“Irreversible” changes have taken place in the bodies of many astronauts Scientists: Life or origin from the universe? | Astronaut | Body | Irreversible change | Scientist |

[Voice of Hope February 16, 2023](Editor: Guo Xiao) Astronauts are one of the greatest professions in the world, and they have paid a lot for human space exploration. At the same time, being an astronaut is also the most difficult job in the world. You must first become an excellent pilot, fly for a certain period of time, and go through rigorous training and screening before you can become an astronaut. The space environment is complex and harsh. When some astronauts returned, they were honored but covered with diseases. We can’t imagine what astronauts have experienced in space. It seems that the universe is a forbidden area for life. However, it is difficult to imagine that life may also originate from the universe. There are too many theories about life originating from the universe, but one thing is certain that the entire solar system was born in the universe, and life was born from the combination of many organic substances. Maybe one day we can discover its own true source.

Everyone envies that astronauts can roam freely in space and leave a glorious mark on human history, but the bodies of many astronauts have undergone “irreversible” changes. Soviet cosmonaut Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961. So far, too many astronauts have entered space. However, scientists were surprised to find that the physical condition of astronauts changed significantly before and after entering space. In order to understand the physical changes of astronauts before and after entering space, a team of scientists from abroad conducted a systematic study on 11 astronauts from multiple countries. The results showed that the longer astronauts stayed in space, the more likely they were to have problems with their body functions, especially the brain.

According to relevant statistics, after the astronauts who lived in space for more than three months returned to the earth, irreversible changes were found in the bodies of the astronauts: the gray matter and white matter in the brain were significantly reduced, and the changes in the white matter were still irreversible. Whether it will affect the normal life of astronauts in the future is still unknown. Why did this change happen? In this regard, scientists put forward a point of view that the changes in the astronauts’ bodies may be due to the long-term weightlessness in space. The microgravity environment will cause the redistribution of body fluids, such as blood going to the head, and increased intracranial blood pressure. It can also lead to loss of calcium from bones and joint problems. Coupled with the fact that the body cannot get basic exercise, muscle strength has dropped significantly.

Gray and white matter in the brain (Image: University of Michigan)

It also takes a long time for the human body to return to the gravity environment, and some changes will occur in the body during this process. We all know that high radiation has a great impact on the human body. Without the protection of the atmosphere in space, the radiation that humans suffer will be several times that of the earth. Even under the protection of the shell of the space station, the amount of radiation will still increase compared to the ground. In this Working under such conditions for a long time, the genes of the human body will also be affected by high-energy radiation. Scientists once proposed that human beings live in a virtual world, because everything in the solar system seems too perfect. Although UFOs often appear on the earth, they are still unable to trace them, which makes us feel that the universe we live in is not real.

As intelligent creatures on the earth, human beings do not know the true origin of life until now, but it is precisely because of this unsolved mystery that human beings are determined to explore the universe. The history of human beings entering space occupies a very short period in the entire human history, so there is still a long way to go to unravel the mystery of the origin of life. This is also the direction that future astronauts, astronomers, oceanographers, and biologists need to work together.

Editor in charge: Li Jingrou

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