A City on Mars: Can we settle space, should we settle space, and have we really thought this through?

Date – Wednesday, 24 September
Time – 9:30 – 10:15

Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away—no climate change, no war, no X—beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? My co-author/husband and I are sci-fi geeks who set out to write a book about the glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, we aren’t so sure it’s a good idea.

Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn’t spark conflict back home. In this talk, I’ll tackle questions like: Where are we most likely to settle? What will life in space be like? Is it safe to have babies in space? What is the future of bathrooms in space? What laws will govern humanity when we become interplanetary? Get in, we’re going to Mars.