The next storyteller honoured us to be here tonight
but if it was up to her, she would be on another planet
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Florence Porcel
Good evening. So I would actually like to go on another planet.
I would like to settle down on Mars.
So, Mars, for those who don't really get it, is located between
60 millions and 400 millions kilometers from Earth -- quite a long way.
It is very cold, -63°C (-81,4°F) on average, there's no liquid water
at a stable state. It is constantly exposed by cosmic rays
and the atmosphere is 95% CO2.
So... Not really an oasis. But I definitely want to go there.
It's not like a silly whim or something.
I mean, I do everything to prepare myself.
For example, a few weeks ago, I was returning of a simulation
of a journey on Mars in the Utah desert, in the United States. There's a housing
that is similar to the ones that will be used on Mars in a few years;
We ate lyophilized food like astronauts.
We never went outside without our space suits. We also simulated the distances
between Earth and Mars -- each time we sent a mail
we waited 40 minutes to answer, so that would be as immersive as we could.
Beside, I applied to a project named Mars One
you may have heard about it. It's a private company who is willing to
send men and women on Mars.
The principle of this project is to settle permanently -- there's no back on Earth.
It's not a scientific mission where we just go, take some samples and thats it.
This is another kind of approach. We're gonna settle, make our new house
on another world. And as one of the few French to go further and further
in the candidacy, I was well reported on the media.
I've met a lot of journalists, I went to plenty of TV shows.
I've met a lot of people, I've made conferences, round tables,
all kind of events. So I really met a lot of people.
And each time I tell my story, there's two possible reactions.
Wether the people were super enthusiastics, like "Wow, that's so cool!"
They asked me question about the approach, the practicability of the project,
how it would goes, etc. Or they were getting completely angry
and agressive. And there is always this sentence:
"You're completely crazy, do you even know that you
"are going to die ?"
"Well... Yes, I'm going to die. And you too by the way. Sorry for this
unpleasant reminder, but yes, we're all going to die."
And people weren't like you in general, they wouldn't laugh,
they just became livid. That was funny to see these people reminding my
own death while they didn't even know themselves if they were going
to die one day. Ironically, I'm already dead.
I died drown when I was young. When I say that I died,
it is because I was able to live a "Near-Death Experience."
And later, at 16, I got a brain tumor. I nearly passed away again.
And then, 3 years ago, I've been intoxicated by carbon monoxide.