St, Nicholas. "If Mars Is Colonized, We May Not Need to Ship In the Bricks." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/science/mars-soil-bricks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfrontA study shows that the material needed to build a civilization on Mars may already exist in the soil. Qiao, a materials scientist and engineer states that the moon does not have these resources in the soil that Mars has. Qiao and other scientists experimented by using a substance that is like the material on Mars chemically and physically, but is made from Earth. The researchers found that they could form the dirt into bricks with the correct pressure. They called the substance Martian soil stimulant. This could work on Mars without heat or water and would be very strong. The scientists wondered, though, how the bricks were staying together without a bonding agent. They suspect "that the iron oxide, which gives the soil its red color, acts like a glue to hold the particles together." More research will be done to experiment what the bricks do in climate like Mars's and if there is possibly more material that can be used to build a civilization on Mars.
This article affects society as scientists have always wondered whether there could be civilization on Mars. Finding material that could be used to build a civilization that already exists in Mars's soil is one step closer to having life there. Although since no one has ever even been to Mars, I'm not sure how long it will be until there is a civilization there.
The author had many strengths. The article was concise and had many quotes and statistics to back up the argument. The only thing that the article needed improvement on was explaining when they thought the civilization was going to happen. Overall, the article was very well done.
Olivia Doyle
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
11 September 2017
St, Nicholas. "If Mars Is Colonized, We May Not Need to Ship In the Bricks." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/science/mars-soil-bricks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
This week, I read Emily’s review of a New York Times article discussing an experiment done on Mars that may indicate Mars has the material needed to one day construct houses and buildings if the planet is colonized. Scientists experimented by using a substance that is similar chemically and physically to the soil on Mars to test this hypothesis. Emily wrote a solid summary on the article and incorporated quotes based on scientists’ observations. The use of direct quotes from the article informs the reader of scientists’ opinions based on what they found, which is essential for the reader’s understanding of the experiment. In addition, Emily mentions where scientists will go next from this experiment in their tests of what the bricks will do in a climate like Mars’s. The inclusion of this information informs the reader of the importance of this experiment, in that the scientists see future success in the results they obtained. Lastly, Emily discussed the experiment’s impact on science as a whole, saying “Finding material that could be used to build a civilization that already exists in Mars's soil is one step closer to having life there.” This engages the reader by putting the experiment in a larger context.
Although Emily’s review was well-written, it should have been more detailed. Her summary was sufficient, as the article was not very long-- however, her analysis of the author’s strengths and weaknesses should have been more in depth. She should have expanded on her idea of the author’s improvements in “explaining when they thought the civilization was going to happen”. An in-depth analysis of the author’s writing would have made Emily’s review more credible, and shown the reader her perspective on the topic. Additionally, in her paragraph about how this experiment affects science, she should have provided more background information about potential life on Mars, and how the discovery of this material could allow for colonization.
I found this article very interesting, as the possibility of sustaining life on another planet is fascinating. With the discovery of this material, colonists will be able to build houses and other structures necessary for maintaining a living on Mars. This article made me interested in the growing discussion of the possibility of water on Mars’ moons, which would also allow for colonization. I am interested in seeing what other experiments scientists conduct on Mars that would allow for life to flourish.