, red tape kills you in these cases.

Uracil, one of the compounds of RNA, was discovered on the Ryugu asteroid

Analysis of samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa-2 led to a surprising result. Namely, that it contained uracil, the main element in the composition of RNA. In short, one of the compounds without which life would not exist. At least not as we know.

In addition to uracil, researchers also discovered nicotinic acid, or niacin, or, if you prefer, vitamin B3, another important element in the metabolism of terrestrial organisms. The conclusions were made by scientists from Hokkaido University and published in the journal Nature Communications.

It is obvious that the find is epoch-making. No restrictions on big words. This is evidence that the elements that gave rise to life were formed elsewhere than on Earth, and that they arrived on our planet with the help of meteorites or other celestial bodies.

This is not a new theory, but now we have clear evidence. In addition, Japanese researchers managed to eliminate any doubts about the extraterrestrial origin of RNA compounds. They have been identified before, but each time in meteorites, that is, in stones that have already fallen to Earth. Thus, the contamination hypothesis should not be ruled out. This time the samples were taken from space.

Look, Carl Sagan was right. We really are all made of stardust.

Traces of extraterrestrial life may already be on Earth

If we talked about Martian dust and asteroids today, we will end on the same note by publishing a study by an astrophysicist from the University of Tokyo in the International Journal of Astrobiology. And, says this researcher, Tomonori Totani, in his name, that traces of extraterrestrial life could already be on Earth, but we did not know how to look for them.

All we would have to do is look for stardust that has already settled on Earth’s surface over billions of years. In order not to look for a needle in a haystack, it would be ideal to collect samples from Arctic ice or from sediments at the bottom of the oceans. Just like good morning.

The fact is, notes Totani, that the collision between various celestial bodies leads to the formation of cosmic dust. Space dust that may contain fossilized microorganisms. So that they do not infect us, do not worry! I pray if we are talking about the contamination of our planet by life forms from outer space, earth life may be the most obvious. But let’s not extrapolate.

According to the calculations of a Japanese professor, at least 100,000 cosmic dust particles fall to Earth every year. Some with a maximum size of one micrometer, but enough to be able to preserve the fossil forms of some microorganisms.

The problem would not be to get the cosmic dust, as he suggests. It can be done. Now we even have probes that collect space dust samples directly from space. The problem here is how to distinguish it from its native. It’s not impossible, but it’s a Sisyphean task.

In any case, the idea is not bad and will remain on the books for future researchers, maybe when we have better technology. Anyway, Tonani also presented it as an alternative to what is already being done.

Follow our Facebook page, HotNews Science, to be able to receive live information and curiosities from the world of science in real time!

Photo source: profimediaimages. EN