Our Earth is the safe haven of life where water flows and the wind blows through the lush forests. Our atmosphere and magnetic fields are the only things that have protected us from becoming a barren planet like the thousands we have discovered. Our bodies have been adapting to the Earth’s hospitable atmosphere for thousands of years. Outside the safety of the atmosphere, there is a place where no life can inhabit because it’s roughly 2.7 Kelvin or -455 Fahrenheit. Our scientists have the plan to change the genetics to protect our brave astronauts so that they can explore dangerous fields and unpredictable places.
Scientists have proposed that we genetically modify our space explorers so that they would be more fit to survive in the harsh environments of space. “In outer space, microgravity can weaken bones and damage the heart, and ionizing radiation can wreck DNA” (Ghose). These are conditions that space explorers may have to face can injure or kill them. Scientists proposed that we could use extremophiles already living on Earth to modify DNA. For instance, the world's toughest bacterium, Deinococcus Radiodurans, can withstand 100 times the radiation that would kill a human instantly. Not only can we modify ourselves, but we can eventually modify plants and animals to fit our needs for colonization or exploration of our universe. “People will still get sick in space, so synthetic biologists are also working on bio-based medical care. Microorganisms and plants could be engineered to make medicines and to shift the microbiome” (Scoles). We are simply speeding up evolution and won’t have the time to let it take its own course.
With our bodies already being so fragile in our own world we live in, maybe it is time that we stop hiding behind a wall of armor. The possible chance that we will explore the depths and dangers of space with advanced biotechnology, maybe with the development of our bodies, we can finally explore the vast dark uninhabitable space.
Works Cited
Scoles, Sarah. "How GMOs Will Let Astronauts Live on Mars - The Crux."The Crux. N.p.,
18 Dec. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016. <http://tinyurl.com/h7ltqvw>.
Scientists have proposed that we genetically modify our space explorers so that they would be more fit to survive in the harsh environments of space. “In outer space, microgravity can weaken bones and damage the heart, and ionizing radiation can wreck DNA” (Ghose). These are conditions that space explorers may have to face can injure or kill them. Scientists proposed that we could use extremophiles already living on Earth to modify DNA. For instance, the world's toughest bacterium, Deinococcus Radiodurans, can withstand 100 times the radiation that would kill a human instantly. Not only can we modify ourselves, but we can eventually modify plants and animals to fit our needs for colonization or exploration of our universe. “People will still get sick in space, so synthetic biologists are also working on bio-based medical care. Microorganisms and plants could be engineered to make medicines and to shift the microbiome” (Scoles). We are simply speeding up evolution and won’t have the time to let it take its own course.
With our bodies already being so fragile in our own world we live in, maybe it is time that we stop hiding behind a wall of armor. The possible chance that we will explore the depths and dangers of space with advanced biotechnology, maybe with the development of our bodies, we can finally explore the vast dark uninhabitable space.
Works Cited
Scoles, Sarah. "How GMOs Will Let Astronauts Live on Mars - The Crux."The Crux. N.p.,
18 Dec. 2015. Web. 17 May 2016. <http://tinyurl.com/h7ltqvw>.
0 Comments