[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,For thousands of years,\Nwell really probably millions of years,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,our ancestors have looked up at the sky\Nand wondered what's up there,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they've also started to wonder,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hmm, could we be alone in this planet?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, I'm fortunate that I get to get paid\Nto actually ask some of those questions,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and sort of bad news for you,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your tax dollars are paying me to try\Nto answer some of those questions.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But then, about 10 years ago,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was told, I mean asked,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if I would start to look at the technology\Nto help get us off planet,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so that's what I'm going\Nto talk to you about today.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So playing to the local crowd,\Nthis is what it looks like
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in your day-to-day life in Boston,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but as you start to go off planet,\Nthings look very, very different.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So there we are, hovering above\Nthe WGBH studios,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and here's a very famous picture\Nof the Earthrise from the Moon,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you can see the Earth\Nstarting to recede.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then what I love is this picture
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was taken from the surface of Mars\Nlooking back at the Earth.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Can anyone find the Earth?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm going to help you out a little.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Laughs)
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Yeah.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The point of showing this is that\Nwhen people start to go to Mars,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're not going to be able\Nto keep calling in
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and be micromanaged\Nthe way people on a space station are.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're going to have to be independent.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So even though they're up there,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there are going to be all sorts of things\Nthat they're going to need,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just like people on Earth\Nneed things like, oh, transportation,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,life support, food, clothing and so on.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But unlike on Earth, they are also\Ngoing to need oxygen.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're going to have to deal with about\Na third of the gravity that we have here.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're going to have to worry\Nabout habitats, power, heat, light,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and radiation protection,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,something that we don't actually\Nworry about nearly as much on the Earth,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we have this beautiful\Natmosphere and magnetosphere.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem with that is that\Nwe also have a lot of constraints.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the biggest one for us is upmass,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the number that I've used for years
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is it costs about 10,000 dollars to launch\Na can of Coke into low Earth orbit.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is, there you are\Nwith 10,000 dollars later,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you're still in low Earth orbit.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You're not even at the Moon\Nor Mars or anything else.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you're going to have to try\Nto figure out how to keep the mass
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as low as possible\Nso you don't have to launch it.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But on top of that\Ncost issue with the mass,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you also have problems of storage
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and flexibility and reliability.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can't just get there and say,\N"Oops, I forgot to bring,"
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because Amazon.com\Njust does not deliver to Mars.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you better be prepared.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what is the solution for this?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I'm going to propose to you\Nfor the rest of this talk
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the solution actually is life,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when you start to look\Nat life as a technology,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you realize, ah, that's it,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's exactly what we needed.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This plant here, like every person here
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and every one of your dogs and cats
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and plants and so on,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all started as a single cell.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So imagine, you're starting\Nas a very low upmass object
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then growing into something\Na good deal bigger.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, my hero Charles Darwin,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of course, reminds us that there's\Nno such thing as a designer in biology,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but what if we now have the technology
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to design biology,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maybe even design, oh, who new lifeforms
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that can do things for us\Nthat we couldn't have imagined otherwise.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So years ago, I was asked\Nto start to sell this program,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and while I was doing that,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I was put in front of a panel at NASA,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as you might sort of imagine,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a bunch of people in suits\Nand white shirts and pencil protectors,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I did this sort of crazy wild,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"This is all the next great thing,"
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I thought they would be blown over,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and instead the chairman of the committee\Njust looked at me straight in the eye,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and said, "So what's the big idea?"
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I was like, OK, you want Star Trek?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We'll do Star Trek.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so let me tell you\Nwhat the big idea is.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've used organisms\Nto make biomaterials for years.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So here's a great picture taken\Noutside of Glasgow,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you can see lots\Nof great biomaterials there.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are trees that you can use\Nto build houses.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There are sheep where you\Ncan get your wool from.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You could get leather from the sheep.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Just quickly glancing around the room,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'll bet there's no one in this room\Nthat doesn't have some kind of animal
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or plant product on them,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,some kind of biomaterial.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But you know what?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're not going to take sheep\Nand trees and stuff to Mars.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's nuts, because\Nof the upmass problem.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But we are going to take things like this.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is ??
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those white dots that you see are spores.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This happens to be a bacterium\Nthat can form incredibly resistant spores,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and when I say incredibly resistant,\Nthey've proven themselves.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,?? spores have been flown\Non what was called LDEF,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,long duration exposure facility,\Nfor almost six years
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some of them survived that in space.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Unbelievable, a lot better\Nthan any of us can do.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So why not just take the capabilities,\Nlike to make wood or to make wool
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or spidersilk or whatever,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and put them in ?? spores
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and take those with you off planet?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what are you going to do\Nwhen you're off planet?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here's an iconic picture of Buzz Aldrin\Nlooking back at the Eagle
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when he landed, oh, it was almost\N50 years ago on the surface of the Moon.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, if you're going to go\Nto the Moon for three days,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you're the first person to set foot,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,yeah, you can live in a tin can,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but you wouldn't want to do that\Nfor, say, a year and a half.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I did actually a calculation,\Nbeing in California.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I looked at what the average size\Nof a cell at Alcatraz is,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I have news for you,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the volume in the Eagle there,\Nin the Lunar Module,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was about the size of a cell at Alcatraz
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if it were only five feet high.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So incredibly cramped living quarters.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You just can't ask a human\Nto stay in there for long periods of time.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So why not take these biomaterials\Nand make something?
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So here's an image\Nthat a colleague of mine
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who is an architect, Chris Maurer,\Nhas done of what we've been proposing,
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we'll get to the point of why I've\Nbeen standing up here holding something
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that looks like a dried sandwich\Nthis whole lecture.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we've proposed that the solution\Nto the habitat problem on Mars
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,could just simply lie in a fungus.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I'm now probably\Ngoing to turn off everyone
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from ever eating a mushroom again.
Dialogue: 0,9:59:59.99,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So let's talk about fungi for a second.