If I threw a freshly plucked, not yet baked potato on the surface of mars, is it possible that the micro organisms present in the potato would survive and eventually adapt to the new environment?

Karl@literature.cafe · 6 days ago

If I threw a freshly plucked, not yet baked potato on the surface of mars, is it possible that the micro organisms present in the potato would survive and eventually adapt to the new environment?

gigastasio@sh.itjust.works · 6 days ago

In addition to the issues regarding temperature and atmospheric pressure, one thing I haven’t seen mentioned in these comments is solar radiation.

Earth has a magnetic field that deflects the harmful solar radiation away. Mars does not. So assuming your microorganisms can survive the extreme temperatures and practically worthless atmosphere, they’d still have to contend with that.

That’s a problem for humans too. Any habitat we build on Mars needs to shield us from solar radiation. And even if we successfully terraformed the planet to have a breathable atmosphere and farmable soil, we’d still be in trouble being outside without protective clothing.