Leading article: Children of the stars
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Bad news for all those who fancied the idea of having a baby in outer space. It almost certainly won't happen. According to three scientists who have looked into the business of human beings colonising other bits of the galaxy, a pregnant woman moving through space is likely to be so bombarded with cosmic radiation that the chances of her egg remaining fertile are remote.
But do not be dismayed. The same scientists who brought this bad news say that were humans actually to reach another destination, such as Mars, they could potentially shield themselves from the damaging rays by concealing themselves using a wall of Martian mud. Apparently, this substance is very thick and resistant to cosmic radiation, so there is a faint possibility of the human species being able procreate in space after all, if only behind walls of mud.
This obviously raises cheering possibilities for those who cannot bear to part with the idea that, one day, people will be busy populating other planets. It is comforting, perhaps, to know there might be another planetary bolthole once we have rendered earth uninhabitable. But might it not be smarter to manage the planet that we are on now more wisely? That way, we could forget about reproducing on Mars.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments