Mars One finalist speaks out, says Dutch non-profit likely scamming its rubes

Ars has voiced its skepticism of the Mars One plan ever since news of it broke, and it seems that double-take was warranted. Today, writer Elmo Keep published an interview with Dr. Joseph Roche, a professor at Dublin's Trinity School of Education with a PhD in physics and astrophysics who happened to be a Mars One finalist. Though Roche advanced to the inner circle, he spoke out to detail some of his sketchy behind-the-scenes dealings with Dutch non-profit Mars One.

The Mars One pitch was this: the company would accept applications from people all over the world who were willing to take a one-way trip to Mars. The winning applicants would get a seat on the first manned mission to Mars, but the catch was that they might die in the process.

The plan opened up some interesting conversation-is exploration so intrinsic to an individual that one could give up their life for it? Many dreamers said it was and they could.

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