wherever there is space to expand into humans do so.

只要有空間，人們就會去拓展。

So, it's hardly surprising that we're already making preparations

所以我們已經制定登上火星的計畫

to set foot on Mars,

不足為奇

and to create the first permanent colony outside of Earth --

並創造地球外的第一個永久殖民地 --

maybe even terraform another planet and turn it into a second blue home.

甚至可能將另外一個行星地球化成第二個家。

But wait,

但等等

before we can get to the nice future stuff,

在美好未來之前

we first have to complete the second phase of colonization;

首先我們需要完成第二階段的殖民

creating a semi-permanent outpost

創造一個半永久性的前哨部隊

to prepare the ground for a larger human presence.

去準備土地給更多人存在。

But doing so will be gruesome.

但這麼做會是可怕的。

Even for an expansionist species like us, Mars is extreme.

即使是像我們這樣的領土擴張論者，火星是極端的。

At first glance, Mars seems familiar --

第一眼，火星似曾相識 --

polar ice caps, large valleys,

極地的冰帽、寬大的峽谷

liquid water under its surface,

液態水埋藏地表之下

and a day barely longer than Earth's.

在火星一天只比地球長沒多少

The ideal place for us to go.

它是我們理想的去處。

Unfortunately, Mars is actually a cold, radioactive desert

不幸的，火星實際上是一個寒冷、具有放射性的沙漠

where the ground is poisonous and breathing is impossible.

在那裏的地上有毒，也不可能去呼吸。

Mars is awful.

火星糟透了。

You almost certainly don't want to go there.

你一定不想去。

The pioneers doing the hard work on Mars will have an intensely stressful life,

在火星做苦工的先鋒將會有壓力很大的生活

filled with incredibly challenging problems

充滿不可思議的挑戰

never encountered before.

前所未見。

But there are plenty of people willing to do that work

但有很多人將樂於做這份工作

and we have the technology to enable them to do it.

我們也有科技使他們可以勝任。

For this video, we will assume there have been prior missions to Mars

在影片中我們將假設之前已有去火星的任務

to scout out a good place for an outpost,

去找到好的前哨地點

store resources and equipment,

儲存資源和裝備

and that there's already a moon base

而且已有月球殖民

that serves as a hub for Mars missions.

做為火星任務的中繼站。

The first major challenge for our outpost,

我們前哨的第一個主要挑戰

is the fact that Mars is very energy poor.

火星的能源非常稀缺。

Because of its distance from the Sun,

因為與太陽的距離

solar power is only 40% as effective as on Earth.

太陽能有效率只有地球的四成。

But even this weakened sunlight is often obscured for days

但白天裡被削弱的陽光常常被龐大的沙塵暴遮蔽。

by enormous dust storms.

Solar power alone will probably not be enough.

單單只有太陽能是不夠的。

Alternatives, such as wind power, and geothermal energy are also unfeasible

替代者如風力、地熱也行不通

as there's hardly any atmosphere and Mars' interior is much too cold.

因為沒有足夠的大氣壓力，而且火星內部冷多了。

Initially, nuclear technology might be the only option.

一開始，核能可能是唯一選項。

Since Mars doesn't have easily accessible radioactive elements,

因為火星無易取得的放射元素

the nuclear fuel needs to come from Earth along with the reactor.

核能燃料以及核子反應爐需要從地球來。

If we do set it up, it could power our small outpost for the first few years.

若我們建立了，可能可以提供前哨前幾年的能源。

Unfortunately, all that energy won't be very useful if we can't breathe.

不幸的，若我們無法呼吸，所有能源都毫無用處。

Mars' atmosphere is only 1% as dense as Earth's,

火星的大氣層密度只有地球的 1%

and mostly made up of CO2.

多由二氧化碳組成。

So, now habitats need to be pressurized and filled with an artificial atmosphere

所以現在的居留地需要被加壓，並填充氮、氧組成的人造大氣

made of nitrogen and oxygen --

Which comes with more problems.

問題來了。

Corners and flat walls are weak points

角落和平坦的牆是弱點

so the habitats will have rounded and smooth shapes

所以居留地將會是平滑的圓形

to handle the stress of great pressure differences between the interior and exterior.

好去處理內外強大的氣壓差。

The airlocks need to be very airtight and work perfectly every time.

氣閘必須是密閉的，每次都要完美運作。

Without an extensive magnetosphere, or a dense atmosphere,

完全排除分毫磁氣圈和大氣圈

half of all radiation coming from space reaches the ground.

半數來自宇宙的射線到達地表。

A person on the surface would be subjected to 50 times the radiation that they would be on Earth.

在火星地上的人會遭受多於地表 50 倍的輻射。

Three years on the surface of Mars exceeds the radiation dose limits

在火星表面 3 年超過輻射劑量限制

imposed on NASA astronauts for their entire career.

在國際航空和太空總署的太空人得整個生涯強制實施。

This increases cancer risks significantly.

它嚴重的增加罹癌風險。

To prevent that, we could shield our habitats with a thick layer of frozen CO2,

我們可以用一層厚厚的固態二氧化碳來保護我們的居留地

that can be harvested directly from the atmosphere.

它可以直接從大氣層取得。

Covering the dry ice with a meter of dirt, would further increase the level of protection.

固態二氧化碳外再包一公尺的泥會大大增進保護力。

Sadly, this means almost no windows.

悲哀的是它密不透風。

From the inside, most living spaces will be windowless tunnels.

內部多數的生活空間是沒有窗戶的地下道。

From the outside, they'll look like burial mounds.

從外面看來他們像是墳塚。

All of this would still not hold back all the radiation,

這些所有仍無法抑制全部的輻射

but reduce it just enough to be survivable for long periods of time.

但減少到恰好足夠去長時間生存。

It won't, however, protect anyone who ventures outside.

然而無法保護在外冒險的人。

So, remote-controlled robots will be used for routine work on the surface,

所以遙控機器人將被用在表面的日常工作

while our crew stays inside.

而我們工作人員待在裡面。

Staying inside is a good idea for another reason:

待在裡面是個好主意，另有原由：

Mars dust.

火星沙塵。

It's much finer than dust on Earth,

它比地球上的沙塵細小多了

so it could find its way into the gears or electronics of our machines.

所以能進入設備和電子機器。

Because it's also very dry, it's electro-statically charged;

因為它非常乾燥，容易產生靜電；

sticking to everything, like spacesuits.

容易黏住所有事物，像是太空服。

It will be impossible to avoid carrying lots of Mars dust into our habitat,

不帶任何火星沙塵到居留地是不可能的

and into the lungs of our crew.

它會進入工作人員的肺。

To make this even worse, Mars' soil is filled with very toxic perchlorate salts.

更糟的是，火星的土充滿毒性非常的高氯酸鹽。

Constant exposure could be deadly.

常時暴露可能致命。

This problem can still be overcome though.

但是問題仍可克服。

Space suits, for example, could be made in a way that they never truly enter the base,

例如太空服可以某種方式不進入基地

but stay attached to the outside of the habitats.

但依附於居留地外部。

Okay, great.

很好。

Now we've safely isolated humans in terms of energy and air,

現在我們已經從能量和空氣的角度隔離人類、免於罹癌

and protected them from cancer, we just need to feed them.

我們只需餵養他們。

Water is easy to come by if a settlement is positioned near the Martian poles

若殖民地安置在火星的極點，因為厚冰層水的取得相對容易。

with their thick layers of ice.

Growing food is a different kind of challenge though.

但是生產食物是另一挑戰。

Mars' soils are alkaline

火星土地是鹼性的

and lack the vital nitrogen compounds that plants need to grow.

且缺少植物成長必須的氮合成物。

Before we can grow anything, we will have to decontaminate the soil

種植之前，我們需要淨化土壤

which is difficult and expensive.

這是艱困且昂貴的。

Then, the soil can be fertilized using recycled biological waste.

接著土壤可以用回收的生物廢料施肥。

All of this will take a lot of time, and is very energy-intensive.

這花很多時間和能量。

So, we might use aquaponics to raise fish and plants together --

所以我們可能用魚菜共生來養魚種菜 --

Making the astronauts' diets more varied and tasty at the same time.

同時使太空人的餐點更美味多樣。

This will be an important psychological boost for our overworked crew.

這對工作過度的員工會是心理學上重大進步。

All of these things don't solve one fundamental problem though:

但這全都無法解決最基本的問題：

Mars has only 38 percent of Earth's surface gravity,

火星的重力只有地球的 38%

which could cause muscle-wasting, bone loss, and cardiovascular problems.

可能造成肌肉萎縮、骨質疏鬆、心血管疾病。

While this might be solved in the future by setting up rotating living spaces,

雖然未來可能得以滾筒式的生活空間來解決

for now, our crew has to live with low gravity

而現在我們的人員需要活在低重力

and exercise a lot to slow the degradation down.

並大量運動去減緩退化。

The crews will probably have to rotate every few years,

人員將需要每幾年輪替

after being stuck indoors in tight spaces without windows.

被困於無窗戶的狹小空間內之後。

With the same people, performing the same routines day-in day-out

與一樣的人，日復一日執行相同的日常事務

with little contact from the outside world,

與外界毫無聯繫

and a lot to worry about.

有許多苦惱。

Like Antarctic scientists or submarine staff,

像是南極科學家或潛水艇人員

they will undergo intense psychological screening

他們將經歷高度心理篩選

to make sure they're mentally resilient enough to handle this lifestyle for several years.

去確定他們心理上足夠堅韌去處理他們多年的生活型態。

Establishing the first real infrastructure on Mars will be extremely taxing work

建立第一個火星上真正的基礎設施將會是極費勁的

that only a group of very determined, and competent, people can do.

只有一群堅定的、勝任的人才可以完成。

Luckily, we have enough of these on Earth.

幸運地，這些我們地球有很多。

And there you have it!

而且你也是！

A small Mars base that will survive for at least a few decades --

一個小型火星基地至少可以存在數十年 --

as long as it's getting a constant supply of resources,

只要可以立即取得地球所供資源、零件、核能燃料、工作人員。

parts, nuclear fuel, and crews from Earth.

Unfortunately, Mars and Earth are separated by millions of kilometers

不幸的是，地球與火星相距數億公里

and orbital periods that leave only a narrow travel window every two years.

地球和火星的軌道每隔二年才出現發送窗口。

If there's an emergency in the colony,

若殖民地事出緊急

Earth wouldn't be able to help until the next travel window opens.

在新的發送窗口開啟前，地球無法提供支援。

Helpers may arrive on a planet filled with corpses.

救援者可能到達屍身遍佈的行星。

Settling Mars will be the toughest challenge we have ever faced.

安置於火星將會是我們目前面對最艱困的挑戰。

It will be gruesome work to establish the infrastructure we need.

興建我們所需的基本設施將會是非常可怕的工作。

But we're stubborn, and we like extreme challenges.

但我們固執，且熱愛極端挑戰。

If we push through Phase Two of colonization, anything is possible.

若我們通過第二階段的殖民地化，沒什麼不可能。

Cities illuminating the dark Martian night,

城市的光照亮火星黑夜

a hub for travel between the planets,

行星之間有旅行中繼站

industries setting foot in orbit

產業駐足軌道之間

terraforming a true multi-planetary future.

真正的地球化出多行星的未來。

Going to Mars is hard but worth it.

去火星很難但值得。

And if we're lucky, we might be around long enough to see it happening

若夠幸運，我們可能活得夠久看著它實現

and cheer on the people who take on these challenges

為承擔這些挑戰的人們歡呼

for the benefit of us all.

為了我們的共同利益。

Figuring out complex stuff is one of the best feelings ever.

搞清楚複雜的事物是最棒的感覺之一。

Especially if you don't have to do it all by yourself.

特別是若你不需要孤軍奮戰。

Our friends from Brilliant can help you out with that part!

我們的朋友 Brilliant 會提出部分的協助！

Brilliant is a problem-solving website with a hands-on approach.

Brilliant 是個用實務方法的解題網站。

Instead of just dropping tricky concepts in front of you,

不是只丟下棘手的概念在眼前

they help you unravel them bit-by-bit and build up to an interesting conclusion.

他們幫你一步步闡明並導出有趣的結論。

This way, science becomes something you actually do actively, and not only hear about.

如此一來，科學不止是聽說，而可以真的實際作為。

With Brilliant, you can bear down

用 Brilliant 你可以靠近

on dozens of interesting courses and puzzles about topics,

許多有趣的課程、謎題、主題

like solar energy, gravity, and astronomy.

像是太陽能、重力和天文學。

If you visit brilliant.org/nutshell, or click the link in the description,

若造訪 brilliant.org/nutshell 或點擊敘述中的連結

you can sign up for free and learn all kinds of things.

你可以免費註冊並學習任何事情。

And, as a bonus for Kurzgesagt viewers,

並且作為 Kurzgesagt 的閱覽者的紅利

the first 688 people will also get 20% off their annual membership!

前 688 人每年會員資格將有 20% 的折扣！

With Brilliant, you finish your day a little bit smarter.

用 Brilliant 你每天聰明一點。

And, no Mars dust to deal with.

而且不用處理火星灰塵。

We promise!

我們發誓！

Can't get enough of Mars?

對火星資訊不足嗎？

We've also made a poster about it.

我們也有海報解說。

You can learn some more about the hardships of Mars colonization,

你可以了解到一些火星殖民的困難

or just look at the pretty colors.

或只看看那美麗色彩。

Go get it here!

從這裡開始吧！