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Can humans hibernate their way to Mars?

The Big Story
The Big Story
Episode • Jan 3, 2023 • 27m

One of the biggest problems facing humans attempting to travel anywhere in space that's farther than the moon is the years it will take to get there. A small ship simply can't support normal human life for that long. We need too much food, water, exercise and stimulation. But ... what if we didn't? What if we could shut ourselves down, the way animals do in the middle of winter, needing limited supplies and passing months as though they were days?

This used to be the realm of science fiction. It's not anymore.

GUEST: Brendan I. Koerner, contributing editor at WIRED, author of The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking

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The Big Story • Can humans hibernate their way to Mars? • Listen on Fountain