麗莎 尼普: 人類將會如何演化到能在太空生存

人類將會如何演化到能在太空生存

如果我們希望有一天，可以離開地球去探索宇宙，我們的身體必須要有更強大的能力來適應嚴酷的太空環境。運用合成生物學，麗莎 尼普（Lisa Nip）希望利用地球上微生物的特殊能力，比如，抵抗輻射的能力，來讓人類更能適應宇宙。尼普說：「我們已經來到一個可以利用科技來決定我們遺傳命運的年代。增加人體的能力已經不是『如何』的問題，而是『何時』的問題。」

Human bodies are ill-equipped for the brutal realities of space, where even a year in microgravity weakens bones and muscles. Advances in synthetic biology now let scientists redesign microbes and plants to thrive in alien conditions, and could one day give humans new abilities such as radiation resistance. Instead of relying solely on machines, engineering life itself may be the key to surviving interplanetary journeys and hostile new worlds. As humanity approaches the power to shape its own evolution, it must weigh the promise and peril of rewriting what it means to be human.