New Mars Forums

Calliban

Member

From: Northern England, UK

Registered: 2019-08-18

Posts: 3,572

Cyborg life

On Earth, some of the first land organisms were lichen.  These are symbiotic organisms, consisting of a rigid fungal structure, providing a surface for algae, which produce the energy supply that both organisms need to survive.

Freeman Dyson hypothesised that Dyson Trees could be produced using genetic engineering to survive on icy comets.  Cyborg life is an extension of that idea.  It would consist of a combination of plant and machine, forming a symbiotic arrangement.  The plant would convert sunlight into biomass and oxygen, providing the machine with an energy source.  The machine would provide the pressure, enclosure and structure that the plant needs to survive.  The plants themselves would look rather like sunflowers.  A stem would carry the head of the cyborg plant, consisting of a reflective mirror, with a transparent plastic ball containing algae in solution.

The cyborg plants could be engineered to produce pressurised pods.  These would store oxygen for the cyborg and also provide an environment for other life to live in.  In a dense forest of Dyson Trees, the pods would form an interconnected network.  Waste heat generated by plants, would be carried down to their roots.  This would melt the ice, allowing the plant to harvest silicates.  Eventually, this would lead to a liquid layer beneath an ice crust, which would begin to melt the interior of the KBO.  Residual oxygen would bleed into this layer, gassing out to produce habitable oxygen filled voids under the ice.  Eventually, the root network would weave together, forming a dense of roots, that are strong enough to withstand internal pressure.

This is a level of bioengineering that is well beyond human technology.  But as we continue to advance, it may eventually be possible.  If it becomes achievable, we could seed KBOs with cyborg seeds and wait for growth of the plants to create a habitable environment for us.

Last edited by Calliban (2024-06-10 04:18:15)

---

"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 18,142

Re: Cyborg life

This post is reserved for an index to posts that may be contributed by NewMars members over time.
Best wishes for success with this interesting new topic.
(th)

Void

Member

Registered: 2011-12-29

Posts: 7,394

Re: Cyborg life

Well, you did make me think of a "Cyborg" of Human and Robot activity, possible for Titan.

While I do entertain solar for orbital Saturn, it makes lots of sense to say Fission for this with the possible use of microwaves.  And umbilical's, and inductive reactance may have a place in this.  Let's include lasers as well.  What I have in mind is fission reactors on the ground and in orbit of Titan.

While this would not be quite at the level you have posted about, it could be considered ancestorial to the processes you suggested that were inspired by Dyson.

I think that a nuclear-electric propulsion method used, could deliver these reactor devices to orbit and to the surface also using aerobraking and other atmospheric methods.  Reactors using various methods could keep robots on the surface and then under the surface, powered and heated.

Then to build up infrastructure.

This could be much more possible if it turns out that the dunes of Titan are at least in part made of comet dust.

Building up Titan this way, then perhaps something even more advanced could work with Triton and Pluto.  And over time with increasing task capabilities developed to get to the point to work with Comets, as you have suggested.

Done

Last edited by Void (2024-06-10 17:02:15)

---

Done.