Extinction is Forever

Notes on a talk delivered by Dr Daniel Grant, Aerospace Development Director for CASE medicine at Final Frontiers in Healthcare, organised by ReThinkX at Citylabs, Manchester, 16th February 2017.   Dr Grant began by explaining that, in space travel, micro-gravity is the largest factor effecting human health, particularly if people plan on coming back to earth.  Note that there is gravity in space – it's just coming, in varying amounts, from every single large mass, none of which are close enough to stick you to the floor the way earth does.  When in orbit, you're actually in free-fall, which isn't really much better.  Human bodies experience a fluid shift, with blood pooling in the head. The blood pressure set point also changes, causing problems when they come back home.  Even after as little as two weeks in space, astronauts struggle to stand up for ten minutes at a time. Dizziness Your balance is affected, and to understand this, we'll first need to un

It's medicine...but not as we know it, Jim. On Thursday 16 th February, Alice and Kali attended an event discussing healthcare...in space!  The event was run by ReThinkX and held at Citylabs in Manchester, just across from Whitworth Park.  We heard about the event from the School of Biological Sciences newsletter, which, as students at the School of Biological Sciences, is automatically sent to our student email addresses. The event began with a rather lovely selection of teapig teas (I, Kali, am a big tea fan...) and coffee, before hearing from the four speakers. Click the links to read our summary of their talks. Dr Daniel Grant, Aerospace Development Director for CASE medicine — Challenges of Healthcare Delivery in Zero Gravity Dr Rochelle Velho and Sqn Cmmr Bonnie Posselt, UK Space Environments Association , Mars Analog Mission — The Mars Analogue Mission Professor Colin McInnes, James Watt Chair, Professor of Engineering Science - Solar Sails .

“Nothing in Biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” We are a group of four Genetics students at the University of Manchester. Conrad Fallon With great power comes great responsibility - Uncle Ben. Lauren Goodfellow None but those that have experienced them can understand the enticements of science - Mary Shelley. Kali Ravel They said the North was cold. I understood but did not comprehend. Alice de Sampaio Kalkuhl If you came to this blog expecting the ranting of uneducated people trying to write about something they have no idea of, we will have to disappoint you. We do put a lot of thought into what we write.