Software To Provide Astronaut Counseling

Currently, whenever an astronaut needs to talk to someone, a counselor is only a radio call away. Unfortunately, for voyages further out, this contact time starts to increase quite a bit, so researchers have started to look for alternative methods of counseling. I just hope the new counseling software has the Dr. Sbaitso voice. "Instead of asking astronauts to reflect on their feelings, Mark Hegel of Dartmouth Medical School has them create lists of concrete things that are bothering them and brainstorm about practical ways to solve them. At the end of the exercise, users fill out a form used to diagnose depression. Clinical tests of this approach, which has never been tried in a multimedia self-help format, will start in a few months, using subjects recruited from the biomedical and engineering community in Boston."

Comments

How does that make you feel?

[QuantumG]

Let's talk more about the sexy stuff we were discussing earlier.

Re:How does that make you feel?

[mr_mischief]

Why is it that you feel that it is done that nobody remembers remembers Eliza, Davester?

Why bother

[Anonymous Coward]

Every deep space journey needs to have at least one person go batshit insane. It's textbook.

The next generation in space exploration

[BearRanger]

Just what our spacefaring pioneers need-- a software version of Deanna Troi.

Heaven help them should it develop empathy and a bad accent.

Re:The next generation in space exploration

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, if you're alone in deep space, a hardware version of Deanna Troi would be much more useful.

Hello, I am Eliza.

[hchaos]

How are you today. What would you like to discuss? Tell me more. I'm not sure I understand you fully. I sometimes also want to kill your coworkers.

Re:Hello, I am Eliza.

[Chapter80]

Major Tom: I'm feeling very still.
Eliza: Why are you feeling very still?
Major Tom: Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do.
Eliza: Why do you think planet Earth is blue?

Gender difference?

[Naughty Bob]

I hope female and male astronauts are separately catered for.

It is my hard-earned experience that when women begin to complain, the last thing they want is to-

create lists of concrete things that are bothering them and brainstorm about practical ways to solve them.

Generally, that is a man's solution. Women just want someone to nod, agree and sympathise.

I now await my groupthink punishment, but for those for whom this is news, and who have access to females, try it. You'll be amazed, and will be lauded as 'a great listener'.

Re:Gender difference?

[pak9rabid]

You'll be amazed, and will be lauded as 'a great listener'.

And shortly after inserted into the dreaded 'just friends' category.

Re:Gender difference?

[Naughty Bob]

And shortly after inserted into the dreaded 'just friends' category.

Ahah! Hit back with a hint at problems (deep, deep, mysterious problems) of your own, and refuse to discuss them, because you're too damn self-sufficient.

Then (and this should be your mantra) show no interest at all in wooing.

You are then one or two steps (either a shared interest, a cool quip, or a chiseled jawline) away from happiness.

Don't get me wrong- I am as runtish as your average /.er, but I have shown to friends over and over how it works. Not a failure yet.

Re:Gender difference?

[Naughty Bob]

Just going by what I've learned ABC. I'm sure it isn't universal, but you're perhaps not entirely typical?

Massive guessing, but if you post here, you're possibly one of the delicious subset of women who think... y'know... a bit more like a man?

If so, I can understand how a man's problem solving approach might be pointless for you. This also explains their next move (you'd be a rare and precious thing, in this scenario!)....

But you must have female friends- When they unload on you, do you find your brainstorming approach helpful, or do they get frustrated?

IMHO, the latter is more likely.

I just use emacs *doctor*

[Intron]

I'm having problems.

Why do you say you are having problems?

The aft coolant pump is making a funny noise.

What makes you believe that?

I can hear it.

Maybe your plans have something to do with this.

What plans?

Is it because of your life that you say what plans?

Yes. My life might be in grave danger.

Are you sure that your life might be in grave danger?

Fairly sure.

Is it because of the people you hang around with that you are going
through all this?

You mean the other astronauts?

Is it because of problems at school that you say I mean the other
astronauts?

I didn't have problems at school. I graduated top of my class.

Do you really think you graduated top of your class?

Human Interaction

[rotide]

I'm pretty sure half of the benefit of counseling is to have another humans opinion, a professional one at that. Thinking I wouldn't care to talk to a robot about my issues, regardless of how far away from humans I am.

The first try . . .

[cashman73]

Was when Microsoft bid for this job back in the early 90s,... where do you think Microsoft Bob came from? ;-) The other issue NASA wasn't too fond of were the fact that every time the software encountered an error, all the instruments would turn blue and the spacecraft would crash into the Pacific Ocean,... That, and the "counselor's" solution for just about everything was to throw a chair out the airlock! ;-)