Hurricane forced NASA bedrest volunteers to stand up early

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, September 18, 2008 5:43 PM | permalink

Dale says:

Folks in a NASA study ... were actually supposed to spend 90 days inclined at an angle of -6 degrees (with their heads lower than the rest of their bodies) to simulate the effects of microgravity. But last week they had to end the study early because Hurricane Ike was headed straight for them in Galveston, Texas.
One of them had spent 78 days in bed.

Pillownaut | New Scientist

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Discussion

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#1 posted by sonny p fontaine , September 18, 2008 6:25 PM

like Rory Calhoun?

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#2 posted by Daemon , September 18, 2008 7:02 PM

i wonder how much nasa pays people to stay in bed at a funny angle for three months.

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#3 posted by diggerdoug , September 18, 2008 7:06 PM

I hope they still get their $12,000. At least NASA should pro-rate it.

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#4 posted by KurtMac

, September 18, 2008 7:10 PM

@#2 $15,000 (but you don't do it for the money)

I signed up for that thing a few months ago, haven't heard anything, but here's hoping now they'll be looking for a new crop of "subjects" since this experiment was cut short. That would royally suck, and here's hoping they get another shot if they want it.

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#5 posted by ZippySpincycle , September 18, 2008 8:14 PM

A lot of volunteers are put off by that bit at the end of the study, where they dissect you.

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#6 posted by MichaelRN , September 18, 2008 8:33 PM

Nice work, if you can get it...

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#7 posted by Lord Xenu , September 18, 2008 8:40 PM

...but now they have to start all over again.

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#8 posted by Ghede , September 18, 2008 9:02 PM

Clearly, god wasn't kidding about that sloth shit. He is cracking down! Get up! Work the fields until you die, give all your money to the Catholic Church! AHHHHHHHHHHH!

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#9 posted by NicoNicoNico , September 18, 2008 9:17 PM

Well, that has to suck. They were almost done, then their work gets washed away - quite literally! Talk about frustrating.

BTW, what are the qualifications for signing up? I'd love to, but I have health problems that may get in the way of lying down that way for months. I'm already investigating one blood clot with my doctor, I really wouldn't want another, or to aggravate the one I have now. You know?

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#10 posted by jackie31337 , September 19, 2008 12:45 AM

The one question I'm wondering about (and maybe this is addressed in the blog) is: how do they go to the bathroom?

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#11 posted by Brian Damage

, September 19, 2008 6:03 AM

All that hard work gone to... well, all that work... uh, well, what a waste at any rate.

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#12 posted by Jerril , September 19, 2008 7:07 AM

#10: Astronauts are familiar with the "Joys" of diapers, catheters, and other such things. I imagine the test subjects would get the same treatment.