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'Mouse-Tronaughts' to Test Low-Gravity in Space

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the rodents-in-space dept.

RandBlade writes "The Telegraph has an article about plans to launch mice into space with simulated low-gravity for five weeks, to test the effects of low-gravity on their bodies. This "will be the first time mammals of any kind have lived in partial gravity for an extended period." Hopes are that this will provide information useful for plans to launch men to Mars, which has one-third of the gravity of Earth."

13 of 276 comments (clear)

  1. First time for mammals by baryon351 · · Score: 5, Funny

    > This "will be the first time mammals of any kind have lived in > partial gravity for an extended period."

    As opposed to those reptilian astronauts.

  2. Mouse-Tronaughts? by Tirel · · Score: 5, Funny

    so people in space are what? Homo-tronaughts?

    1. Re:Mouse-Tronaughts? by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Funny

      "so people in space are what? Homo-tronaughts? "

      That's what we were prepared to call Lance Bass.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  3. 'naut' == 'naught'? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not!

  4. I remember doing this by ReidMaynard · · Score: 3, Funny

    with those solid rocket kits back in the 1960's.

    We did it with hamsters, if I remember the control hamster got fatter than astro-hamster, but since there were just the two hamsters, well ...

    --
    -- www.globaltics.net

    Political discussion for a new world

  5. Re:They contradict themselves in the article by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

    Oh, wait a sec - it's the Daily Telegraph. Seriously, it's like the British newspaper equivalent of Slashdot.

    So the readers actually do all the work of writing articles, and tomorrow's edition will have the same exact story?

  6. Re:Reproduction in space by Richard+W.M.+Jones · · Score: 3, Funny
    Can people reproduce on other planets? Can any earth creature?

    I don't know, but I'm willing to give it a try!

    Rich.

    --
    libguestfs - tools for accessing and modifying virtual machine disk images
  7. Mice in space? by FrostedWheat · · Score: 4, Funny

    They're Pinky and the Brain?

    Pinky: What are we gonna to tommorow night Brain?
    Brain: Same thing we do every night Pinky. Try to take over the space capsule!

  8. i think there's been a misunderstanding by real_smiff · · Score: 5, Funny
    People in space *are* Astronauts (from the greek astron, meaning star, and naut, meaning sailor).

    Unfortunately this means 'Mousetronauts' are people who sail into mice. Right, perhaps someone should call the paper.

    --

    This is my Sig, this is my Gun. One is for Slashdot and one is for Fun.

    1. Re:i think there's been a misunderstanding by Zalgon+26+McGee · · Score: 3, Funny

      So what should we call Richard Gere?

      --

      ---

      Book(n): Utensil used to pass time while waiting for the TV repairman

  9. Just a means of escape... by interactive_civilian · · Score: 3, Funny
    Those mice are just so damn clever.

    Obviously, this is simply a means for more of them to escape and take data back to their own dimension before the Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyperspatial bypass route 5 minutes before its task is complete.

    Cursed Vogons.

    Of course, pretty soon NASA will be wishing that they had gotten us to Alpha Centauri to file our complaints...oh well...at least they won't be bitter for very long...

    ;-)

    --
    "Empathise with stupidity, and you're halfway to thinking like an idiot." - Iain M. Banks
  10. Re:isn't this pointless? by madpierre · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hamster + Wheel + Dynamo = Electricity

    No more flat batteries in our mars rovers.
    And as a bonus the Hamster could be trained
    to re-boot the cpu in case of glitches.

    --
    siggy played guitar
  11. Re:Reproduction in space by DrLudicrous · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hope your tube is heat-resistent, because when mars and venus are on opposite sides of the sun, guess what happens?