News Archive

Wednesday, December 20, 2000 Upcoming Future Cities Article A city on Mars. Credit: Don Dixon I'm working on a new article called "Future Cities." Hopefully it will be done by tomorrow but here's a sneak preview: We are told that the dome can withstand dust-storms of up to 600 kilometers an hour, but looking up above the tall city towers I'm skeptical. The air outside is thin and toxic, and one small rip in the thin, clear dome would leave the city and its 200,000 inhabitants to suffocate within seconds. Like most of the modern cities on Mars, this new dome is made of a plastic-like material that is weaker than aluminum foil. However, the guide tells us that since the atmospheric-pressure is so much higher inside the city than outside, the dome is effectively stronger than any material known to man. @ 18:48 EST