Scientists Have Figured out<br />How to Grow Food on Mars A group of researchers from Harvard, Edinburgh<br />and California believe they may have engineered a<br />way to support photosynthetic life on Mars. They have created aerogel sheets that could<br />transform the planet’s cold, arid surface into<br />land able to sustain vegetative life. The sheets mimics the greenhouse effect found on<br />Earth by trapping energy from the sun and melting<br />enough subsurface ice to allow plants to survive. It is made up of 97% air, and 2-3cm of these sheets<br />is enough to block harmful UV rays and only allow<br />visible light through for photosynthesis. Researchers, via<br />‘Nature Astronomy’ Although others factors still need to be<br />addressed, such as the toxic chemicals<br />and radiation present in the planet’s soil, researcher Robin Wordsworth believes<br />their aerogel sheets are the future of<br />transforming Mars into a fertile oasis. Robin Wordsworth,<br />via The Guardian
