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Trip To Mars Could Damage Astronauts' Brains
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Alex Knapp reports that research by a team at the Rochester Medical Center suggests that exposure to the radiation of outer space could accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease in astronauts. 'Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts... Exposure to ... equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease' says M. Kerry O'Banio. Researchers exposed mice with known timeframes for developing Alzheimer's to the type of low-level radiation that astronauts would be exposed to over time on a long space journey. The mice were then put through tests that measured their memory and cognitive ability and the mice exposed to radiation showed significant cognitive impairment. It's not going to be an easy problem to solve, either. The radiation the researchers used in their testing is composed of highly charged iron particles, which are relatively common in space. 'Because iron particles pack a bigger wallop it is extremely difficult from an engineering perspective to effectively shield against them,' says O'Banion. 'One would have to essentially wrap a spacecraft in a six-foot block of lead or concrete.'"
Yeah, you're right. We should just give up.
No amount of engineering, terraforming, or any other science fiction magic will ever make any other body within human reach survivable for long
Space is far more hostile than any planet, and we can manage to survive up there for quite a long time.
Terraforming is not "magic", and small scale examples of humans changing conditions where they live abound.
Even the most hostile environments on earth usually have at least SOME oxygen, water, soil, air pressure
The moon even has most of those.
Mars has all of them.
no colony out there could survive for long without constant support from earth.
They will not if you never try.
We are stuck here. There is no escape.
You might be, but all the trapping being done is by your own mind, not any kind of scientific basis.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Its all about exposure time. The longest Apollo mission lasted about two weeks. Mars missions will last many months, possibly a year or more.
Have gnu, will travel.
The sensible thing to do is to build the craft in space. Then the mass of the vehicle really isn't that much of an overarching concern.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
Are you a complete an utter moron? Moderation in no way took away your right to free speech. Heck, deleting your comment would not be a violation of your rights either, but that would be harder to explain to you.
Your comment added nothing to the discussion, and you got modded down. Get over it and quit crying.
Wish I had mod points for this one.
Personally, I see asteroid mining as a critical first step in this endeavor. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_mining
Once we learn how to acquire the materials needed from rocks already in space (thus negating the fuel requirements to get it there) it becomes much easier to construct the types of environments needed to support human life in space. Which, until we learn how to generate magnetic shielding like the earth has (ha!), likely means a 6' concrete exoskeleton. Maybe we'll start out by hollowing out a few asteroids and sticking propulsion systems / access hatches on them.
People have been pushing this sort of foolishness since the beginning of the space age. Man under zero g would panic because he is falling, his heart would stop, it would cause him to suffere sever vertigo, etc. Virtually all of it has proved to be nonsensical, the few exceptions were not predicted ahead of time. If it was left to people like you, we would still be living in fear of steam engines or fast horse rides.
No amount of engineering, terraforming, or any other science fiction magic will ever make any other body within human reach survivable for long, and certainly not without HEAVY and CONSTANT support from earth.
Seems to be similar to ridiculous statements like:
“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin
“The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” — Ernest Rutherford, shortly after splitting the atom for the first time.
“There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner
“To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth - all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest
And it goes on and on.
We have ion and NERVA rockets that are designed, have worked, and are much more efficient than chemical fuels.
In fact, the NERVA rocket could have easily taken us to Mars in the 1970's, but was (In a fit of hysterical irony) killed to "save the budget" of the US. In other words, it was feared that we'd spend all our money doing something silly like exploring Mars, rather than our preferred activity of wasting it murdering people in foreign nations for no god-damn reason at all.
One day I feel I'm ahead of the wheel / the next it's rolling over me / I can get back on / I can get back on