Professor Christopher Mason, Weill Cornell Medicine, on the NASA Twins Study and Life Beyond Earth

8 Jul

Christopher E. Mason is a professor of Genomics, Physiology, and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and specialises in research on the long term effects of space flight on the human body. He is also the author of the thought provoking book, "The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds".

In this episode, Ben and Chris discuss Chris's role as principal investigator for the NASA Twins Study, the possibility of life on other worlds and whether Chris would be interested in a one way trip to Mars.

What you will hear in this episode

Intro to Professor Chris Mason, and the Lex Fridman podcast
The Mason Laboratory
Origins of the Twins Study, and the experiment year plan
The most surprising results of the Twins Study, and is the testing still going on?
What are telomeres?
Working with private companies and individuals in space
Safety of individuals on a mission to Mars
Mason Lab contracts
"The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds"
Where will humanity be physically in that time, and the even further future
Are we alone in the universe?
Is it inevitable that humans will merge with machines?
A day in the life of Professor Mason, and his proudest moments
Advice to young people interested in humans in space
Professor Mason in space, and a one way trip