Lucy Lawless, Star Of 'Spartacus: Vengeance,' Answers Six Science Questions

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.

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Comments

[HowthCastle]

07:10 PM on 02/22/2012

These are science questions?

[GustavoRejivik]

05:25 PM on 02/13/2012

She is so hot on Spartacus .. she was only a Tease in Xena .. Showtime reveals a fully nude Lucy Lawless in all her Glory .. repeatedly !! Hot, sexy, .. the show is awesome overall.

[TAChem46032]

11:10 PM on 02/12/2012

Xena! I soooo had the hots for her as Xena. Now that she's talking nerdy, she's all the more hot :)

[ZenSufi]

02:11 PM on 02/12/2012

I want Gabrielle to answer some engineering questions.

[Cayce58]

09:27 PM on 02/10/2012

I saw her on the Tonight show with Carson and she is so not the warrior princess. She was downright sweet. Nice to know she is smart and funny too.

[Levonsky]

02:01 PM on 02/10/2012

If time travel were possible, what day/era would you want to get to? Why? What would you do? Whom would you meet?

anytime where modern dentistry and medicine are known.

[SwiftJonathan]

04:27 PM on 02/09/2012

The questions are plain stupid... but she shows a strong sense of humor.

[Mr Crabs]

09:31 PM on 02/08/2012

I'm glad she didn't say Steve Jobs needs cloning. Although I personally would have chosen Einstein, or Newton, think what they could do with today's access to information? But then again cloning doesn't guarantee the same person.

But Lucy Lawless seems like a genuinely intelligent celebrity, great for a change. Not someone who just jumps on the latest fad and espouses nonsense just as readily as any conservative yahoo.

[Mariana Siegmann]

07:28 PM on 02/08/2012

I like to clone Lucy Lawless.

[ZenSufi]

02:10 PM on 02/12/2012

That's against the Law.

[DavidKashfi]

05:30 PM on 02/08/2012

Very impressive answers from Lucy.

[onionboy]

04:45 PM on 02/08/2012

Shhhhh...don't make a scene.

But she's a frackin' cylon!

[Genders]

04:02 PM on 02/08/2012

good laugh, thanks.

[jf12]

03:03 PM on 02/08/2012

LL cool.

[TakeSake]

01:17 PM on 02/08/2012

Lucy, thanks for the witty and provoking answers. They are very much in form with the morality and philosophy displayed throughout XWP.

[Keith Roragen]

09:22 AM on 02/08/2012

These are not science questions.

[Jim NLN]

01:35 PM on 02/08/2012

Good, because Lucy is not a scientist. Lawless? Really? Lawless? I bet that is not even her real name!

[draemi82]

02:12 PM on 02/08/2012

Lucy was married to a Garth Lawless in her 20's so yes that is her name. I'm pretty sure she had never said she was a scientist either. People have to much time on their hands if you got to pick apart things like this. Ha.