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Space Radiation May Alter Astronauts' Neurons
sciencehabit writes: NASA hopes to send the first round-trip, manned spaceflight to Mars by the 2030s. If the mission succeeds, astronauts could spend several years potentially being bombarded with cosmic rays—high-energy particles launched across space by supernovae and other galactic explosions. Now, a study in mice suggests these particles could alter the shape of neurons, impairing astronauts' memories and other cognitive abilities. In the prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with executive function, a range of high-level cognitive tasks such as reasoning, short-term memory, and problem-solving, neurons had 30% to 40% fewer branches, called dendrites, which receive electrical input from other cells.
Problem: Space Radiation May Alter Astronauts' Neurons.
Solution: Tin foil hats.
Ceci n'est pas une signature.
reasoning, short-term memory, and problem-solving
This is why it is FAR more realistic that engineering problems need to be explained in "stupid captain talk" instead of lengthy dissertations in techno-babble.
Okay! Say it with my (like an asthmatic chihuahua).
SPACE!!! MADNESS!!!
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
in a small asteroid, live in that. Asteroid dirt should be good shielding material.
Too farfetched? I think so too, but people were talking about capturing an asteroid and bringing into lunar (or earth) orbit and mining it...
Exposure to radiation from space is probabilistic, and there have been many more living human-hours down here on Earth than up in space. Isn't it reasonable to assume that at least a handful of people have been unlucky enough to just *happen* to get bombarded with an unusually high amount of gamma radiation, having the same thing happen to them?
And then there are all these new-fangled manmade sources of gamma rays that we've been blowing up and/or using for electricity since the 40s...
We'll Know, now. See, there are two astronauts who happen to be twins. And they have sent one astronaut into outer space and the other astronaut will stay here on Earth. As time passes on board the International Space Station, we will see whether NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly develops strange new neurochemistry the likes of which humanity has never before seen, or if he stays normal like his brother Mark. Time will tell whether this theory about the brains of people in space twisting and contorting in untold seemingly impossible ways holds water or not.
"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
So perhaps the astronauts shouldn't spend all their time standing naked out on the airless surface of Mars, letting the universe blast their noggins with relativistic oxygen and titanium ions (yes, I read the article). If you don't want to get wet, you have to come in out of the rain.
Sounds like we can expect Fantastic results!
The solution is easy. Don't send people to Mars, send unmanned rovers. Solves a bunch of other problems too, and saves a lot of money that can be used on other cool stuff.
Brain goes back to basics, semi zombies go nuts.
Also, Quake 4. Implants to offset the damage hooked up to central computer creates collective hive mind.
Suggest they put up a live feed for the inevitable madness to recoup some of the cost of the planned manned flights to Mars.
Radiation affects the brain? who would have thunk it!
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
I thought that if we were going anywhere in the Solar system (which I really hope I can see in my lifetime but I doubt it) that it would be wrapped in a lot of mass. For example I thought ice first because it's water and we would be using it. So if we carry a-lot of water that is what we would be using as shielding. Either that or rocks we can gather up *in* space (maybe a lunar space elevator [a moonstalk iirc?]).
However for our first small ship and given that cosmic radiation may be a lot more energetic than I think and, given that it adds mass to the space craft then why not just go *inside* a big water tank, which would also be your water supply? At first using separate launches with water tanks, however later, maybe a small ice asteroid we capture with a robot and melt - or even carve into, could be a water supply.
Speaking about capturing asteroids maybe we can build a fast, nuclear powered robot ship to explore the asteroid belt remotely and leave robotic mission payloads on large asteroids whilst identifying resources. Maybe when it has built up enough speed we can send it out to the Oort cloud for a look around. I know it sounds science fiction but it is not too far outside our technological capabilities, and, if the world pooled resources to achieve it, something that might bring nations together for a common goal. I know, probably just a fantasy, but I am a geek.
Besides, all children have to start moving out of home sometime.
My ism, it's full of beliefs.
I wonder if anyone is addressing this problem by researching how to deflect the space radiation by designing meta-materials, with a negative refraction index, that would function at the specific energies and wavelengths that would cause damage to neurons. This might take decades, but seems like one possible solution. If you can't block the radiation, move it around you.
[[Citation needed]]