National Geographic's MARS Under the Stars Screening was at E.P. and L.P in West Hollywood. The drink menu was space inspired and the foodies were pleased too.
I got the chance to ask a few questions to Stephen Petranek, MARS scientific advisor, co-executive producer and Big Thinker; award-winning author of How We'll Live on Mars, upon which the series is based
1) Do you think humans living on Mars is too ambitious an idea?
There is really very little that's ambitious about humans wanting to live on Mars or being able to do so, because we've had all the technology we need to accomplish that for at least 30 years.
In the early 1970s, as the Apollo program was coming to an end, Werner von Braun, the great NASA rocket scientist, proposed that we land humans on Mars next. He thought it could be done by 1985. (We haven't had the rocket to do it until recently when SpaceX successfully tested its Falcon Heavy Rocket and NASA tested its SLS rocket, but that is a matter of will and investment.
The old Saturn 5 rocket that got us to the Moon reconfigured with more power in the second and third stages or with a fourth stage could have gotten us there long ago.) From habitats to space suits to growing food in greenhouses using the Martian soil, we're prepared. We have the technology we need to keep people alive on Mars indefinitely. That said, there would be enormous challenges and probably some dramatic failures along the way.
2) I am allergic to Penicillin, should I avoid space?
You're probably referring to the primitive microorganism we find on Mars in the series that threaten the Colonists. We don't know yet if there actually is life on Mars, but it is more doubtful than probable. And we don't know if that life will be threatening to humans. But we have many tricks up our sleeve, like sulfa drugs, that can attack a primitive bug we might become exposed to.
3) With what you have learned about Mars, and if you could go, how long would it take to prepare and how do you prepare?
You don't really have to prepare much as a passenger for the kind of Mars rocket that Elon Musk foresees SpaceX building. Yes, you'd need a few hours of training to know what to do in an emergency (not unlike what flight attendants go through for commercial airlines). And yes, you would be wise to build up your strength before the journey because you'll lose about 1% of your muscle mass for each month of weightlessness on the journey there.
That said, on Mars you won't need nearly as much muscle strength as on Earth, because Mars only has 38% as much gravity force as Earth.
You would be wise to get involved in some serious talk therapy before you go to be certain your subconscious mind agrees with your conscious thoughts about what a glorious adventure it would all be. Psychological, rather than physical, health will be far more important if you leave Earth on a one-way trip to Mars.