THIS PROGRAM IS MADE BY MPT TO ENRICH ALL OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AND IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF OUR MEMBERS.

THANK YOU.

LIVE FROM MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION, THIS IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" WITH JEFF SALKIN.

♪♪] >> JEFF: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO YOUR "DIRECT CONNECTION."

COMING UP TONIGHT, THE FAR SIDE WE'LL HEAR FROM ONE OF NASA'S MOON EXPERTS ABOUT WHAT THE MISSION HOPES TO ACCOMPLISH.

FIRST TONIGHT JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT YOUR HEALTH IS Dr.

EKTA GUPTA, CHIEF OF GASTROENLTSDZ ROLLING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER MIDTOWN CAMPUS AND PROFESSOR AT THE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Jeff: ONE OF THE TRENDS IS THE INCREASED INCIDENTS IN COLORECTAL CAN SOCIAL SECURITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS IN YOUR PRACTICE?

>> ABSOLUTELY I'VE SEEN THIS TREND IN REALTIME IN MY PRACTICE AND THE TREND IS ALARMING.

SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO AND CREATE AWARENESS AMONG YOUNGER FOLKS.

>> Jeff: GIVE OUR VIEWERS ONE STATISTIC.

45% OF NEW CASES ARE OCCURRING IN ADULTS UNDERAGE 65.

30 YEARS IT WAS 27, 27 TO 45.

YOU SEE IT IN MUCH YOUNGER PEOPLE.

>> VERY RECENTLY, 10-15 YEARS BACK THE SCREENING CUTOFF AGE IS 45 ENTERTAINING THIS TREND AND WHAT WE ARE NOTICING NOWADAYS IS THAT THE TREND IS FURTHER TOWARDS YOUNGER AND YOUNGER PATIENT POPULATIONS YOUNGER THAN 45 WHEN THEY ARE NOT RECOMMENDED TO SCREEN.

THIS BECOMES AN IMPORTANT ISSUE WHERE THE YOUNG PATIENT POPULATION NEED TO RECOGNIZE THE RED FLAG SYMPTOMS ESPECIALLY BLOOD IN STOOL AND OTHER THINGS LIKE UNINTENTIONAL LOSS IN WEIGHT.

>> Jeff: LET'S LOOK AT THE SYSTEMS -- SYMPTOMS.

WE HAVE ONE GRAPHIC WITH FOUR THINGS HERE.

AND YOU MENTIONED BLOOD.

WORRISOME?

>> YES.

SO THAT IS LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT ONE NEEDS TO BE MINDFUL OF AND SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION NOT THINKING IT'S HEMORRHOIDS AND IGNORE IT AND TIME PASSES BY AND HERE WE HAVE A PROBLEM.

OTHER THINGS WOULD BE UNINTENTIONAL LOSS IN WEIGHT, CHANGE IN BOWEL HABITS, ABDOMINAL PAIN NOT GOING AWAY AND FATIGUE.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS ONE NEEDS TO BE MINDFUL FOR.

>> Jeff: PAIN AND BLOATING.

THERE'S CERTAIN FAST FOOD JOINTSES KNOWN FOR CAUSING GI SYMPTOMS HOW DOES SOMEBODY KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING YOU ATE?

MAYBE IRRITABLE BOWEL VERSUS SOMETHING SERIOUS?

>> ONE IF IT IS ASSOCIATED WITH RECTAL BLEEDING OR LOSS IN WEIGHT IT BECOMES AN ALARM SIGN OR RED FLAG SIGN.

BUT IF THE SPLEEN IS PREVENTING YOU FROM EATING AND THAT IS CAUSING THE, THEN IT RAISES ANOTHER LEVEL OF ALERTNESS THAT WE NEED TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

SO IT'S NOT JUST RELATED TO WHAT YOU EAT BUT THE PAIN IS NOT GOING AWAY.

SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.

PRELIMINARY TESTS ARE NEGATIVE BUT THE PAIN PERSISTS IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GET SEEN.

>> A MAJOR TREND LIKE THIS, I WANT TO KNOW WHY?

IS IT POSSIBLE THERE'S ONE FACTOR THAT IS CAUSING THIS?

IS IT A COMBINATION OF THINGS?

>> SO, AS I ALWAYS SAY, THERE IS NO ONE SMOKING GUN THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF FACTORS.

MOST IMPORTANTLY WHAT I TALK TO MY PATIENTS IS PROCESSED DIET.

IT'S VENTD THE FROZEN FOOD OR MEAL IN THE AISLE AND THEN YOU GRAB IT AND SUGGEST GOURE -- SUGARY DRINKS AND BE MINDSFUL OF MENTAL FACTORS IMPACTING OUR GUT.

EARLY EXPOSURE TO ANTIBIOTICS AND POLLUTION AND MICRO PLASTICS ARE THE OTHER THINGS.

BUT LIFESTYLE FACTORS LIKE IF YOU ARE MORE SEDENTARY NOT EXERCISING, HEAVIER IN WEIGHT AND OBESITY AND SMOKING AND ALCOHOL ARE THE OTHER FACTORS DRIVING THIS TREND.

>> Jeff: I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THIS, BUT IS THIS A GLOBAL TREND?

IS IT JUST THE AMERICAN DIET?

OR DO WE SEE IT IN OTHER PLACES?

>> IT'S MORE PREVALENT IN THE VES TERNE, THE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES BECAUSE WE HAVE EASIER ACCESS TO A MORE PROCESSED DIET.

BUT THE TREND IS INCREASINGLY NOTICED IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE WORLD AS WELL AS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

AND THERE IS A NICE STUDY IN WHICH THEY SHOWED THAT THERE IS A BACTERIAL STRAIN WHICH IS FOUND IN PEOPLE'S COLON WHICH IS A TOXIN PRODUCED BY E.coli.

AND STUDIES WERE SHOWN THAT THIS BACTERIA WAS LESS IN PATIENTS ON HIGH FIBER DIET.

SO SUGGEST THAT HIGH FIBER DIET OR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT ARE PREVENTATIVE WHEN IT COMES TO COLON CANCER AND THE PROCESSED DIET IS ONE WHICH IS DRIVING THIS TREND.

>> Jeff: WHAT ARE THE SCREENING RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WE CAN GET INTO THE OPTIONS FOR HOW YOU WILL BE SCREENED?

>> SO THE CUT IN SCREENING RECOMMENDATION IS THAT ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY AT THE AIM OF 45 -- AGE OF 45 NEEDS TO BE SCREENED.

IF YOUR DATE OF BIRTH IS FALLING AROUND 1980 AND ONWARDS, OR PRIOR TO THAT DATE THEY NEED TO BE SCREENED AND THE BEST TESTS ARE THE GOLD STANDARD TESTS IS A COLONOSCOPY BECAUSE IT'S DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC AT THE SAME TIME WE SEE SEE THE POLYPS AND REMOVE THEM AT THE SAME TIME NOTHING CAN GET BETTER THAN THAT.

BUT THERE ARE OPTIONS LIKE STOOL DNA TEST, WHICH ARE SHED IN THE STOOL SAMPLE AND THAT PROMPTS A COLONOSCOPY.

AND THERE ARE OPTIONS OF CT COLONNOGRAPHY AS WELL.

BUT AGAIN IT INVOLVES THE PREP AND INVOLVES THE [INAUDIBLE] AND DETECTS LESION.

THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO IT.

>> Jeff: IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT COLON CANCER, THE SCREENING TECHNIQUES CALL OR SEND US AN E-MAIL TO LIVE QUESTIONS@MPT.ORG.

LET'S TALK THE POLYPS IF YOU DO A COLONOSCOPY YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A POLYP AND THAT IS A PRECURSOR?

>> PRECURSOR TO COLON CANCER IF WE LET IT BE AND GIVE IT YEARS IT CAN TURN INTO COLON CANCER.

>> Jeff: SO IT TAKES A LONGTIME.

>> IT IS A SLOW GROWING CANCER BUT IT DOES PROGRESS IN FIVE TO 10 YEARS AND IN CERTAIN AGGRESSIVE FORMS OF CANCERS IT COULD BE QUICKER THAN THAT.

>> Jeff: AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WHEN YOU PERFORM A COLONOSCOPY YOU ARE LOOKING AT A TV MONITOR AND LOOKING FOR THE SIZE OF A PEA?

>> THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE IT IT COULD BE VARIABLE IN SIZE FROM A PEA-SIZE TO A BROCCOLI HEAD OR LIKE A BUNCH OF FLOWERETS OF CAULIFLOWER.

IT COULD BE A VARIATION OF DIFFERENT SIZES AND SOMETIMES IT CAN BE SUBTLE AND FLAT.

AND THOSE ARE THE ONES ARE NOTORIOUSLY KNOWN TO GET PROGRESSIVE TOWARDS CANCER.

>> Jeff: SO YOU MENTIONED IT'S THERAPEUTIC BECAUSE WHILE YOU ARE IN THERE, YOU CAN ELIMINATE IT AND THAT'S PERMANENT?

>> THAT IS HOW IT'S PREVENTATIVE.

AND THEN WE SEND IT TO PATHOLOGY WHERE A PATHOLOGIST LOOKS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE TO UNDERSTAND THE RISK FACTORS WHETHER IT'S PRECANCEROUS OR HAS HIGH CANCER RISK IN THE LESION.

AND BASED ON THE NUMBER AND THE SIZE OF THE POLYP AND THE PATHOLOGY IT'S RECOMMENDED TO HAVE A SURVEILLANCE EXAM IN ONE, THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS.

>> Jeff: VIEWER WANTS TO KNOW HOW OFTEN ARE THE FEMALE PATIENTS THAT YOU SEE FOR GI PROBLEMS FOUND LATER TO HAVE OVARIAN CANCER?

>> OVARIAN CANCER ALONGSIDE GI CANCER COULD BE PART OF GENETIC PREDISPOSITION.

OR GENETIC SYNDROME.

IF ONE TELLS ME THEY HAVE FAMILY HISTORY OF AGAIN CLOJIC CANCER, ALONG WITH POLYPS RECURRING FROM TIME TO TIME MORE FREQUENTLY THEN WE SEND THE PATIENTS FOR GENETIC EVALUATION WHERE THEY LOOK FOR GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED SYNDROMES.

>> Jeff: SO THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE AREN'T EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF GETTING A COLONOSCOPY, ONE IS THE NATURE OF THE PROCEDURE.

I MEAN IT IS A LONG TUBE AND YOU GET KNOCKED OUT FOR THIS.

>> YES.

>> Jeff: BUT NOBODY WANTS TO THINK ABOUT THIS STUFF.

AND ALSO, WE'VE ALL HEARD STORIES FROM PEOPLE ABOUT HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO DRINK THE PREP.

AND THE ROLE OF THE PREP IS TO BASICALLY MAKE YOU GO TO THE BATHROOM A LOT SO THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT IT.

>> SO THE PREP IS IMPORTANT.

AND NEEDLESS TO SAY IT CAN BE CUMBERSOME BUT WE HAVE MORE AND MORE BETTER FORMS OF PREP WHICH ARE LOWER IN VOLUME AS WELL AS BETTER IN TASTE AVAILABLE.

SO IT CAN BE FROM TWO EIGHT OUNCE BOGGSES AND TWO FOUR LITRE GALLON AND EASY PREPS ARE AVAILABLE MIXING MIR LAX WITH GATORADE SO PALATABLE.

SO THERE ARE MULTITUDE OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE A LOT ARE CONVENIENT.

SO AND THERE ARE TRICKS OF TRADE.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT, JEFF, BEFORE THE SHOW.

CHILL THE LIQUID 0 YOU IS KILL THE TASTE.

DRINK WITH A STRAW SO YOU KILL THE SMELL.

YOU CAN TAKE MINT LOSSAGES BETWEEN SIPS OF IT SO IT IS MORE SEAMLESS.

AND YOU CAN ALSO MIX RAMAN PACKET SEASONING IN THE PREP TO MAKE IT MORE INTERESTING.

>> Jeff: NOT THE NOODLES.

>> JUST THE SEASONING PACKET AND WATCH YOUR FAVORITE NETFLIX SHOW TO KEEP YOU DISTRACTED.

>> Jeff: THE KEY TAKEAWAY FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS HAVING SYMPTOMS GET CHECKED OUT.

FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS 45 WITH NO SYMPTOMS NO FAMILY HISTORY, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WANT TO DO THIS.

WHY SHOULD THEY DO IT?

>> IF THEY DON'T HAVE FAMILY HISTORY SO THERE IS SPORE RAT PARTICULAR -- SPORADIC COLORECTAL CANCER.

AND PARTICULARLY IF PEOPLE HAVE FAMILY HISTORY OF COLON CANCER THE FIRST DEGREE RELATIVE DEVELOPING COLON CANCER LESS OF 60 YEARS OF AGE THEY NEED TO START LIKE 45, THEY NEED TO START SCREENING 10 YEARS PRIOR TO THE INDEXED PERSON DIAGNOSED WITH COLON CANCER THAT INFORMATION IS CRITICAL AS WELL.

>> Jeff: Dr.

EKTA GUPTA IS THE CHIEF OF GI UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Jeff: AND WE WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

>> Jeff: NASA SAYS A HELIUM ISSUE WITH THE MOON ROCKET HAS BEEN FIXED THE FLIGHT COULD LAUNCH AS EARLY AS APRIL FIRST.

WE SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS INVOLVED, MARIE HENDERSON SHE IS WITH UMBC CENTER FOR SPACE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

>> I'M ONE OF THE TWO DEPUTY LUNAR SCIENCE LEADS ON THE ARTEMIS TWO MISSION I WORK WITH A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY.

AND SO I'M ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SCIENCE TEAM THAT HAS HELPED WITH THE TRAINING OF THE ARTEMIS 2 ASTRONAUTS AND FOR THEIR SCIENCE OBSERVATIONS AND WILL BE HELPING LEAD THE SCIENCE EVALUATION ROOM ONE OF THE BACK ROOMS IN MISSION CONTROL IN HOUSTON DURING THE MISSION.

>> Jeff: IN HOUSTON, YOU WILL BE SITTING THERE DURING THE MISSION.

I HAVE TO ASK AS SOMEBODY WHO SPENT A LOT OF TIME STUDYING THE MOON PART OF THE MISSION TO GO TO THE MOON THERE WILL BE FOUR HUMAN BEINGS WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE.

ANY SLIGHT AMOUNT OF JEALOUSY THERE?

>> IT'S, OF COURSE, A LITTLE BIT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, MY DREAM WAS ALWAYS TO BE INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT TO RETURN HUMANS TO THE MOON.

AND SO THERE IS THE PART OF MY DREAM GOING UP THAT WAS ALWAYS TO BE THE PERSON TO LAND ON THE MOON AND BE THE ASTRONAUT MYSELF.

BUT I FEEL IT'S REALLY A JOY THAT I CAN DO THE VERY NEXT BEST THING WHICH IS TO STILL BE A PART OF IT AND TO WORK WITH THE ASTRONAUTS AND SOMETIMES I EVEN GET THE CHANCE TO STEP IN WHEN BUSY TO BE A CREW SURROGATE.

SOMETIMES I GET TO PRETEND TO BE AS COOL AS THE ASTRONAUTS ARE TO HELP THE FLIGHT CONTROL TEAM PRACTICE.

EVEN THOUGH THERE'S DEFINITELY JEALOUSY THEY WILL BE SEEING THE THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE OUT THE WINDOW, I STILL CAN'T IMAGINE NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR THEIR VOICES WHEN THEY DO IT AND THAT EXCITEMENT WILL FLOW THROUGH ME.

>> Jeff: YOU ARE AWFULLY CLOSE TO IT THAT IS EXCELLENT.

LET'S FOCUS ON THE SCIENCE.

FOR THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT YOU KNOW, WE DID ALL THIS, LIKE 50 YEARS AGO, WHY ARE WE GOING BACK?

WHY ARE WE GOING BACK?

>> THERE IS A LOT MORE WE CAN LEARN GOING BACK TO THE MOON THIS TIME.

WE ONLY WENT TO A SMALL PORTION OF THE MOON DURING THE APOLLO PROGRAM.

THAT WAS ABOUT 300 HOURS OF THE APOLLO ASTRONAUTS SPENT ON THE SURFACE.

AND ONLY IN THE NEAR THE EXECUTORIAL REGIONS OF THE NEAR SIDE THIS IS A SMALL PORTION.

IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW YOU GO TO LIKE SIX PLACES IN THE U.S.

AND IN THE MIDWEST, AND YOU WONDER OH, I'VE SEEN THE PLANET NOW.

AND IT IS A REALLY INTERESTING THAT YOU WOULD HAVE MISSED THE GRAND CANYON, YOSEMITE, YOU WOULD HAVE MISSED THE ISLANDS OF FIJI IF YOU JUST DID THAT.

AND SO THERE IS A LOT MORE WE CAN LEARN BY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF PLACES THAT WE GO TO.

AND WE SEE THAT COMMON POW SIX ALI TO WHEN WE CAN DO MAPPING OF THE SURFACE FROM THE MOON FROM OUR INSTRUMENTS AND WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PULL OUT SOME OF THE AREAS WE VISITED THEY ARE SIMILAR BUT THERE IS A LOT OF OTHER PLACES ON THE LUNAR SURFACE THAT HAVE DIFFERENT CHEMICAL SIGNATURES SO THERE IS MORE WE CAN LEARN BY STUDYING NEW PLACES.

>> Jeff: ON THE SUBJECT OF THE MOON, THERE IS ACTUALLY A PERMANENT FAR SIDE IT IS NOT A DARK SIDE.

BUT IT IS THE FAR SIDE.

TELL US HOW THAT CAME TO BE, THE IDEA THAT HALF OF THE MOON HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SEEN BY, I THINK, 24 PEOPLE?

>> AND IT'S POTENTIALLY THE LESS THAN THAT.

BECAUSE, YES, WE DO HAVE THE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON WHICH IS BUT IT'S LIKE YOU SAID IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE DARK SIDE.

BUT WHEN HUMANS WENTZ TO THE MOON DURING THE APOLLO PROGRAM ALL OF THE SITES WERE ON THE NEAR SIDE OF THE MOON.

THE NEAR SIDE OF THE MOON WAS ILLUMINATED TO FACILITATE THAT LANDING AND THE FAR SIDE WERE NEVER ILLUMINATED.

THERE ARE PARTS OF THE MOON THAT HUMAN EYES HAVE NEVER SEEN AND IT'S STILL ONE OF THE VERY OPEN AREAS OF SCIENCE TO UNDERSTAND WHY LIKE HOW THE MOON BECAME TITLELY LOCKED AND WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.

BECAUSE THEY LOOK DIFFERENT THE TWO SIDES OF THE MOON.

WHEN YOU LOOK UP AT NIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE DARK PATCHES THE LAVA PLAINS THAT WE CALL THEM THE MARY ON THE MOON AND THOSE CAN GUIDE YOU.

WHAT IS INTERESTING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAPS ON THE FAR SIDE WE DON'T HAVE DARK LAVA PLAINS OVER THERE.

SO IT IS A VERY DIFFERENT SORT OF BALL GAME.

>> Jeff: YOU USED THE FRAME TITLELY LOCKED AS IF MY PHONE WAS ORBITING MY HEAD AND THE SCREEN SIDE WAS ALWAYS FACING ME AND THE FAR SIDE WAS ALWAYS AWAY.

IS THAT LIKE A COMMON THINGS IN SPACE?

>> WE HAVE SEEN OTHER MOONS SORT OF HAVE SOME OF THAT AS WELL.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING MORE.

AND UNDERSTANDING LIKE IS POTENTIAL -- ONE OF THE RUBBING HYPOTHESES IS THE NEAR SIDE OF THE MOON IS IT INCREASED DENSITY ONE OF THE REASONS THAT SIDE IS MORE -- WHERE THAT ATTRACTION BETWEEN THE EARTH AND THE MOON IS HAPPENING BECAUSE OF THAT INCREASED DENSITY.

THERE IS AN ACTIVE AREA OF RESEARCH THAT HOPEFULLY WITH BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND SOME NEW PERSPECTIVES WE WILL GAIN WITH ARTEMIS 2 WE CAN HELP TO CHIP AWAY THAT THOSE HYPOTHESES.

>> Jeff: IF THERE WAS TO BE A PERMANENT STATION A COLONY ON THE MOON WOULD YOU PUT IT ON THE FAR SIDE?

OR THE NEAR SIDE?

THE NEAR SIDE OBVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATIONS WITH EARTH?

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT DURING THE ARTEMIS PROGRAM.

THAT COMMUNICATION IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS OF BEING ABLE TO DO THAT.

BUT SOME -- THERE ARE ORBITAL SATELLITES YOU CAN PUT TO HELP WITH THE COMMUNICATION AS WELL.

THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR LIGHTING ENVIRONMENTS, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT DOWN AT THE POLES WHERE WE ARE ABOUT TO GO WE WILL HAVE EXTREME LIGHTING CHANGES AND THOSE LIGHTING CHANGES NEAR THE EQUATOR IS MORE PREDICTABLE.

SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT NEED TO GO IN INCLUDING YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO EASILY LAND AND TAKE OFF.

YOUR COMMUNICATION.

YOUR LIGHTING ENVIRONMENT.

AND THE TYPE OF SURFACE YOU ARE LANDING ON, I THINK, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND BEFORE WE MAKE A LOT OF THOSE DECISIONS.

>> Jeff: WHERE IS THE WATER?

BECAUSE PEOPLE IF THEY ARE THERE FOR AN EXTENDED TIME WILL NEED WATER.

AND THERE IS SOME BUT IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S SITTING SOME PLACE IN A LAKE, RIGHT?

>> THROUGH SOME OF OUR MINERAL LOGICAL OBSERVATIONS WE'VE SEEN EVIDENCE OF SPECTERRAL WATER BANDS THAT IS HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN TOGETHER SO IT GETS INTO THE DETAILS 2.9 MICRON WATER BAN IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO TO LOOK FOR PLACES WHERE THE WATER IS.

A LOST OF THOSE PLACES WE HAVE SEEN MORE EVIDENCE OF THIS IN THE SOUTH POLE WHICH HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR DRIVERS FOR THAT.

WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT HOW THAT WATER IS MANIFESTING.

WE KNOW IT'S IN LIMITED AMOUNTS.

BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF WE WILL SEE THIS AS IT'S PROBABLY IN THE FORM OF ICE BECAUSE OF THE TEMPERATURE BUT WE DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A LAYER OF ICE OR ICE MIXED OR LITTLE ICE GRAINS.

AND SO WHEN WE GET HUMANS ON THE SURFACE, WE'RE GOING TO BE EXCITED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WATER IS ACTUALLY IN THE SURFACE.

>> Jeff: WHEN WE DO GET SOME ASTRONAUTS BACK ON THE SURFACE, DO YOU WANT THEM TO BRING BACK MORE SAMPLES WHICH WAS DONE IN THE APOLLO MISSION, AND THE STUFF ON THE MOON IS PROBABLY SIMILAR, BUT CERTAINLY THE STUFF BROUGHT BACK IS BEING LOOKED AT WITH MORE MODERN EQUIPMENT.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DO YOU WANT THE ASTRONAUTS TO SOME DAY BRING BACK?

>> OH, WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE SAMPLES.

LIKE WHEN THEY GO TO THE SOUTH POLE, THE MOON CHEMICAL DIFFERENCES THAT WE SEE DOWN THERE IT'S ALSO A MUCH OLDER SURFACE ON THE MOON.

SO IT CAN TELL US A VERY DIFFERENT PART OF OUR MOON STORY.

AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO BRING A LOT SOME MORE SAMPLES BACK AND WE'LL HAVE DIFFERENT AGES AND DIFFERENT MATERIAL THAT WE COULD BE ABLE TO FIND.

AND ALSO, WE HAVE THANKFULLY DURING APOLLO THERE WAS THE FORESIGHT TO NOT ALLOW ALL OF THE SAMPLES TO BE TESTED IMMEDIATELY.

SOME STAYED IN A SAFE AND A COUPLE YEARS AGO THEY OPENED A NEW TUBE OF SAMPLE FROM APOLLO 17.

THINKING FORWARD WITH OUR NEW MODERN TECHNOLOGY TO BE ABLE TO ANALYZE THAT AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT ARE ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS WE MADE BECAUSE WE HAD ROCKS FROM A COUPLE OF PLACES THAT MAYBE AREN'T THE BEST ASSUMPTIONS TO HAVE MADE.

OR WHAT DID WE KNOW WE SHOULD BE HYPOTHESIZING ABOUT.

NEW SAMPLES FROM A NEW LOCATION IS GOING TO REALLY GIVE US MORE TO STUDY.

>> Jeff: I READ THAT YOU ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN THE VOLCANIC HISTORY OF THE MOON.

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT?

>> WHAT I SPECIFICALLY STUDIED IS HISTORY OF LUNAR VOLCANISM.

THERE ARE A DIFFERENT TYPES OF VOLCANISM WHICH WE SEE ON EARTH LIKE THE SLOW WOBBLE IN HAWAII THAT CREATES THE DARK LAVA PLAINS ON THE MOON THERE IS A HISTORY OF EXPLOSIVE VOLCANISM ON THE MOON.

WHEN YOU SEE THE ERUPTION THAT HAPPENED IN ICELAND THOSE YEARS AGO THAT HELPED SHUT DOWN THE AIR BLINDS THOSE EXPLOSIVE TYPES OF ERUPTIONS.

FOR SOMETHING TO BE THAT EXPLOSIVE A LOT OF TIMES IT NEEDS THE INFLUENCE OF WATER.

I SPECIFICALLY LOOK FOR THE HISTORY OF EXPLOSIVE VOLCANISM ON THE MOON BY LOOKING FOR GLASS.

BECAUSE GLASS FORMS WHEN THE MATERIAL COOLS BEFORE IT HAS THE CHANCE TO BUILD ANY CRYSTALS.

SO THAT HISTORY OF EXPLOSIVE VOLCANISM I'M LOOKING FOR GLASS AND ALSO TELLS US MORE ABOUT WHERE WATER MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN INTERACTION WITH THAT.

>> Jeff: AND THAT IS ANCIENT HISTORY, RIGHT?

>> COUPLE BILLION YEARS AGO.

FOUR BILLION?

>> Jeff: WE ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.

>> BUT, EVEN THOUGH THAT DOES FEEL SO OLD WE DO STILL SEE MODERN ACTIVITY ON THE MOON.

DURING THE APOLLO PROGRAM THEY PUT A SEISMIC STATION DOWN ON THE SURFACE FOR A YEARS OF YEARS IT COLLECTED DATA.

AND SOME OF THE -- WE THOUGHT MAYBE IT WOULD BE COLLECTING DATA OF IMPACTS ON THE SURFACE BUT THERE WAS DEEP SEEDED EARTHQUAKES ALSO.

THERE'S POTENTIALLY MORE THAT IS GOING ON THERE.

WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE SURFACE ANOTHER MARYLAND TEAM FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND THEY BUILT THE LENS INSTRUMENT ANOTHER SEISMIC STATION THEY WILL SETUP ON THE SOUTH POLE OF THE MOON AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE ARE THE EARTHQUAKES COMING FROM.

>> Jeff: ALL COOL STUFF, MARIE HENDERSON JOINING US FROM GODDARD, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Jeff: AND THAT IS "DIRECT CONNECTION" FOR THIS WEEK.

WE'RE BACK FRIDAY WITH "STATE CIRCLE" AND THE LATEST ON MARYLAND POLITICS.

JOIN US FOR THAT FRIDAY EVENING AT 7:00 P.M.

YOU CAN SEE OUR RECENT PROGRAMS AT VIDEO.MPT.TV.

NOW FOR ALL OF US AT MPT THANKS FOR WATCHING AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

[♪♪]