Sci Fi Science: Physics of the Impossible (2009–…): Season 2, Episode 1 - Earth 2.0 - full transcript

HUMANITY NEEDS A NEW HOME,

AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU
HOW TO BUILD A SECOND EARTH.

ON THIS MISSION, I INVESTIGATE

ONE OF THE WILDER IDEAS
FROM SCIENCE FICTION.

THIS IS INSANE!

I GET ADVICE FROM THE
SCI-FI-LOVING PUBLIC...

WE'RE GONNA GET SOME NEW
TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EMPIRE.

...AND TAKE ON AN ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.

I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.

I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST



AND A SCIENCE-FICTION [Echoing] FAN.

JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW
TO MAKE SCI-FI [Echoing] SCIENCE.

FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER,

I'VE BEEN FASCINATED BY THE IDEA

OF LIVING ON ANOTHER PLANET.

AS A KID, I LOVED THOSE SCI-FI
MOVIES WHERE ALMOST EVERY WEEK,

FEARLESS ASTRONAUTS VISITED OTHER WORLDS.

WE HAVE BEEN EXPECTING YOU.

YOU WILL COME WITH US NOW.

IT'S CERTAINLY A DREAM
SHARED BY ALL SCI-FI FANS.

MAYBE THEY'VE GOT SOME
IDEAS ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM.

WE WANT TO LIVE ON ANOTHER PLANET.

HOW ARE WE GONNA DO IT?



START BY CHANGING THE
ATMOSPHERE, WOULDN'T YOU?

BREATHING CAN BE AN ISSUE.

BREATHING CAN BE AN ISSUE, RIGHT.

Woman: AND WATER. WATER'S
GONNA BE A PROBLEM.

I DON'T WANT TO BRING MY OWN WATER.

WATER NEEDS TO BE PROVIDED.

LIGHTER GRAVITY WOULD MAKE
YOUR GOLF GAME AWESOME!

LIVING ORGANISMS, OBVIOUSLY MALE AND FEMALE

SO YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PROCREATE.

[ LAUGHS ]

WE HUMANS HAVE A LONG LIST OF REQUIREMENTS.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO BUILD
ALL OF THESE INTO MY DESIGN.

SO, LET'S SET OUT SOME OBJECTIVES.

MY MISSION IS TO CREATE
A NEW HOME FOR HUMANITY

IN OUTER SPACE, AND I HAVE
TO SATISFY THREE CRITERIA.

FIRST, I HAVE TO FIND A NEARBY
PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

BECAUSE I'LL BE TRANSPORTING
BILLIONS OF PEOPLE THERE.

SECOND, WE HAVE TO
CREATE EARTHLIKE CONDITIONS.

THAT MEANS A TEMPERATE CLIMATE
AND A BREATHABLE ATMOSPHERE

SO WE DON'T NEED SPACE SUITS.

AND THIRD, WE NEED A
PLANET TEEMING WITH LIFE,

WITH PLANTS AND ANIMALS
JUST LIKE ON THE PLANET EARTH.

Man: "FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS."

SO, WHY NOT START WITH
THE MOST OBVIOUS CANDIDATE?

OUR NEAREST NEIGHBOR...

Man: 36 MILLION MILES INTO OUTER SPACE.

...VENUS, THE SECOND-CLOSEST
PLANET TO THE SUN.

ITS SIZE, MASS, AND GRAVITY
ARE ALL CLOSE TO THE EARTH'S,

WHICH IS WHY IT'S BEEN
CALLED THE EARTH'S TWIN.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE.

THAT'S WHERE ALL SIMILARITIES END.

NOW, IF YOU DID MANAGE TO LAND ON VENUS,

YOU WOULDN'T LAST VERY LONG AT ALL.

FIRST, THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE

IS A BLISTERING 870 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

YOU'D BE BURNT TO A CRISP.

AND IF YOU TRIED TO BREATHE

THE CHOKING CARBON-DIOXIDE ATMOSPHERE,

YOU'D BE CRUSHED TO DEATH.

IT'S A HUNDRED TIMES DENSER
THAN THAT OF THE EARTH.

AND THEN WHEN IT RAINS,
IT RAINS SULFURIC ACID.

YOU'D BE EATEN UP ALIVE.

OF COURSE, THERE'S ONE
OUTLANDISH CONCEPT FROM SCI-FI

THAT MIGHT, JUST MIGHT
GET AROUND THESE PROBLEMS.

THE FLOATING CITY...

A FUTURISTIC METROPOLIS LIKE CLOUD CITY

IN "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK."

BUT FLOATING CITIES ON VENUS?

YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING, RIGHT?

WELL, THIS GUY'S NOT KIDDING.

SPACE SCIENTIST GEOFF LANDIS IS GONNA PROVE

THAT A FLOATING CITY IS MORE THAN FANTASY.

Landis: THIS IS FROZEN CARBON DIOXIDE.

[ BLOWS ]

THAT'S REALLY COLD, RIGHT?
IT'S REALLY COLD STUFF.

THAT'S WHY I'M WEARING THESE GLOVES...

DON'T WANT TO TOUCH IT.

SO, WHAT I'M DOING IS
I'M POURING WARM WATER

OVER THE FROZEN CARBON DIOXIDE. MM.

AND NOW IT'S TURNING INTO
GASEOUS CARBON DIOXIDE.

THIS IS JUST LIKE A MONSTER
MOVIE FROM HOLLYWOOD, RIGHT?

JUST LIKE THE SMOKE EFFECTS
FROM A MONSTER MOVIE.

AH.

THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS EVAPORATING.

SHOULD I PUT THE BALLOON ON TOP?

PUT THE BALLOON ON TOP. SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

OKAY.

IT'S FLOATING... IT'S FLOATING.

...RIGHT ON TOP OF THE
CARBON DIOXIDE, RIGHT?

IT'S FLOATING ON TOP.

YEAH, I GUESS CARBON DIOXIDE
IS MUCH DENSER AND HEAVIER

THAN THE DENSITY OF AIR INSIDE THE BALLOON.

YOU GOT IT.

IF YOU MADE IT BIG ENOUGH,
SAY, 2,000 FEET IN DIAMETER,

YOU COULD PUT THE EMPIRE
STATE BUILDING INSIDE THE BALLOON

AND EVERYBODY IN IT.

THIS IS INSANE!

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT YOU
COULD PUT MANHATTAN, MY HOME,

INSIDE ONE OF THESE BALLOONS
AND HAVE THEM FLOAT OVER VENUS?

EXACTLY. IT'S A CRAZY IDEA.

BUT IT WOULD WORK.

AND THE GREAT THING IS, NO
EXTRA ENERGY IS REQUIRED.

THEY SIMPLY FLOAT ALL
BY THEMSELVES. EXACTLY.

THE CARBON DIOXIDE IS FREE.

GREAT IDEA.

YOU KNOW, BEFORE MEETING GEOFF,

I NEVER DREAMT THAT FLOATING CITIES

MIGHT ACTUALLY BE POSSIBLE.

I'M NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK.

BUT EXPLOITING THE
DIFFERENT DENSITIES OF GASES

TO FLOAT ENTIRE CITIES?

IT BLOWS MY MIND.

THE SURFACE OF VENUS IS A LIVING HELL.

SO THE IDEA OF FLOATING ABOVE
THE CHAOS IS RATHER APPEALING.

IT'S VERY CLEVER.

IN FACT, IT'S SOMETHING I'VE SEEN

IN "STAR WARS" AND "FLASH GORDON."

SO, HOW WOULD I
INCORPORATE IT INTO MY PLAN?

FIRST, I CONSTRUCT AN ENTIRE CITY

AND PUT IT ON TOP OF A SOLID PLATFORM.

THE WHOLE THING WOULD BE ENVELOPED

BY A GIANT AIR-FILLED SPHERE.

THOUSANDS OF THEM COULD
FLOAT HIGH ABOVE VENUS

INSIDE THE PLANET'S DENSE ATMOSPHERE.

IT'S FABULOUS, BUT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

IS IT JUST A LITTLE TOO SCI-FI?

THE LOGISTICAL PROBLEMS

OF CREATING THOUSANDS
OF THESE FLOATING CITIES

TO HOUSE BILLIONS OF PEOPLE
OVER A PLANET WITH NO WATER,

OVER A SURFACE THAT
YOU COULD NEVER VISIT...

I MEAN, NO WAY.

BUT I HAVE ANOTHER IDEA.

SCIENCE FICTION IS FULL OF STORIES

IN WHICH HUMANS PHYSICALLY
TRANSFORM PLANETS

INTO HABITABLE WORLDS.

IT'S CALLED TERRAFORMING.

TO CREATE A SECOND HOME,

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE CAN
BE NO HALF MEASURES.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO RE-ENGINEER
THE DNA OF AN ENTIRE PLANET.

COMING UP, I MEET A SCIENTIST

WHO SAYS THE ANSWER
LIES IN BURRITO WRAPPERS...

JUST A PIECE OF FOIL WRINKLED LIKE THIS.

BUT WITHOUT THE EGG, OF COURSE,
RIGHT? YEAH, WITHOUT THE EGG.

...AND LOOK AT A SOLUTION SO VOLATILE,

IT COULD BLOW OUR NEW WORLD APART.

THE EARTH HAS BEEN OUR
HOME FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS,

BUT WE CAN'T STAY HERE FOREVER.

SOONER OR LATER, WE NEED A BACKUP PLAN.

WE NEED TO TRANSFORM ANOTHER
PLANET INTO A SECOND EARTH.

WE NEED TO BECOME A TWO-PLANET SPECIES.

ALL RIGHT, SO, LIVING
ON VENUS IS IMPOSSIBLE.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER OBVIOUS CANDIDATE?

MARS.

IT'S A DEAD PLANET.

BUT IT HAS ONE KEY REQUIREMENT FOR LIFE...

WATER TRAPPED BENEATH ITS POLAR ICE CAPS.

AND, LIKE EARTH,

IT ROTATES ONCE IN ABOUT
24 HOURS AND HAS SEASONS.

MAYBE MARS IS MY BEST OPTION.

Cascio: MARS IS A WORLD
THAT COULD BE ALIVE,

HAS ENOUGH MASS TO HOLD
A BIT OF AN ATMOSPHERE,

HAS WATER ON IT,

HAS SOME INTERESTING
RAW MATERIALS IN THE SOIL.

IT'S A PLACE THAT, WITH THE RIGHT SPARK,

COULD BECOME A LIVING WORLD.

AND TO FIND THAT SPARK,

THE FIRST THING I NEED TO DO

IS RAISE THE MARTIAN TEMPERATURE

BY 80 TO 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

BUT HOW AM I GONNA DO THAT?

YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S A WILD GOOSE CHASE,

THIS OUTLANDISH IDEA THAT WE
CAN THAW OUT AN ENTIRE PLANET

AND MAKE IT INTO A GARDEN OF EDEN.

MAYBE WE'VE BIT OFF MORE THAN WE CAN CHEW.

MAYBE IT'S SIMPLY BEYOND OUR REACH.

BUT THERE'S ONE MAN WHO THINKS
GEO-ENGINEERING ANOTHER PLANET

IS ENTIRELY PRACTICAL.

BOB ZUBRIN BELIEVES THE
KEY TO TERRAFORMING MARS

IS CO2... CARBON DIOXIDE.

THINK ABOUT MARS AS BEING LIKE A WET TOWEL,

EXCEPT THIS TOWEL IS WET WITH WATER.

THE SURFACE OF MARS HAS
GOT SOAKED-UP CO2 IN IT.

JUST KIND OF SOAKED IN, JUST
LIKE WATER IN THIS TOWEL. MM.

NOW, HOW CAN WE GET THE
WATER OUT OF THIS TOWEL?

OH, BY HEATING IT UP. BY WARMING IT.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE
WERE TO WARM THE TOWEL

BY PUTTING IT IN THE DRYER... START IT UP.

[ BEEP ]

SO, NOW THE WATER THAT'S IN THAT TOWEL

IS GONNA COME OUT AS WATER VAPOR.

WELL, IF WE COULD WARM MARS,

THAT WOULD MAKE THE CO2
COME OUTGASSING FROM THE SOIL,

JUST LIKE THE WATER IS OUTGASSING

FROM THAT TOWEL RIGHT NOW.

IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO
WARM UP THE SURFACE OF MARS,

IT WOULD RELEASE CO2 TO
CREATE A THICKER ATMOSPHERE.

CARBON DIOXIDE IS ALSO A GREENHOUSE GAS,

WHICH MEANS IT TRAPS
SUNLIGHT AND RETAINS HEAT.

THE MORE OF IT WE PUT IN THE ATMOSPHERE,

THE WARMER THE PLANET GETS,

AND THAT CAUSES EVEN MORE
OF IT TO OUTGAS FROM THE SOIL.

SO, YOU JUST SET IT INTO MOTION,
AND IT TAKES OFF BY ITSELF.

EXACTLY.

IT'S LIKE A BALL AT THE TOP OF A HILL.

IF YOU JUST GET IT ROLLING
ENOUGH TO GET ON THE SLOPE,

IT WILL ROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN.

SO, HOW DO WE PRODUCE SUFFICIENT HEAT

TO JUMP-START THIS
RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT?

BOB'S CONVINCED THE ANSWER
IS TO BUILD NUCLEAR REACTORS

ON THE PLANET'S SURFACE.

WE NEED ABOUT 5,000 MEGAWATTS OF POWER.

THAT'S ABOUT THE SAME
POWER THAT CHICAGO USES.

HUMAN CAPABILITIES ARE
ADVANCING AT AN AMAZING RATE.

WHAT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TODAY

WILL BE POSSIBLE TOMORROW
AND PRACTICAL THE DAY AFTER THAT.

BOY, THIS IDEA IS SO RADICAL,

IT MAKES THE HAIRS ON THE
BACK OF MY NECK STAND ON END.

WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT TERRAFORMING MARS,

I SAID TO MYSELF, "GIVE ME A BREAK."

I MEAN, NO WAY.

I MEAN, MARS IS FROZEN SOLID.

IT'S LIKE ONE GIGANTIC ICEBERG.

HOW CAN YOU THAW OUT A PLANET?

BUT YOU KNOW SOMETHING?
I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.

I MEAN, MARS IS A GREENHOUSE
EFFECT WAITING TO HAPPEN.

IT HAS PLENTY OF CARBON
DIOXIDE IN THE ICE CAPS

AND ALSO IN THE ROCK.

THE QUESTION IS THE FUSE
...HOW DO YOU SET IT OFF?

BOB THINKS NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE THE ANSWER.

THEY HEAT THE PLANET TO
RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE

AND POWER GAS FACTORIES.

THIS WOULD CREATE A
GIGANTIC GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

IT'S INGENIOUS.

BUT IS THIS NUCLEAR OPTION THE RIGHT ONE?

IF IT GOES BAD... [ EXPLOSION ]

MY DNA WAS ALL MESSED UP BY THE RADIATION.

I DON'T KNOW.

HOPEFULLY, I'D GET, LIKE,
ANOTHER ARM TO SCRATCH MY BACK.

I DON'T LIKE TO BE IN A
CITY WHERE I GO OUTSIDE

AND I JUST EXPLODE OR COOK INTERNALLY.

IT'S NOT GREAT FOR ME.

LIKE LOTS OF INGENIOUS SOLUTIONS,

I THINK THIS NUCLEAR ONE IS JUST TOO RISKY.

I NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.

I WANT TO CREATE A SECOND
HOME IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM

BY TERRAFORMING ANOTHER PLANET...

A CONCEPT STRAIGHT OUT OF SCIENCE FICTION.

IT TURNS OUT THAT
TERRAFORMING ANOTHER PLANET

IS NO LONGER JUST A DREAM.

IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO
RAISE THE MARTIAN TEMPERATURE

BY JUST 10 DEGREES,

I COULD KICK-START A
RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT

THAT WOULD DO THE REST OF THE WORK FOR ME,

WARMING AND THICKENING THE ATMOSPHERE...

A FIRST STEP TOWARD
MAKING THE PLANET HABITABLE.

SO, HOW DO I RAISE THE
TEMPERATURE BY 10 DEGREES?

BUILDING NUCLEAR REACTORS
ON THE MARTIAN SURFACE

IS JUST TOO DANGEROUS.

THERE HAS TO BE ANOTHER WAY.

AND IF THERE IS, I'M PRETTY
SURE THIS GUY WILL KNOW...

NASA RESEARCH SCIENTIST CHRIS McKAY.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM IN WARMING MARS

IS TRAPPING THE SUNLIGHT.

AND WE CAN DO THAT BY
ENHANCING THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

WE CAN DO IT BY BRINGING
MORE SUNLIGHT TO MARS,

FOR EXAMPLE, BY USING
REFLECTORS OF SOME SORT...

SOMETHING MAYBE LIKE THIS BURRITO WRAPPER.

IMAGINE A GIANT FOIL AROUND MARS

REFLECTING SUNLIGHT DOWN TO THE SURFACE.

BUT WITHOUT THE EGG, OF COURSE,
RIGHT? YEAH, WITHOUT THE EGG

BUT REFLECTING SUNLIGHT ON
THE POLAR REGIONS OF MARS.

IMAGINE THIS IS MARS.

THE POLAR REGIONS ARE THE KEY

BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE
CARBON DIOXIDE IS. MM-HMM.

SO, ENERGY ON THE POLAR REGIONS

IS GONNA BE THE MOST EFFICIENT
IN TERMS OF WARMING MARS UP.

NOW, HERE'S THE KILLER QUESTION.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO HEAT UP MARS?

FROM START TO A THICK, WARM ATMOSPHERE

WITH WATER, RAIN, AND EVERYTHING

COULD BE AS SHORT AS 100 YEARS.

AND THE GOOD NEWS IS

THE MATERIAL I NEED TO MAKE
THESE MIRRORS ALREADY EXISTS.

MYLAR... THE SAME STUFF THAT NASA's USING

FOR THEIR SOLAR-SAIL PROPULSION SYSTEM.

MYLAR IS 10 TIMES THINNER THAN A HUMAN HAIR

AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT
AT REFLECTING SUNLIGHT...

JUST WHAT I NEED TO
BUILD AN ORBITAL MIRROR.

THERE'S ONLY ONE PROBLEM.

IT'LL HAVE TO BE ENORMOUS.

IMAGINE A MIRROR THE SIZE OF TEXAS.

THESE ARE GIGANTIC STRUCTURES.

THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO BE BUILT IN SPACE,

USING MATERIALS THAT ARE ALREADY IN SPACE.

SO WHAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE IS SOME MACHINE

THAT GO CAPTURES A METAL-RICH
ASTEROID, PULVERIZES IT,

MELTS IT, CREATES A MOLTEN METAL,

WHICH IT THEN SPRAYS ON
SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE

TO CREATE A THIN FILM OF METAL.

IT'S ALL GONNA HAVE TO BE DONE IN ORBIT

BECAUSE OF THE SHEER SIZE
OF THE MIRRORS INVOLVED.

YOU KNOW, THE BEST IDEAS

ARE ALWAYS THE SIMPLEST
AND THE MOST ELEGANT.

I THINK CHRIS HAS REALLY
GOT SOMETHING HERE.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF USING
SUNLIGHT TO TERRAFORM MARS.

HIS SOLUTION IS ECONOMICAL AND EFFICIENT.

FIRST, I BUILD GIANT MIRRORS
WITH ON-BOARD COMPUTER SYSTEMS

AND ROCKETS THAT COULD
KEEP THEM IN POSITION

IN ORBIT AROUND MARS.

THE SUNLIGHT THEY BOUNCE BACK AT THE POLES

WOULD MELT THE FROZEN ICE WATER

AND RELEASE CARBON DIOXIDE ON THE SURFACE

TO THICKEN THE ATMOSPHERE
AND WARM THE PLANET.

IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT IT'S
AN ENGINEERING NIGHTMARE.

WE WOULD HAVE TO MINE THE ASTEROID BELT.

THAT'S 100,000 TONS OF MATERIALS.

AND THEN IT HAS TO BE DONE IN OUTER SPACE.

WE CAN BARELY DOCK TWO
CAPSULES IN OUTER SPACE,

LET ALONE MINE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF TONS.

SO I'M BEGINNING TO THINK THAT
MAYBE WE NEED A FRESH, NEW IDEA.

TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO...

YOU KNOW, I FIND IT SO
IRONIC THAT HERE ON EARTH,

WE'RE TROUBLED BY GREENHOUSE
GASES CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING

AND HEATING UP THE PLANET.

BUT THESE VERY SAME GREENHOUSE GASES

COULD BE THE KEY TO TURNING
THIS FROZEN DESERT CALLED MARS

INTO A PARADISE.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT IS
THE KEY TO TERRAFORMING MARS,

BUT I DON'T THINK I'VE
HIT ON THE RIGHT IDEA YET.

THERE'S ANOTHER OPTION,
THOUGH... ARMAGEDDON.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST METEORITES

EVER TO HAVE FALLEN ON AMERICAN SOIL.

16 TONS OF IRON AND NICKEL
IS JUST ONE TINY FRAGMENT

FROM A PASSING ASTEROID

THAT SURVIVED ITS IMPACT WITH THE GROUND.

THE EARTH, MARS, EVEN THE
VERY GROUND UNDER MY FEET

WERE CREATED BY THE COLLISIONS
OF HUGE QUANTITIES OF ROCK

JUST LIKE THIS.

SO, WHY NOT USE THIS NATURAL PROCESS

TO HELP TO JUMP-START
THE TERRAFORMING OF MARS?

FIRST, THE HEAT OF THE IMPACT

WOULD BE THAT OF MILLIONS OF ATOMIC BOMBS,

WHICH WOULD RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF MARS.

AND SECOND, ASTEROIDS CONTAIN FROZEN GASES,

WHICH WOULD HELP TO THICKEN THE ATMOSPHERE

AND SET OFF A RUNAWAY GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

WE'VE ALL SEEN THE DEVASTATING
EFFECTS OF ASTEROIDS

IN MOVIES LIKE "ARMAGEDDON"
AND "DEEP IMPACT."

BUT TO HARNESS THE POWER OF ASTEROIDS

TO TERRAFORM ANOTHER PLANET,

WELL, THAT'S A WHOLE NEW BALLGAME.

SO, HERE'S THE QUESTION.

HOW DO YOU MOVE AN
ASTEROID, WHICH IS MILES ACROSS,

MILLIONS OF MILES ACROSS
SPACE UNTIL IT IMPACTS ON MARS?

SOUNDS IMPOSSIBLE, RIGHT?

WELL, THERE IS A TRICK.

LET'S SAY THAT THIS PICKLED
TOMATO REPRESENTS MARS.

AND LET'S SAY THAT THIS PICKLE
HERE REPRESENTS AN ASTEROID.

WHAT I WANT TO DO IS SLING
THIS ASTEROID TOWARD MARS,

AND THE SECRET IS TO USE A KNISH.

THIS KNISH REPRESENTS JUPITER,

WITH A COLOSSAL GRAVITATIONAL FIELD.

SO, HERE'S WHAT I DO.

FIRST, I PUT ROCKETS ON
THE END OF THE ASTEROID.

I SLING IT TOWARD THE BACKSIDE OF JUPITER.

AS IT WHIPS AROUND THE BACK,

IT SIPHONS OFF SOME OF
THE GRAVITATIONAL ENERGY,

INCREASES IN VELOCITY, AND
WHIPS AROUND THE OTHER SIDE,

AND THEN IMPACTS ON MARS,

WHICH INTRODUCES HEAT
ENERGY INTO THE RED PLANET.

ALSO, WATER VAPOR IS
CREATED BY THE COLLISION.

SO, THIS IS HOW WE BEGAN THE
PROCESS OF TERRAFORMING MARS.

WELL, THIS IS IT.

THIS IS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

THIS IS WHEN, AFTER ALL THESE
WEEKS, I FINALLY FACE THE FANS.

I FEEL FANTASTIC! HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS?

[ ALL CHEERING ]

I'D LOVE TO LIVE ON MARS. YEAH.

THAT'S MY RULING PLANET. [ BOTH LAUGH ]

IT'S SO EXCITING 'CAUSE IT'S
SCIENCE FICTION COME TO LIFE.

I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I'M LOOKING TO GET SOME NEW
TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EMPIRE.

YOU KNOW, I FEEL CONFIDENT FACING THE FANS.

I'VE DONE MY HOMEWORK.

FOR WEEKS, WE FOLLOWED
THE FINEST SCIENTISTS

IN THE UNITED STATES.

THIS IS THE CROWNING
ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR WORK.

[ Laughing ] HOWEVER, THERE
IS ONE THING THAT BOTHERS ME.

IT WOULD BE EMBARRASSING IF ONE OF THE FANS

TURNED OUT TO BE SMARTER THAN US.

ONE OF THE FANS RAISES HIS HAND AND SAYS,

"UH, UH, PROFESSOR, YOU MADE A FLAW.

THERE'S A MISTAKE IN YOUR PLANS."

HEY, BUT THAT'S WHAT SCIENCE IS ALL ABOUT.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

HEY, GUYS.

GOOD TO HEAR.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE CONTINUE ]

ALL RIGHT.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

TODAY I PRESENT TO YOU EARTH TWO,

A NEW HOME FOR US IN OUTER SPACE.

HOW MANY PEOPLE HERE THINK
THAT ONE DAY, WE WILL BE ON MARS?

RAISE YOUR HAND.

[ ALL CHEER ]

WELL, IF YOU'VE SEEN "STAR
TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN,"

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER IN "TOTAL RECALL,"

YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SCIENCE
FICTION OF TERRAFORMING MARS.

NOW, LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE FACT.

STEP ONE... WE START WITH
AN ASTEROID OR A COMET

MADE OUT OF ROCK, ICE, AND FROZEN GASES.

AND THEN WE PUT ROCKETS ON IT.

AND STEP TWO... WE THEN
SHOOT IT AROUND JUPITER

TO CREATE A SLINGSHOT EFFECT
SO WE CAN AIM IT PRECISELY AT MARS.

TO MAKE IT FASTER, WE GET
A FLEET OF THESE THINGS,

SLAM THEM INTO MARS
WITH PRECISION ACCURACY,

AND ESPECIALLY THE POLAR
ICE CAPS WILL BE MELTED,

RELEASING CARBON DIOXIDE.

STEP NUMBER THREE... WE THEN
CREATE A GREENHOUSE EFFECT.

MORE CARBON DIOXIDE MEANS MORE HEAT,

MEANS MORE CARBON DIOXIDE,
UNTIL WE HAVE OCEANS ON MARS.

STEP FOUR... GENETICALLY ALTER PLANTS,

THEN PROLIFERATE THROUGH THE OCEANS OF MARS

AND RELEASE OXYGEN INTO THE PLANET.

AND THAT'S IT.

THAT'S HOW WE CREATE A NEW
EARTH TWO IN OUTER SPACE.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

THIS IS A REAL THOUGHT-OUT PLAN.

AND NOW I AM REALLY GOING TO MARS.

Man: THIS IS AMAZING. I MEAN, EVEN TO THINK

THAT THIS IS POTENTIALLY
GONNA BE ABLE TO HAPPEN

IN EITHER THE END OF MY LIFETIME
OR THE LIFETIME OF MY CHILDREN,

I THINK IT JUST... IT BLOWS MY MIND.

WHERE CAN I SIGN UP AND WHEN?

I LOVE HOW HE WENT THROUGH THE
WHOLE PRESENTATION STEP BY STEP.

HE REALLY EXPLAINED EVERYTHING IN DEPTH,

AND I LOVE THAT HE HAD
THE GRAPHICS BEHIND HIM.

IT WAS GREAT.

I'D REALLY LIKE TO START
TERRAFORMING SOME PLANETS

SO WE HAVE MORE SYSTEMS FOR THE EMPIRE.