The Economist-20241102期「Science and technology」Space medicine: The wrong stuff
Like everything fun, space is bad for you
02 全文梳理
【para1】话题引入👉太空并没有我们想象的那么宜居
【para2-3】健康危害👉研究表明长时间待在太空会带来骨质流失、肌肉萎缩、患癌等
各种健康问题
【para4】具体表现👉长时间待在太空会对细胞中的线粒体造成损害，功能紊乱
【para5-6】原因分析
-para5 ①宇宙辐射；②外太空自由落体；③缺乏阳光
-para6 ④地球磁场
【para7-8】潜在方案
-para7 在轨道上进行长年累月的动物实验加以验证
-para8 加快月球工程实施及创造人类亚种——太空人
03 原文阅读 570words
Space medicine: The wrong stuff
Going into orbit sends cells haywire. Scientists are trying to work out why
Space medicine: The wrong stuff
Going into orbit sends cells haywire. Scientists are trying to work out why
[5] The report floats several potential causes for the malfunctioning mitochondria. Some are well-grounded in existing science: radiation can damage cells directly, for instance. Others are more speculative. Free-fall is one potential villain. The report presents emerging evidence that the drag of Earthly gravity may be important for various cellular processes. Even the lights in spacecraft come in for examination. These currently do not reproduce the full spectrum of sunlight, particularly infra-red radiation. Sunlight is known to govern the body’s sleep-wake cycle, and may affect other bodily functions too.
[6] The researchers also note one emerging question in cellular biology: whether the influence of Earth’s magnetic field might be an important factor for the chemical reactions upon which mitochondria rely to produce energy. Neither Mars nor the Moon, two possible places for establishing space colonies, possesses a magnetic field like that of Earth.
[7] More data would help: although astronauts are examined by medics on their return from space, there have been few long-term studies. One solution, the researchers say, might be to run multi-year animal experiments in orbit. Other data will be harder to generate. If lack of gravity is a problem, is the gravity on the Moon (about a sixth of that on Earth) enough to fix it?
[8] Some problems might be fixable via engineering. Lunar bases could be built underground to shield them from radiation, and lighting tweaked to make it more sun-like. A more drastic approach would be to tweak the humans rather than their habitats. Sir Martin Rees, an astronomer and former president of the Royal Society, has long argued that Homo sapiens is constitutionally unsuited for space travel, and that genetically engineering a new subspecies—Homo spaciens?—might be a better way to colonise other worlds. ■
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