PBS Idea Channel

Is Reality TV The Future of Space Travel? (3x47)

Air date: Mar 11, 2015

Okay, Mars One is decidedly cool, but also kind of crazy right? Nearly everyone with clout in the scientific community has spoken with extreme skepticism about the project, despite Mars One founder Bas Lansdorp’s overwhelming confidence in his mission. To which we at Idea Channel say… Sure! BUT WHY? Lansdorp wants to make Mars One one of the biggest broadcast spectacles of all time, and in a world of underfunded space programs, maybe this is actually the way we get to colonize space! Is framing colonization as entertainment our key to the stars?