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If we wish to colonize another world, finding a planet with a gravitational field that humans can survive and thrive under will be crucial. If its gravity is too strong our blood will be pulled down into our legs, our bones might break, and we could even be pinned helplessly to the ground.
Finding the gravitational limit of the human body is something that's better done before we land on a massive new planet. Now, in a paper published on the pre-print server arXiv, three physicists, claim that the maximum gravitational field humans could survive long-term is four-and-a-half times the gravity on Earth.
Or, at least you could if you are an Icelandic strongman – and Game of Thrones monster – who can walk with more than half a metric ton on your back. For mere mortals, the researchers say, it would need to be a little weaker.
[...] For the maximum gravity at which we could take a step, the team turned to Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, an Icelandic strongman who once walked five steps with a 1430 pound log on his back, smashing a 1,000-year-old record[*].
[*] YouTube video.
What's the Maximum Gravity We Could Survive?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday September 22 2018, @03:21PM (2 children)
By the time we have the technology to go interstellar, we'll have great anti-aging and regenerative medicine. Meaning that you can fix your joints, bones, heart, etc. faster than it would take for them to wear out.
The 4.5g mentioned in TFS is atypical. 1.25g is more common for exoplanets, with maybe 2g possible although exoplanets could become Neptune-like before reaching that surface gravity. 0.5g to 1g is also possible. It will be interesting to see the health effects of 0.8g. Might be a great vacation spot.
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(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday September 22 2018, @05:14PM
That's your assumption, but I see no proof for it. Might turn out that way, might not.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by ChrisMaple on Sunday September 23 2018, @05:19AM
Bones, joints, and muscles aren't a problem. People weighing twice as much as average already exist on Earth without problem; they have sturdier bodies because they've been grown and trained that way. One body system that doesn't automatically adapt is the circulatory system; human beings aren't far from the margins of what can be tolerated for blood pressure difference between the brain and the feet. Tall animals like giraffes have special evolved adaptations that required thousands of generations to appear; that's not going to happen quickly in humans without gene editing.