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Astronauts Could Get Lazier As Mars Mission Progresses

Posted by Unknown on from the pass-the-chips dept.

sciencehabit writes "Imagine life on a spaceship headed to Mars. You and your five crewmates work, exercise, and eat together every day under the glow of fluorescent lights. As the months pass, the sun gets dimmer and communication with Earth gets slower. What does this do to your body? According to an Earth-based experiment in which six volunteers stayed in a windowless 'spaceship' for nearly a year and a half, the monotony, tight living space, and lack of natural light will probably make you sleep more and work less. Space, for all intents and purposes, turns you into a couch potato."

11 of 145 comments (clear)

  1. Star Trek by Lord_of_the_nerf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Explains why Riker stopped shaving second season.

    1. Re:Star Trek by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 4, Funny

      Man.

      These astronauts work 3 days, every five years - taking a round-trip to... NOWHERE!

      And you say it's possible for them to get lazier? Wow. :-)

      Make it number two, number one!

      --
      "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
      Never been known to fail..."
  2. already done by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've already done this experiment over 30 times. Its called winter.

    1. Re:already done by gandhi_2 · · Score: 4, Funny

      A south puget sounder would stab you in the face with a fair-trade knife for claiming a californian knows rain.

      --
      THL phish sticks
  3. Space Potato by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It turns you into a Spudnik.

    1. Re:Space Potato by mjwx · · Score: 3, Funny

      It turns you into a Spudnik.

      Astronauts are being replaced by doughnauts.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  4. Then americans.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    are the best fit to colonize space for sure!

  5. Heart of Gold by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is why the Heart Of Gold is shaped like a running shoe - does all the running FOR you. Outsource everything...

  6. This is how you prevent laziness: by RoverDaddy · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Russians knew how to fix this back in 1997: http://www.theonion.com/articles/mir-scientists-study-effects-of-weightlessness-on,1211/

    --
    RETURN without GOSUB in line 1050
  7. TLDR by Tanman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Too Lazy Didn't Read

  8. Re:Experiment probably worse than the real thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    On a real mission, the trip out is likely to be pretty much demotivational as well. "Here I am, stack of college degrees and qualifications longer than your arm, and what am I doing? Watering hydroponic plants. Oh, god, I'm so depressed."

    Be happy Marvin is not on the mission.