Study: Potatoes can grow on Mars
From the article:<p>"The box mimics the day-night patterns of Mars, as well as its temperature, air pressure and atmospheric composition."<p>Wait, really? They're growing plants in what's practically a vacuum and at subzero temperatures? <i>Really?</i> That seems... stupendously unlikely... to me. Not that I wouldn't love to be wrong, mind.<p>Anyone have a link to actual data? Everything linked to is just press fluff.<p><i>Update:</i> Actual articles on growing plants at very low pressure:<p><a href="https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/25feb_greenhouses/" rel="nofollow">https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2004/2...</a> --- at 1/10 of an atmosphere, plants' metabolic balance gets screwed up and they go into drought response and die, no matter how much water is actually available.<p><a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2009.0362" rel="nofollow">http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/ast.2009.0362</a> --- but lichen's probably fine.