Astronauts Will Get Dumber on Their Way to Mars

Astronauts will get dumber on the way to Mars? So, you'll lose weight on Mars because of its weaker gravity than Earth's and you'll lose your smarts on the way there because of radiation striking your brain.......Lovely.

We have known for a long time that leaving our cushy planet is fraught with problems. Space may be largely empty, but it’s filled up with invisible charged particles traveling at nearly the speed of light. Earth’s magnetic field deflects these particles, but space travelers will inevitably be exposed to such radiation. And the new study predicts that it will cause rapid and permanent damage to the brain.
In the study, the researchers from the University of California, Irvine and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, subjected mice to radiation similar to the gamma cosmic rays that humans will be exposed to on their way to Mars. After six weeks of exposure to the radiation, which was made up of charged oxygen and titanium atoms, mice were given cognitive tests.
When compared to mice who were not exposed to radiation, the irradiated mice performed far worse. On being shown familiar objects, these mice weren’t interested. They also lacked curiosity towards new objects.

Nasa is looking into ways to protect any astronauts like padding certain areas of any Marsbound ship(s) or having Astronauts take drugs which contain free radicals that help fight exposure to radiation. For now it looks like Astronauts will get "stupid" on the way to Mars. Oh, the humanity! What says ATS?

qz.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Sure, the astronauts may get stupider. They would also get deader.

Until shielding technology is developed which can reduce the long term exposure to cosmic radiation there won't be any manned missions to Mars.

a reply to: Phage
What about that stupid Mars project realty show that's been planned, is that going ahead ?

a reply to: lostbook
I guess I am an astronaut on my way to mars....only getting dumber and wiser to the fact.

On a side note, I don't know why we don't send lead into orbit and construct our ships in orbit with lead shielding

a reply to: violet
It'll be great fun (for some) watching the "training".
They aren't going to go anywhere.

a reply to: lostbook

I'd say biologically, as far as the human body is concerned, its niche is terrestrial , with millennia of evolution giving it a fairly varied type of diet to sustain it. The Moon seems to be about it , and that's pushing it.

a reply to: tadaman
Lead makes it worse. It also makes it a lot harder to get the vehicle to the necessary velocity.

In some cases, e.g. 32
P, the bremsstrahlung produced by shielding the beta radiation with the normally used dense materials (e.g. lead) is itself dangerous; in such cases, shielding must be accomplished with low density materials, e.g. Plexiglas (Lucite), plastic, wood, or water;[19] as the atomic number is lower for these materials, the intensity of bremsstrahlung is significantly reduced but a larger thickness of shielding is required to stop the electrons (beta radiation).

en.wikipedia.org...

Water would be great, but it too is inordinately heavy.

a reply to: tadaman

Lead would kill them as fast as no shielding at all. The problem with shielding is braking radiation. A GCR particle enters the wall of the ship. It impacts a particle of that material, which slows the GCR particle, but shoots off more particles, which hit more particles, etc. Eventually you get some radiation into the ship.

The denser the material the more radiation gets in, because there are more particles getting involved. Lead is extremely dense and would cause a lot of secondary radiation.

Not to mention the sheer weight of lead requiring more fuel and more power.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: lostbook

Sure, the astronauts may get stupider. They would also get deader.

Until shielding technology is developed which can reduce the long term exposure to cosmic radiation there won't be any manned missions to Mars.

Thanks for stopping by, Phage. In the article it does say that water makes for great shielding and so NASA is considering using the Astronauts own pee and poop to line the Spacecraft for shielding. I 've had a similiar idea and I think this might work. What do you think?

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: tadaman
Lead makes it worse. It also makes it a lot harder to get the vehicle to the necessary velocity.

In some cases, e.g. 32
P, the bremsstrahlung produced by shielding the beta radiation with the normally used dense materials (e.g. lead) is itself dangerous; in such cases, shielding must be accomplished with low density materials, e.g. Plexiglas (Lucite), plastic, wood, or water;[19] as the atomic number is lower for these materials, the intensity of bremsstrahlung is significantly reduced but a larger thickness of shielding is required to stop the electrons (beta radiation).

en.wikipedia.org...

Water would be great, but it too is inordinately heavy.

Would sending water as ice into space as a preliminary help with the weight? Then defrosting in the transport ship, back to liquid form.

a reply to: Neutrality
No need to "defrost" it. Ice works just as well as liquid water. It just takes a pretty thick layer of it to be effective. To be thick enough would require a lot of it. A lot of it is heavy. In space flight, heavy is undesirable. (For "heavy" read massive.)

Among other things, plastics high in hydrogen content (as water is) are been looked at.

a reply to: lostbook
The "pee and poop" has to be carried from the get go (in the form of water and food). It's mass no matter how you look at it.

a reply to: Phage

Interesting to know! Could the craft (as mentioned before) be assembled more so in space, then use gravity slingshots to propel it better? Yes I know, the whole slowing down thing at the end, but it's a start?

I don't think long term space travel will be a reality unless a space elevator becomes a reality first to construct a craft capable of making the journey and keep the crew alive. I can only see something that big being constructed off our planet.

a reply to: Neutrality
Orbital assembly of some form would probably be used for a manned Mars mission.

Gravitational boosts could be used but, since there is nothing between Earth and Mars, would only extend mission times (which is the basis of the radiation problem). The only real candidate for such a slingshot is Earth itself which would mean a trajectory out and then back for the "kick".

In any case, you still need to boost out of Earth orbit and the more massive you are the harder that is to do.

a reply to: Phage

What (if any) are the harms of a synthesized magnetic field (not sure we can even create that) around said ship. Similar to the Earth's natural shield? Is that even a remote possibility?

a reply to: Neutrality

It is another area of research into the problem.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: lostbook
The "pee and poop" has to be carried from the get go (in the form of water and food). It's mass no matter how you look at it.

True. but the overall net weight of the vehicle wouldn't be greatly increased because some of the water/ food weight would be included in the weight of the astronauts correct? I think that the water can be recycled in the hull of the Spaceshhip with heat and high speed friction. Maybe not but that's just an idea of mine. The very radiation particles the water is supposed to stop may aid in the cleaning process also. Not 100% sure about it but I think it could work.

a reply to: Neutrality

Well Done, exactly what I was going to propose.
Seeing we are already bombarded with magnetic radiation, cell phones, TVs, every electrical device, wiring etc, just living in the modern World is dangerous.....I know Im getting dumber every day, at least I think I am........

How many reports, contactees etc report of the "Flying Saucers" being powered by electromagnetic sources, which may in effect, create their propulsion and aid as an electromagnetic field around the craft, a north and south pole, through the core of the craft radiating out, perhaps with internal shielding for occupants. May also aid as a anti collision device...aka "shields up captain", for meteors etc.

NASA has told us that "Magnetic Superhighway" between planets and stars, actually do exist.
Just ride the Mag highway, with your Mag lev craft and a free ride with the correct polarity.
Make it so No1.!!

a reply to: gort51

Well I have my ideas on gravity and electro-magnetics, but complete hogwash with my lack of deeper understanding of physics! I've always thought anti-gravity could be achieved by creating a counter electromagnetic field similar to the opposite frequency of a gravitational body. Wish I studied more.