I am of quite other opinion than Mithridates. I think it is almost 100% certain, that it is impossible, so the whole subject is mere science fiction. Why? Mars is about 1,5 times more far away from the sun and therefore gets 1,5 x 1,5 times less solar energy per square meter than we. This is the basic reason, why Mars is about 60 degress colder than earth.

It is mainly not due to lack of atmosphere or such. Assumed, Mars would be for one day of same temperature as earth, by whatever methods achieved, this would go within one day and one night. Mars nights are colder than -100 centigrades.

http://www.geocities.com/marsterraforming/terraforming.html

Don't think it would take a week. Hundreds of years probably, if possible.

ZaplinG

United States3818 Posts

March 16 2007 05:03 GMT

#62

we will live underwater before living on mars

Xeofreestyler

Belgium6772 Posts

March 16 2007 05:42 GMT

#63

No but seriously guys
I'm not sure if my vision of nuclear fusion is a bit too utopical, but wouldnt it be the best way to cover our entire energyproduction aswell as make for easy powersources on a planet like mars?

PissedOffEmo

Canada777 Posts

March 16 2007 05:51 GMT

#64

I think by the time we figure out time travel, we would already colonize many planets such as mars and stuff. It would be weird though, what would time (is it considered time travel?) be like in mars when you're comparing it to earth?

CharlieMurphy

United States22895 Posts

March 16 2007 06:31 GMT

#65

On March 15 2007 23:14 {88}iNcontroL wrote:
Dunno how I can not make a "lame" joke when the OP started a thread saying we need to focus a lazer cannon on Mars or nuclear bomb the icecaps. It currently takes us 30 years to get to the damn planet, what makes anyone think we are anywhere near the kind of things you discuss anyways?

I think at some point terraforming might be possible, but for now it certainly is not. Posing the question "should we lazer cannon or nuke the ice" wont get a thread anywhere imo. I could be wrong but I would think it to be more realistic that we first develop a way of getting there adequately. Best to "cross that bridge" when we get to it kinda thing.

~~It doesn't take 30 years it takes almost 3 years to get a probe or satellite there. Waiting for that 3 year window can take a while though, not sure how long the cycle is.~~

edit- actually it takes a few months I guess the proper window takes about 3 years.

Diagram

Liquid`Jinro

Sweden33719 Posts

March 16 2007 22:04 GMT

#66

On March 16 2007 08:45 .kaz wrote:

Show nested quote +

Do you read SUPER slow..?

Uh no why? I just started reading it like a few months ago then got some other books I wanted to read more so I stopped. I don't really see what your point is.

HeadBangaa

United States6512 Posts

March 16 2007 22:16 GMT

#67

On March 16 2007 08:50 KaasZerg wrote:
Our technologylevel is far insufficient to terraform anything. Currently we fail to protect our own from ecosystem from overexploitation.

Yup.

fanta[Rn]

Japan2465 Posts

March 16 2007 22:42 GMT

#68

my kid will go to Mars University and the first guy on mars will be Phillip J. F.

Fen

Australia1848 Posts

March 17 2007 01:43 GMT

#69

I think we stand a better chance of terraforming titan than mars at this point. Earths atmosphere is made up of 80% Nitrogen, Good luck building that atmosphere on mars.

fusionsdf

Canada15390 Posts

March 18 2007 07:18 GMT

#70

On March 15 2007 23:19 Bill307 wrote:

Show nested quote +

"A much simpler process"? If you want to talk about terraforming Mars, you should start by figuring out how we're going to give it a proper, denser atmosphere and a warmer surface temperature. Then the ice would melt on its own, anyway (and stay melted, for that matter).

Then we'd have to find a way to stop all life from getting irradiated to death by the solar wind, since Mars isn't protected by a magnetic field like the Earth is.

I guess it's nice to know for sure that there's water there already so that we don't need to import it ourselves. But we still have a lot to figure out.

we would have to melt the ice to create an atmosphere