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Cosmic Radiation Speeds up Aging in Space?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the space-raisins dept.

SpaceAdmiral writes "The Theory of Relativity tells us that the faster a person travels the slower time passes for that person relative to someone left on Earth. This means that traveling at high velocities in a spacecraft should reduce one's aging. However, recent research suggests that cosmic radiation may counteract that anti-aging effect. Iron-nuclei radiation affects the aging of cells, which is possibly one of the reasons astronauts who have been to the Moon tend to get cataracts about 7 years earlier than other astronauts."

4 of 218 comments (clear)

  1. So... by op12 · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...time to put on my tinfoil suit!

  2. Bah! by GillBates0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bah! You young 'uns and your fancy schmancy "cosmic radiation". In my day, we didn't have this uppity "Iron-nuclei radiation". We got by with regular sunshine in the day, moonlight during the night and we liked it.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  3. Young.. by onion2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    One way or another, NASA plans to keep their astronauts feeling young.

    Miss Young was unavailable for comment.

    --
    http://twitter.com/onion2k
  4. Cataracts? by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 5, Funny

    No! I drive Rincoln-Continentar!

    --
    "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell