Ruh-oh. Even NASA asdmits long-term space travel (say to Mars or beyond) has an above-average chance of causing dementia, sterility, vision problems and more. Building better shielding for space crews isn't going to help much, either....

QuoteThe technological challenge of getting to Mars may seem like a huge hurdle but it may be biology that holds humanity back from venturing to the Red Planet.

Astronauts could develop irreversible dementia on their journey because their brains are being bombarded with destructive space radiation, scientists fear.

The University of California found that exposure to highly energetic charged particles - much like those found in the galactic cosmic rays – can cause significant damage to the central nervous system, resulting in brain impairments.

"This is not positive news for astronauts deployed on a two to three year round trip to Mars," said Charles Limoli, professor of radiation oncology in UCI's School of Medicine.

"Performance decrements, memory deficits, and loss of awareness and focus during spaceflight may affect mission-critical activities, and exposure to these particles may have long-term adverse consequences to cognition throughout life."

At its closest orbit Mars is around 34,000,000 miles from Earth and it takes between 150 and 300 days to reach the Red Planet depending on speed of launch. It means that simply travelling there and back could see astronauts being subjected to dangerous radiation levels for nearly two years.

Female astronauts are known to be more susceptible to space radiation and generally spend 30 per cent less time in space.

To test the impact, rats were exposed to fully ionized oxygen and titanium to simulate space radiation, at Nasa's Space Radiation Laboratory.

The researchers found that exposure to these particles resulted in brain inflammation, which disrupted the transmission of signals among neurons.

Imaging revealed that the brain's communication had been damaged by reductions in the structure of nerve cells called dendrites and spines and alterations to synapses, which allow neurons to communicate with each other.

The rats also performed less well in tasks designed to test learning and memory.

While cognitive deficits in astronauts would take months to manifest, Prof Limoli said, the time required for a mission to Mars is sufficient for such deficits to develop.

People working for extended periods on the International Space Station do not face the same level of bombardment with galactic cosmic rays, as they are still within the protective magnetosphere of the Earth, the Van Allen belt.

The irradiated particles that compose these galactic cosmic rays are mainly remnants of past supernova events.

Prof Limoli's work is part of NASA's Human Research Program which is looking at the impact of extended periods in space and how the problems could be mitigated.

He recommends building a spacecraft which would have increased shielding at areas where astronauts rest and sleep.

However, these highly energetic particles will traverse the ship nonetheless, he said, "and there is really no escaping them."

"We are working on pharmacologic strategies involving compounds that scavenge free radicals and protect neurotransmission.

"But these remain to be optimized and are under development."

Astronauts face a series of health problems related to spending long periods in space. Microgravity causes the heart to pumping as strongly causing muscle mass loss. Often astronauts pass out when they return to Earth.

Most struggle to sleep in space, only getting an average of six hours a night, which is bad for long term health.

Hearing and sight loss is also common. Of the 300 US astronauts examined since 1989, vision problems developed in 29 percent of those on two-week missions and a 60 per cent of those who spent several months on the International Space Station.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/space/11576788/Mars-astronauts-could-develop-dementia-on-journey-to-Red-Planet.html

So if you're nuts-enough to join any permanent Mars colony, can NASA trust the veracity of any reports youy send back?

So basically we send Conservatives to the moon and they come back as libs? Great...

Quote from: Solar on May 02, 2015, 07:07:29 AM
So basically we send Conservatives to the moon and they come back as libs? Great...

The only conservatives going to the moon will probably be from Halliburton, to build a permanent mining colony. (*biggest evil grin*) The Japanese might get there, if only to be ready for Lunar Wars if the Chinese also want to establish a base.

But this is the long-term voyage-damage this piece addresses. Two years each way to Mars, and those pesky outer-space-rays beating through any shielding. No guarantees any children born there will be normal (which is itself a brave admission before the earliest would-be settlers ever depart Earth).

As for conservatives on Mars? Let the libs have the first few rounds. If the kids have two heads, the libs they've got will ultimately yield local political power to any new arrivals...the ones who let the guinea pigs go first.

dang...was hoping to see man land on mars in my lifetime...hopefully they figure this out.

Quote from: quiller on May 02, 2015, 06:33:38 AM
Ruh-oh. Even NASA asdmits long-term space travel (say to Mars or beyond) has an above-average chance of causing dementia, sterility, vision problems and more. Building better shielding for space crews isn't going to help much, either....

So if you're nuts-enough to join any permanent Mars colony, can NASA trust the veracity of any reports youy send back?

Depends on who's showing more signs of dementia.  I'd say NASA is.  'They' rang the opening-bell at the NYSE Thursday... in one of 2015's top wtf moments (on our tax-dime) so far. 

CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science In Space... grand viziers of the Mars Ark mission) has been constantly scolded by the GAO:

http://nasawatch.com/archives/2015/05/gao-progress-re.html

Muslim-lovers in space.

Stay tuned for Putin Trek, starring Martin Lockheed and Pentagon McBoeing... brought to you by Energomash:

http://www.npoenergomash.ru/eng/

So they expose rats to FULLY IONIZED oxygen, and from that hypothesize that long term exposure to ionizing radiation could cause dementia in humans?

Yea, right. And I remember when they exposed rats to "cancer-causing" cyclamates, resulting in their ban in 1970. Turns out to be exposed to those levels of cyclamates, a person would have to drink over 300 cans of diet soda per day for a year to be exposed to the levels that cause 8 out of 240 rats to develop bladder cancer.

Not to mention the source. Liberal University of California?  Liberals HATE the manned space program.

As for shielding, why not use the method that protects the Earth from ionizing radiation? Specifically, project a magnetic field around the craft by placing a electromagnetic umbrella on the end of a boom, positioned between the craft and the sun.

Quote from: quiller on May 02, 2015, 07:21:37 AM
The only conservatives going to the moon will probably be from Halliburton, to build a permanent mining colony. (*biggest evil grin*) The Japanese might get there, if only to be ready for Lunar Wars if the Chinese also want to establish a base.

But this is the long-term voyage-damage this piece addresses. Two years each way to Mars, and those pesky outer-space-rays beating through any shielding. No guarantees any children born there will be normal (which is itself a brave admission before the earliest would-be settlers ever depart Earth).

As for conservatives on Mars? Let the libs have the first few rounds. If the kids have two heads, the libs they've got will ultimately yield local political power to any new arrivals...the ones who let the guinea pigs go first.

I keep circulating this website as a solution for removing liberalism from Earth:

http://www.mars-one.com/

I'd love to see you come with something along those lines......

Quote from: zewazir on June 05, 2015, 10:39:03 PM
So they expose rats to FULLY IONIZED oxygen, and from that hypothesize that long term exposure to ionizing radiation could cause dementia in humans?

Yea, right. And I remember when they exposed rats to "cancer-causing" cyclamates, resulting in their ban in 1970. Turns out to be exposed to those levels of cyclamates, a person would have to drink over 300 cans of diet soda per day for a year to be exposed to the levels that cause 8 out of 240 rats to develop bladder cancer.

Not to mention the source. Liberal University of California?  Liberals HATE the manned space program.

As for shielding, why not use the method that protects the Earth from ionizing radiation? Specifically, project a magnetic field around the craft by placing a electromagnetic umbrella on the end of a boom, positioned between the craft and the sun.

Sensational points.

Libs constantly scolded us for manned space-exploration; I.E. ignoring Earth, black people, whatever...

And you touched-on the theory of electromagnetic-propulsion, married-with 'scooping' interstellar hydrogen via the Bussard ramjet-design.  -2 booms projected forward.  The craft will 'chase itself' along a magnetic line of force created by the booms' electromagnetic 'umbrella', or 'horseshoe'.

Force-lines don't recognize shapes.  Everything is a bar, with a North-and-South pole.  No 2 lines cross.