Leaked White Paper Condemns NASA Life Sciences

WayneConrad writes "SpaceRef has a summary of a leaked Johnson Space Center white paper (pdf) that severely criticizes NASA's Life Science program. According to the paper, science is being done without proper controls, with too-small sample groups, and is often not relevant to the ISS's stated bioscience mission (to develop countermeasures against the deleterious effects of microgravity). The paper states,'NASA's founding fathers would turn in their proverbial graves at the sight of such a convoluted organization' and 'Voodoo science is not worth the cost. The limb of the fault tree Life Sciences is perched upon is perilously close to breaking.'"

Comments

Re:Effects of microgravity

[WayneConrad]

What do they need to research?

The effects of microgravity include:

• Increased heart rate, narrowed pulse pressure, reduced plasma volume, decreased heart chamber volume and facial edema
• Loss of bone mass
• Decreased muscle strength and endurance, muscle atrophy, and delayed muscle repair
• Loss of red blood cell mass, loss of hemoglobin mass, and loss of plasma volume
• Transient reduction in white blood cells
• Behavioral and psychological problems (it's not easy living in a can).
• Motion sickness

These will all need to be solved for any long missions like a trip to Mars using chemical propulsion; that's what I thought the stated goal of ISS Life Sciences is.

(More info here)

Scientific Article?

[neglige]

Well, if I had to peer review the white paper, it sure wouldn't score high on the scientific and language scale...

Figures 10 and 11 speak volumes to the point. These charts read more like a plan for the invasion on Normandy [...] (p. 23)

Honestly, the paper reads more like a rant than a suggestion on how to improve the processes. I'm not sure if the "paper" was intended to be scientific (if so, it failed) - I'm not even sure what the intention of the paper really is. Maybe venting some steam.

If he wanted things to get better, ticking off the people in charge with an agressive tone won't get him anywhere. Perhaps a friendly tone would have been as ineffective, but people would be more willing to listen.