One day astronauts set off on a journey through space on rotating spaceships. Can the human mind adapt to this?
Nitzan Achsaf, a window to physics
https://www.hayadan.org.il/correlius120804.html
The next time you go to a playground and get on the carousel, take a ball with you and another friend who will go up to the facility with you, and try to throw the ball to your friend while moving. We promise you that you will not succeed. Physicists call this the 'Coriolis effect', and it happens on any rotating platform. A hurricane spins because of the above effect, where the rotating platform is like itself. A journey through space can also be a 'Coriolis experience'.
Researchers have long been interested in rotating spacecraft, as they can solve many problems. In the zero-gravity zone, the astronauts' bones and muscles weaken. It is also not easy to eat, drink and even use the toilet. Conversely, inside a rotating spaceship, there can be artificial gravity (due to centrifugal forces) which keeps the body robust and everyday life simpler.
The problem is that rotating spacecraft also have a 'Coriolis effect'. If you throw objects they will change direction, try to press a button and your finger will land somewhere else. Can astronauts adapt to this? And if so, can they adapt to such a level that they will be able to function in a dangerous environment like space?
Now two NASA scientists are trying to answer that question, but they also hope to develop training techniques that could help with the transition from a 'spinning world' to a 'non-spinning world' and vice versa. In the 60s, experiments showed that humans could not adapt to a rotating world. But in those experiments there were no clear goals for the movement. The two scientists discovered to their astonishment that if there is a clear and defined goal for a certain movement, then the people get used to it quite quickly (within 10 to 20 attempts).
Our brain knows how to deal with the Coriolis effect at a certain level. For example, every time you turn around and pick something up, move your chair around, play basketball, your brain is making Coriolis adjustments in real time. The two scientists discovered that if it is a speed of up to 25 revolutions per minute, our brain can adapt to these conditions. The spacecraft will probably rotate at a lower speed of 10 revolutions per minute, depending of course on its size.
For information on the NASA website
A window to physics
The knowledge of man and space
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