Cognitive Labs

Will Space elevators ever be built?

This concept originates with author Arthur C. Clarke and the Fountains of Paradise.

In reality, such a structure would reach about 60,000 miles into space and be tethered by an anchor point (or points) on earth. Envisioned at the moment is carbon-nanotube construction.

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Over the past weekend a conference near the Microsoft campus addressed the possibilities.

One of the square-one problems that needs focus is potential damage from orbiting 'space junk' which could tear away the tethers.

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Labels: carbon, elevator, fountains, msnbc, nanotube, space

Your brain changes during space travel.

In fact, this change begins at high elevations within earth's atmosphere and continues as you approach the vacuum. This is something the space entrepreneurs and budding hoteliers/inflatable condo marketers need to get a bead on.

Even with artificial pressurization and atmosphere, low and zero gravity appears to cause structures in the brain to morph.

Whether or not perception is altered relativistically in proportion to the level or duration of the exposure to such conditions is unknown. Protocols require astronauts to undergo a Windows-based cognitive battery assessment periodically on the I.S.S. Another threat vector is cosmic rays, which may induce a cancerous reaction in body systems. (See video below)

NASA has known this going back to the Mercury and Apollo missions and before, to the 'right stuff' era of 1950's U.S. test pilots and before that, Luftwaffe aces who flew the jet and rocket powered German concept planes of the 1940's. In the design process for these high-speed, high G vehicles Nazi aeronautical engineers received feedback on imponderable questions such as "How much G-force can an individual undergo before blacking out?" and "What is the response of the human organism to the vacuum" from their counterparts in the SS who had access to a supply of test subjects.

Link: Society for Neuroscience Discussion

Labels: brain, cosmic, G, luftwaffe, nazi, rays, rightstuff, space

Stephen Hawking's moments of weightlessness in the global media eye underscores the efforts by entrepreneurs to create a new space industry, which is boldly moving forward. Now is the time for people interested in this effort to get ready - by training their brains.

You'll find the topic of brain health in space is getting more attention, due to changes in perception caused by weightlessness - and also the impact of things like gamma rays. Similar to the fight against cognitive degeneration here on Earth due to Alzheimer's (sometimes genetically induced) -these factors need to be overcome before there is a move, as Stephen Hawking calls for, towards exploration and colonization of space.

So we're releasing Spacebrain tests (starting with a simple cognitive test used in our recent Stanford research)to help people show support for consumer spaceflight!

Anyone can use it. You don't have to come to this site to play it; put it on your site or blog, where it's handy and accessible. (see below!)





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Labels: cognitive, health, space, spacebrain