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Discussion » Questions » Science and Technology » Astronauts' genes change in space. When you live weightless your core strength is affected. Would you go anyway? Why?
RosieG

Astronauts' genes change in space. When you live weightless your core strength is affected. Would you go anyway? Why?

MRI's also show an effect on the brain. Motor skills are affected. It might be more difficult to operate calculators/computers once back on earth. Scott Kelly was in space 340 days. A very long time. I wonder how long it takes to adjust to gravity once back on earth?                             

Posted - February 3, 2017
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Responses


  • 5354
    I read somewhere that astronauts also loose calcium from their bones while in the weightless environment. We are going to need centrifuges or artificial gravity to live up there.
      February 3, 2017 7:48 AM MST
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  • 113301
    I'm confused. Your other answer indicated that you didn't believe genes change. This one indicates you do. Which is it?
      February 4, 2017 2:22 AM MST
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  • 5354
    Er. No. The calcium loss is not caused by a genetic change (it stops when they land), then the calcium is slowly restored by the body's normal balancing mechanisms. Maybe some day we will be able to 'engineer genes' to prevent calcium loss in such enviromments, but for now we do not know nearly enough to do that ;-))
      February 4, 2017 5:50 AM MST
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  • Heck no! I don't wanna be floatin' around all willy nilly then come back to Earth and my brain be affected! I need all the brain I have! Lol
      February 3, 2017 8:20 AM MST
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  •   February 3, 2017 8:23 AM MST
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  • Baaahahahaha!
      February 3, 2017 8:29 AM MST
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  • 113301
    That is quite beautiful! The flashing lights are kinda sorta like "The Northern Lights"!   Happy Saturday Rooster! :)
      February 4, 2017 2:24 AM MST
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  • 113301
    You and me too Angela! That's the last thing I need..to come back from "out there" with less brainpower and less core strength. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
      February 4, 2017 2:23 AM MST
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  • Of course I'd go. Especially since we've done such a good job of lousing up terra firma and all that's on it. We weren't designed to live and operate in space, but it shouldn't discourage us from continuing to explore and gain the knowledge that goes with it. We don't possess gills but it hasn't kept us out of underwater exploration. I recall that when we were competing in the space race during the decade of the sixties, people always questioned the value of space exploration. Most of the technology we use daily has come from the space program its advances. 
      February 3, 2017 11:18 AM MST
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  • 113301
    You are very brave driftwood. MRI's show that there are changes in the brain as well as changes in the inner core.  Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :) But I'm not adventurous. If I were maybe I'd want to go "up there" too! :)
      February 4, 2017 2:21 AM MST
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  • 5354

    @"Astronauts' genes change in space."

    I seriously doubt that. We do not need to change our genes to get a suntan (Or brain damage)

      February 3, 2017 2:27 PM MST
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  • 113301
    Google  "Astronauts Genes Change in Space". Read up on it.  If you do that you will know more than you do now. I didn't make it up. Happy Saturday. This post was edited by RosieG at February 4, 2017 2:19 AM MST
      February 4, 2017 2:16 AM MST
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  • 5354
    http://mashable.com/2017/02/01/scott-kelly-year-in-space-study-results/#_CUj7JEehmqx
    I am a bit confused now. Normally the telemers shorten naturally with each cell division, I did not even know that a repair function for them existed. The general idea is that that shortening ensures that individual lives end (So species do not get clogged up with 'great to the 100th'.grandparents that still have the 'old' genes (modified only by random mutations in individual cells').
    The only place I have seen such a 'repair facility' for the telemers was in a Science fiction novel where it was used to make people immortal. As expected it ended badly, with cultural change stifled because so many wanted nothing to change (SF-authors are usually fairly young ;-))
      February 4, 2017 6:15 AM MST
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