Perchlorates are not an issue to worms for a simple reason. They are not going to be released into the raw environment. All soil on mars is going to be mass processed before use. Perchlorates are easily neutralized with water. Iron is at toxic levels and will have to be reduced (resulting in a very cheap source of building materials.) Even heat is an issue. Not just worms but live soil will be an important import for mars (composting with mars dirt and biologic trash.)

It’s a process that is relatively easy to scale up. It will be an art to have the right mix of worm species for various functions.

https://youtu.be/eyuWHF8EJ84

And they have been here for many thousands of years. If it does not exist then what is everyone for thousands of years across cultures seeing and apparently interacting with? Im just asking questions here.

I tracked back a little deeper on these people; quite the progressive-operation, based in the Netherlands, and in full compliance & support of all European-union activities and regulations.

Considering how freaked-out people get over genetically modified organisms and glyphosate here on Earth, I want to know exactly which ultra-low calorie and nutrient-poor crops they intend to grow in martian dirt, using human waste.

Very fanciful.
Especially considering we are already in WW-3, our US debt is 20 trillion and we have 120 trillion in unfunded liabilities that aren’t going away.

tangentially– I find it hilarious that people don’t want to live near nuclear power-plants, but a certain fraction of these exact same people, desperately want to die travelling to & living in, the Little house on the Martian Prairie.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/toxic-compounds-may-sterilize-martian-soil/

I have often thought about what plant or fungus life we might be able to introduce to Mars to “Terraform” it, but it always comes around to the fact that the planet has no or little magnetic field shielding it and so it is bombarded by much too much radiation and there is little atmosphere. No magnetic field of consequence no atmosphere for plant life to flourish. Conclusion: Mars is a spent female dog who’s time and ability to support life, plant or otherwise seems to have passed?

So these terraforming activities it appears will have to be done exclusively within enclosures.

B: Simulant isn’t good enough.

C: It would be nice to see how fungus would do on Mars. It could be that terraforming might not even need atmospheric changes, just add lifeforms from Earth that have been here for almost ever.

Who needs trains when you can ride spice worms?

“our friend, the earthworm”
https://youtu.be/5P8Z5JOwfqM
4:06

One of my questions about the Mars simulant is it as “sharp” as the Mars soil is? And exactly how sharp is the Martian soil?
What I mean is that as rock is struck together and breaks it leaves very sharp edges. Especially as it gets down to sand size. This sharp sand tends to irritate worms and keeps them from moving through it as easily.

Its easy to dull the sand down a bit by just rolling it around in a small cement mixer for a few hours. This is why beach sand is “soft” and round, the waves do the work.

Imagine the long lasting giant drifts of leaves that would have filled the forest each autumn, before the introduction of the worms.

Honey Bees and Apples are also on the list of “alien” invaders…

Personally, I am highly dubious in-general of these “simulations,” whaddabout the “simulated gravity” in all this? Not a worm-person, but I’d speculate actual gravity, or fractions thereof, play a bit of a role in worm-mobility.

(I’m not really a Dune guy myself, [nor Harry Potter, nor Lord of the Rings,] although I did watch the 1984 movie version.)

PS: Thank you for dialing down the security requirements on CAPTCHA, now I do not feel as though I am trying to get into the Pentagon to post something.

Cotour: This clip only confirms my original opinion of the movie Dune. It was worse than bad. The acting in just this short clip is so badly directed it makes me cringe.

https://youtu.be/Bj7R_2WWdKs

(Before Wayne can post it)