Should We Colonize Venus Instead of Mars?
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN links it in Mars-colonization threads as a concise case for Venus.
What it is
A PBS Space Time episode asking whether Venus would be a better colonization target than Mars. It covers Venus's habitable altitudes, floating balloon habitats, and the term surfacism.
Recommended by 4 HN commenters across 4 different months, 2016 to 2022.
What Hacker News said
Recommends anthony_doan · 2019-07 · on “A material way to make Mars habitable”
I wish we would focus on Venus. It have similar gravity to Earth's. There is an excellent video about it [this video] .
Recommends gkfasdfasdf · 2019-09 · on “Venus’ Ocean of Air and Clouds”
This idea is explored in an episode of the excellent PBS Space Time: [this video] In short, Venus has many advantages over Mars.
Recommends guerrilla · 2020-09 · on “Mars Problems vs. Venus Problems”
Don't miss the PBS Space Time episode suggesting we should colonize Venus instead of Mars which gives some good arguments and goes through the basics. [1] [this video]
Recommends tzs · 2020-11 · on “Screw the Mars hype. Here's why we should move to Venus”
PBS Space Time did a short (7 minute) episode called "Should We Colonize Venus Instead of Mars?" [1] that gives several advantages Venus has as a colonization target compared to Mars (and covers some of the difficulties). [1] [this video]
Cites grondilu · 2016-09 · on “Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species”
Thought about that as well. There's a nice PBS Space Time episode where they invented a word about it : "surfacism". [this video]
Cites wallace_f · 2017-09 · on “NASA Designed a Low-Tech Rover to Survive Venus”
Interestingly, there is actually a case to be made that Venus may be more feasible to colonize than Mars. It has been argued the lack of attention to Venus has more to due culture than science. PBS Spacetime did an episode on this: [this video]
Cites wallace_f · 2017-10 · on “A “negative emissions” plant has opened in Iceland”
>Mars, not easy; Venus, impossible Mars may very well be much easier, but the bias towards Mars may also be largely cultural: [this video]
Cites stcredzero · 2017-11 · on “Closest Temperate World Orbiting Quiet Star Discovered”
Venus is pretty sweet as it is. Go high enough in the atmosphere, and you have about Earth atmospheric pressure and room temperatures. That altitude in the Venus atmosphere is effectively an Earth biosphere sized almost-Earthlike living space. One convenient circumstance: A breathable Earthlike atmosphere will float at that altitude, so it would be easy to live in floating balloon habitats. [this video] [LINK]