This week, we are joined by Dr. Oskar Elek from the University of  California, Santa Cruz. We will be discussing his work seeking to  understand the Cosmic Web – the largest structures in the Universe –  through computer modeling and humble slime mold.   We'll also take a look at the future of farming on Mars, as a new study  examines how to turn Martian topsoil into a fertile growing medium for  Martian colonists of the future. We will examine the origin of water on  planets, and find clues to the chemistry of the early Solar System in a  Martian meteorite. And, in the dark recesses of the early solar system,  we see an ancient ice planet that may have forever shaped our family of  planets before heading out to the void of space.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/the-cosmic-companion/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-cosmic-companion/support Get full access to The Cosmic Companion at thecosmiccompanion.substack.com/subscribe