Last week on the podcast we talked about space health. Specifically, we told you about a new paper discussing the role that will have to play in determining which citizens are fit enough for jaunts into space. Now let’s leap ahead, and much farther afield. What kinds of issues might a crew of astronauts face on a longer —say, a round-trip to Mars? To find out, six volunteers spent a record 520 days confined to a simulated space near Moscow. They emerged in 2011. Now a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the spaceflight did have real effects. Removed from natural light and the rhythms of everyday life, four crewmembers some type of sleep disturbance. And one exhibited signs of chronic sleep deprivation during regular alertness tests. Overall, the crew also became more sedentary with time. The researchers conclude that a real Mars mission would need to incorporate tactics such as timed light or exercise to keep astronauts’ circadian rhythms on beat. Because it would be a bad idea to land on Mars sleepy and out of shape.
-
Solution
Last week on the podcast we talked about space health. Specifically, we told you about a new paper discussing the role that physicians will have to play in determining which citizens are fit enough for commercial jaunts into space. Now let's leap ahead, and much farther afield. What kinds of issues might a crew of astronauts face on a longer journey —say, a round-trip to Mars? To find out, six volunteers spent a record 520 days confined to a simulated space habitat near Moscow. They emerged in 2011. Now a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the simulated spaceflight did have real effects. Removed from natural light and the rhythms of everyday life, four crewmembers experienced some type of sleep disturbance. And one exhibited signs of chronic sleep deprivation during regular alertness tests. Overall, the crew also became more sedentary with time. The researchers conclude that a real Mars mission would need to incorporate tactics such as timed light exposure or exercise to keep astronauts' circadian rhythms on beat. Because it would be a bad idea to land on Mars sleepy and out of shape.
You will hear a recording. Type the missing words in each blank.
Ladybugs love to snack on aphids and other pests. So people began an Asian species called the harlequin ladybird as natural pest control. But in their new environments, the harlequins wiped out native ladybugs. And they have their parasites to thank. That’s according to research in the journal Science. A parasite called microsporidia lies dormant in the circulatory of harlequin ladybirds. But when scientists injected microsporidia into a common European ladybug species, the insects died within two weeks. When the ladybugs were injected with dead microsporidia or a control substance most . Harlequin ladybirds’ immune systems, on the other hand, have learned to deal with microsporidia— which lets the insects use them as biological . Because one way ladybugs compete is by consuming the eggs and larvae of rival species. When European ladybug species eat the harlequin ladybird eggs and larvae, they also the microsporidia. And die. The discovery an important role of immunity in evolutionary selection. And it shows that there are many ways to lose a food fight.
-
Solution
Ladybugs love to snack on aphids and other pests. So people began ....importing.... an Asian species called the harlequin ladybird as natural pest control. But in their new environments, the harlequins wiped out native ladybugs. And they have their parasites to thank. That's according to research in the journal Science. A parasite called microsporidia lies dormant in the circulatory ......systems...... of harlequin ladybirds. But when scientists injected microsporidia into a common European ladybug species, the insects died within two weeks. When the ladybugs were injected with dead microsporidia or a control substance most ......survived..... Harlequin ladybirds' immune systems, on the other hand, have learned to deal with microsporidia— which lets the insects use them as biological ......weapons....... Because one way ladybugs compete is by consuming the eggs and larvae of rival species. When European ladybug species eat the harlequin ladybird eggs and larvae, they also .....consume.... the microsporidia. And die. The discovery ......demonstrates.... an important role of immunity in evolutionary selection. And it shows that there are many ways to lose a food fight.