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posted by martyb on Monday May 04 2015, @10:11AM   Printer-friendly
from the this-is-your-brain-on-cosmic-rays... dept.

As NASA prepares for the first manned spaceflight to Mars, questions have surfaced concerning the potential for increased risks associated with exposure to the spectrum of highly energetic nuclei that comprise galactic cosmic rays. Animal models have revealed an unexpected sensitivity of mature neurons in the brain to charged particles found in space. Astronaut autonomy during long-term space travel is particularly critical as is the need to properly manage planned and unanticipated events, activities that could be compromised by accumulating particle traversals through the brain.

Using mice subjected to space-relevant fluences of charged particles, we show significant cortical- and hippocampal-based performance decrements 6 weeks after acute exposure. Animals manifesting cognitive decrements exhibited marked and persistent radiation-induced reductions in dendritic complexity and spine density along medial prefrontal cortical neurons known to mediate neurotransmission specifically interrogated by our behavioral tasks.

This was stated a little more readably at ScienceDaily:

What happens to an astronaut's brain during a mission to Mars? Nothing good. It's besieged by destructive particles that can forever impair cognition, according to a radiation oncology study. Exposure to highly energetic charged particles -- much like those found in the galactic cosmic rays that bombard astronauts during extended spaceflights -- cause significant damage to the central nervous system, resulting in cognitive impairments.

[Related]: Space Radiation On the Long Trip To Mars Could Make Astronauts Dumber

 
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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by VLM on Monday May 04 2015, @11:40AM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Monday May 04 2015, @11:40AM (#178427)

    What no systemd jokes? You guys are slipping...

    Obviously the solution is one way colonization anyway. The first generation aren't going to last long anyway due to accidents and stuff. Get up there, get into the remotely manufactured underground dorms, and start reproducing. The live video feeds of the action sent back to the earth will pay for the costs of shipping if you send plenty of hot ones and they usually aren't too smart anyway so how anyone would notice is a mystery. Give the kids a high bandwidth connection to Kahn, wikipedia, and coursera and in 20 years we'll have smart people on mars not just people (who happen to be dumb).

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @01:54PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @01:54PM (#178490)

    Give the kids a high bandwidth connection to Kahn, wikipedia, and coursera

    If you can find a way to create a high bandwidth connection from Mars to Earth then you'll have practically found a license to print money. Now of course you personally may not be the one to profit from this due to patents and IP theft and litigation (see: intermittent windshield wipers), but somebody will.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @04:22PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 04 2015, @04:22PM (#178582)

      It's not the bandwidth that is the issue.

      The latency on the other hand....