Episode 1: This Is the Way Up

The podcast explores the psychological challenges of long-term isolation through the lens of the HI-SEAS experiment, a Mars simulation in Hawaii. It introduces the six volunteers who will spend a year in a habitat, cut off from the outside world, and examines the selection criteria for the crew, highlighting the historical preference for athletic and adventurous individuals. The narrative recounts the crew's final days of freedom, including a mapping exercise where initial disagreements foreshadow potential conflicts. Lynn Levy reflects on the crew's motivations for participating in the experiment, contrasting their adventurous spirit with the potential difficulties of confinement and isolation. The podcast sets the stage for the crew's experiences inside the habitat.