#181 From Mars to Bushfires: Dr Eriita Jones Brings Planetary Science Back Down to Earth

This episode leaves Earth's oceans behind, almost.

Planetary scientist Dr Eriita Jones from Curtin University joins Sarah to explore what it really takes for a planet to support life, from deep-sea hydrothermal vents to supercooled microbes floating in Earth's stratosphere.

Eriita explains why Europa, Enceladus and Mars remain the solar system's most tantalising candidates for extraterrestrial oceans, shares the ethical questions she believes should come before any human mission to Mars, and reveals how her Mars-hunting techniques are now helping predict bushfires and floods right here at home.

Plus: how accurate is *The Martian*, really, and how you can get involved in real space science through citizen projects like the Desert Fireball Network.

More Information

https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/

https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/impact-flash/

https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/planet-hunters-tess/

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