How to engineer humans for life beyond Earth | Christopher Mason | TEDxBoston
Christopher Mason discusses engineering human biology for space exploration, from analyzing molecular changes in astronauts to potentially modifying genes for survival on Mars and beyond. He argues that humanity has a duty to preserve and protect life across the universe, making space exploration not just an opportunity but a necessity.
Summary
Mason begins by highlighting the recent acceleration in space exploration, noting that we've broken through 70 years of slow progress with launches now happening almost daily. He discusses research from NASA's twin study with astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly, which revealed thousands of molecular changes occurring in the human body during space travel, though most revert to baseline upon return to Earth. The talk then shifts to proactive biological engineering for future Mars missions, where radiation exposure could exceed 1000 millisieverts. Mason's lab has successfully incorporated tardigrade genes into human cells, achieving an 80% reduction in DNA damage. He envisions a future where humans could activate dormant genes (like vitamin C production) and complete amino acid synthesis pathways using genes from other organisms. The research has moved from measuring biology to defending it through tools like CRISPR, which has already progressed from experimental to FDA-approved therapies. Mason expands the vision to planetary liberty, where humans could travel between planets and activate different genetic modifications for different environments. He addresses common objections about resource allocation by providing three justifications: society can make progress on multiple fronts simultaneously, space exploration provides hope for future generations, and humans have a unique duty as the only species aware of extinction and capable of protecting life. He emphasizes the rarity and fragility of life, noting Earth's history of mass extinctions during rapid temperature changes, and reveals that Earth's oceans will likely boil in a billion years rather than the commonly cited 4.5 billion. Mason concludes with the ultimate question of whether humanity should attempt to prevent the universe's eventual heat death, arguing that as potential guardians of all life, we may have no choice but to try.
Key Insights
- Mason's lab achieved an 80% reduction in DNA damage in human cells by incorporating genes from tardigrades, demonstrating practical genetic engineering for space radiation protection
- The lab has developed the ability to turn specific genes on or off with precise control, which Mason describes as something he thought was fantasy during his graduate studies
- CRISPR therapies have rapidly progressed from clinical trials to FDA approval in just 3 years for diseases like beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease
- Mason reveals that Earth's oceans will likely boil in about a billion years due to the sun's increasing luminescence, not the commonly cited 4.5 billion years until the sun engulfs Earth
- Mason argues humans represent a 'fourth kind of life' that is uniquely aware of extinction and ecosystem fragility, making us literal guardians of the galaxy with duties to all life past, present, and future
Topics
Transcript
[0:03] [applause] So, ever since humans have looked at the stars, they've always wondered, could we go to the moon, go to another planet and look what's up in that sky? And so, I want to walk you through a bit of some work we've done in our laboratory to help explore some of these places nearby on a planetary scale and then also what's coming far in the future. So in particular this plot of how uh the vision of getting to Mars and sustainably becoming an interplanetary species is is a vision for humanity for NASA for many space agencies and many companies. And what's extraordinary though is this was really impossible [0:34] until just the last few…
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