Space may be worse for humans than thought
Why going into orbit sends cells haywire
Space is not a very hospitable place. There is no air. Depending on whether you are in sunlight or not, it is either freezing cold or roasting hot. There are subtler hazards, too. Even when provided with oxygen and a stable temperature by their spacecraft, astronauts seem to sicken the longer they spend away from Earth.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “The wrong stuff”
From the November 2nd 2024 edition
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Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else
Scientists are building a catalogue of every type of cell in our bodies
It has thus far shed light on everything from organ formation to the causes of inflammation