What would it be like to work on Mars? A team of seven intrepid explorers just returned from four months on an Arctic island, where they attempted to duplicate some of the living and working conditions that might be faced by a future Mars exploration team. In this hour, we'll talk with the leader of the FMARS 2007 mission about the project, and what the team found.

Then, we'll talk about a growing trend in medicine -- the retail clinic. Across the country, limited-service medical clinics are springing up in unusual places, from grocery stores to airports. But is it a good idea to get a medical diagnosis while you wait for the grocery store deli to finish slicing your order of cold cuts? We'll talk about what consumers should keep in mind when considering using such a clinic.

Finally, a look at an unusual part of space. Scientists studying several maps of space have found a space nearly a billion light-years across that contains nothing -- no stars, gas, or galaxies, and not even any of the mysterious dark matter that astronomers believe makes up much of the universe. We'll talk to two of the astronomers who performed the study about their work and what it might mean to find nothing.

Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (2-3 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Melissa Battler
Commander, FMARS 11 Long Duration Mission
Graduate Student in Planetary Geology at the University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

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Larry S. Fields, M.D.
Board chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians
Family physician
Ashland, Kentucky

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Lawrence Rudnick
Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Astronomy
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Liliya Williams
Associate Professor, Department of Astronomy
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This segment produced by Charles Bergquist