Scientists have managed to launch rovers on the Red Planet, but what will it take to get a human on the surface?

Could their bodies survive the rigors of the seven-month journey plus the seven minutes of terror it takes to enter, descend and land safely on the surface of Mars? 

And could their minds cope with the isolation and the myriad psychological challenges they would be faced with?

Find out more on this special Mission to Mars Razor podcast. 

Go to https://stories.cgtneurope.tv/how-to-get-to-mars/index.html#group-section-Your-home-jw6Qr8akag to see some of the footage discussed in the podcast.

The natural ecosystems we depend upon are in crisis globally, with around a million species at risk of disappearing from the wild. Penguins feed in the ocean and breed on land, so they face dangers in both places – more than half of penguin species are threatened with extinction.

In this Razor Podcast special, our correspondent Sylvia Rowley takes a trip to the picturesque southeastern coast of Australia to learn more about the work of the conservationists trying to protect the little penguin.

On Phillip Island, about 140 km from Melbourne, Summerland Peninsula has become a refuge for penguins from humans and predators such as foxes. The colony there has bounced back from 8,000 to 32,000 birds and the whole ecosystem has flourished.

Go to https://stories.cgtneurope.tv/saving-the-little-penguin/index.html to see footage of the little penguins. 

Also if you want to see more RAZOR videos go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ and subscribe to our Youtube channel ‘Razor Science Show’. 

It’s long been known that fish swim in schools to protect themselves from predators, but could there be another reason? 

This week on the podcast, Shini Somara talks to Iain Couzin, professor of biodiversity and collective behavior at the University of Konstanz. His team has been placing robotic fish among schools to study the animals’ energy consumption. Couzin explains what we can learn from this study and why it could have real-world benefits for humans. [05:39].

Finally, in what’s exciting us in science this week, Emma Keeling tells us about a new eco-friendly rocketfuel and Shini explains the best way to transport rhinos over long distances. 

The Razor Podcast is going on indefinite hiatus while we redesign the program to bring you bigger and better content. In the meantime, if you want to look at the videos from these stories go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPxSZWJo7MVrWR7bLC45FQ.