As part of HuffPost Science's new Celebs Talk Science series, we challenged Lucy Lawless, star of "Spartacus: Vengeance" and best known for her role in "Xena: Warrior Princess," to answer six quirky science questions.
1. If you could reengineer the human body, what is one thing you would change?
I would have a dual respiration system so that we could convert our breathing from oxygen to carbon dioxide to carbon dioxide to oxygen and back again. Of course we'd be excreting coal dust, which would be murder on the soft furnishings. Not sure what to do about that. Black sheets?
2. If you could clone one person, who would that be? Why him/her?
Inventor Dean Kamen. Not only is Dean a brilliant innovator in the world of science, engineering and design, he is a great humanitarian and communicator. Dean is involved in all kinds of projects to solve the world's ills. From his beloved F.I.R.S.T robotics campaign to stimulate kids' interest in engineering, to Segways and robotic arms for war veterans who've lost limbs, to water machines for the 3rd World, this man is behind it all. I believe Dean deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his dauntless service to humanity.
3. Imagine there's an open seat on the first mission to Mars. Would you sign up?
Hell, no. I'm a landlubber, not a space man. (Though I have played one on TV.)
4. If you could be any animal but a human, which animal would you be and why?
A wild horse. For their majesty and strength and their self-determination
5. If time travel were possible, what day/era would you want to get to? Why? What would you do? Whom would you meet?
I would go forward and ask my great grandchildren what they wish we'd done better. Though I'm afraid I already know the answer to that. We have to move on climate change NOW. Or our grandchildren will damn us for our sheer laziness and cruelty.
6. If scientists were to create a real-life "invisibility cloak," how would you use it?
I have one of those in my closet. Just a heads up, they're really hard to keep clean. I'd tell you what I use it for but then I'd have to kill you. No, really!
Watch Lucy Lawless on Spartacus: Vengeance on STARZ on Fridays at 10 PM ET/PT.