Potatoes Could Be Grown on Mars

 

In the 2015 film “The Martian,” Matt Damon’s character is a scientist left behind on Mars¹.

He has limited food supplies and not much water. He tries to figure out how to survive so he can be rescued.

Luckily, he knows how to grow things. And one of the things he grows is a potato plant.

A year later, scientists in Peru and NASA scientists in California started working together on growing potatoes in a harsh² location similar to Mars.

They built a container where they could simulate³ the conditions on Mars. The salty soil came from the southern coast of Peru, where there is very little rain.

Inside the “Mars-in-a-box,” the scientists made the air pressure similar to what it is like at 6,000-meters, decreased the temperature below zero, and added carbon monoxide to the air.

They made a lighting⁴ system that followed Mars’ daytime and nighttime.

They planted 65 types of potato plants, and waited. After a while, four of them grew.

Later, the scientists took the strongest of the four plants and tried again. This time, they used crushed⁵ rocks instead of soil.

The plant still grew.

Why is the research being done in Peru?

You may not know that Peru is known as the birthplace of potato farming. People grew potatoes there about 7,000 years ago. Even in cold, barren⁶ parts of Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, potatoes still grow.

There is also a potato research center, called the International Potato Center, in the capital city, Lima.

The surviving potato in the Mars-in-a box is known as Unique.

It can still grow in freezing climates with high amounts of carbon dioxide.

The research is not only for a trip to Mars one day.

It is going to help feed people in parts of the world that are already having trouble planting traditional crops due to climate change.

The work is not yet done.

The scientists in Peru and California will try to grow more plants in even more difficult conditions.

I’m Dan Friedell.

Words in This Story

character - n. a person who appears in a story, plkay or movie

simulate - v. look feel or behave like (something)

carbon monoxide - n. a poisonous gas that is formed when carbon is not completely burned

barren - adj. not suitable for plants

1 Mars   

n.火星，战争

参考例句：

• As of now we don't know much about Mars.目前我们对火星还知之甚少。
• He contended that there must be life on Mars.他坚信火星上面一定有生物。

2 harsh   

adj.严厉（酷）的，刺耳的，刺目的，毛糙的

参考例句：

• The sunlight is very harsh.太阳光很刺眼。
• Although his words are harsh,there is positiveness in them.虽然他的话很苛刻，但有建设性。

3 simulate   

vt.模仿，模拟，假装，冒充

参考例句：

• The wood had been painted to simulate stone.木头上刷了漆以看起来像块石头。
• A sheet of metal was shaken to simulate the noise of thunder.猛力抖动金属片以模仿雷声。

4 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

5 crushed   

a.压碎的，倒碎的

参考例句：

• The car was completely crushed under the truck. 小轿车被卡车压得完全变形了。
• The box was crushed when the car ran over it. 汽车辗过箱子时把它给压碎了。

6 barren   

adj.贫瘠的，不（生）育的，没有结果的

参考例句：

• The place used to be a stretch of barren land.早先这里是一片不毛之地。
• The barren land could produce little food.那贫瘠的土地几乎不长庄稼。