Marco Buttu

There are eight billion individuals on our planet, and every one of them interacts with a variety of living things on a regular basis. Bacteria, viruses, dogs and cats, insects, birds, trees, and flowers are all part of our lives and accompany us on this ephemeral and mysterious journey cadenced by the alternation of day and night. Yet, although it may seem unbelievable, there are exceptions: some humans do not even have a bush, an ant, or a bacterium to keep them company, nor even the sun. They find themselves far from any form of life, even more isolated than the astronauts aboard the International Space Station; they are unreachable from the rest of the world, without the possibility of rescue. Immersed for several months in total darkness in the freezing cold of -80°C, they enjoy the silent company of the stars in solitude. They live in a truly abnormal environment, in which wounds heal over a long period of time and breathing is difficult because of the lack of oxygen. They struggle to sleep, and their skin is always dry because there is very little moisture in the air. There are no planes passing by, no leaves flying in the wind, and no scents or colors. Everything is static, white, and flat in every direction. It is a place that looks more like another planet than like Earth; that is why we call it White Mars.

For the third time, I find myself in this bizarre setting, living as a protagonist in a kind of science fiction movie. I am part of a team of thirteen people, and we carry out a series of scientific experiments in various fields, such as glaciology, astronomy, and the physics of the atmosphere. Even human biology, because we are the subjects of experiments ourselves, as the European Space Agency studies us to understand how the body adapts to an extraterrestrial environment, so as to better plan a future mission to Mars.

Here on White Mars, it is not only the environmental conditions that are abnormal but also the daily routine: we do not pay bills, there is no traffic, we do not have to assimilate the barrage of news from the various media, nor do we have to comply with the enormous amount of commitments that characterize the hectic pace of modern society. So I find myself in an ideal condition to practice yoga and meditate, to write and reflect on the reality we perceive as absurd as a dream.

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