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Adriana Marais: Mars One Candidate
Adriana Marais is not just another PhD student in the field of quantum biology – she is one of the remaining 705 candidates earmarked to establish a human colony on Mars in 2024.
“Having decided as a child to become an astronaut, I planned to study astrophysics or aeronautical engineering, but at the time became drawn to quantum mechanics, and eventually was led into research aimed at answering the question ‘what is life?’ and therefore the possibility of being part of the Mars project will most decidedly be the ultimate challenge for me.” In the meantime her time is spent fruitfully on various aspects in her field and her research is already being published nationally and internationally.
Mars adventure beckons
Since the age of 6, Adriana Marais had thought that, given the opportunity to get on to a spaceship and never return to Earth, she would take it.
For the 30-year-old Durban quantum biology PhD student, that dream might just become reality. Marais is one of 25 South Africans who have been short-listed for the second round in the application process for the out-of-this-world experience – the chance of becoming a pioneer on Mars, the Red Planet. She will be part of a planned human settlement, and has been shortlisted by Dutch-based company, Mars One from more than 200 000 people, down to 1 058 people from 140 countries.
SA women shine again in science awards
Two South African women receiving €15 000 towards their doctoral research. The majority of the 10 fellowship winners are based at South African universities.
The programme is meant to encourage women to conduct and complete doctoral research in the male-dominated field of science.
Adriana Marias (University of KwaZulu-Natal) is conducting research into quantum biology and Mpho Ivy Raborife (University of Witwatersrand) focuses on computer science.
UKZN students make Mars One shortlist
The last time man set foot on another planet was during the Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972! Now, thanks to the Mars One project, people could be walking on Mars in 2024 for the first time… and two UKZN students may be among them!
Ms Adriana Marais, a PhD candidate at UKZN’s Centre for Quantum Technology, and Mr Divashen Govender, a BSc student studying Applied Mathematics and Physics, have both made it into the Mars One final 100 as a result of personal online interviews with Dr Norbert Kraft, the Chief Medical Officer of the mission.
The power of quantum biology
A scientific response to the big question—“What is life?”—may remain elusive for some time, but research in the quickly emerging area of “quantum biology” offers intriguing possibilities.
As the name suggests, quantum biology is the application of quantum mechanics to the biological sciences.
South African and overseas postgraduate students and researchers gathered recently to discuss this new field. The National Institute for Theoretical Physics and the Centre for Quantum Technology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal convened a 10-day summer school earlier this year to consider this interdisciplinary field’s potential. The school drew participants from Europe, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The power of quantum biology
Credit: Originally published by the Mail & Guardian. A scientific response to the big question—“What is life?”—may remain elusive for some time, but research in the quickly emerging area of “quantum biology” offers intriguing possibilities. As the name suggests,...