Posted by tourdemars to Terraforming at August 3, 2001 12:00 PM

Are we the new Martians? No, we’re not talking about alien abductions doing fiendish things to our DNA; we’re dealing here with the eventual colonisation of Mars by ourselves, by converting the red and seemingly dead planet into a home for future human generations. And rather than any future settlers having to lead a confined and precarious existence in space suits and sealed domes, as protection against the decidedly hostile Martian environment, a growing school of thought suggests that it might well be possible - using already existing technology - to transform that forbidding planet into a world far more conducive to human habitation. "Terraforming" is the name of the game - the idea of altering an unfriendly planetary environment to suit us - and it is discussed at length in a forthcoming episode of BBC1’s current Space documentary series, presented by the actor Sam Neill.