Being in Space Has Such an Impact on the Brains of Astronauts

We know that being in space is unnatural, but it turns out it has drastic implications on the physiology of astronauts who go there.

Transcript

00:00humans weren't exactly meant for space in fact it's likely no living thing is and it's no secret

00:08that when astronauts return to earth after a stay aboard the international space station

00:12they come back a little different in fact space anemia has been a long known issue with astronauts

00:17after spending time in space where their bodies simply don't produce as many red blood cells as

00:22when they're on earth but now experts say life in orbit 254 miles up in microgravity isn't great

00:27for astronauts brains either looking at mri scans of astronauts brains before and after a six

00:33month stay in space revealed gaps in brain tissue related to fluids in the brain fluid movement in

00:38the brain is important because it allows our bodies to flush waste from our heads usually when we sleep

00:43the researchers say these findings aren't that surprising as the brain relies on gravity to

00:47maintain its shape distorting when that relative constant ceases but perhaps the strangest thing

00:52there didn't seem to be much change in the brains of veteran astronauts meaning the brain must figure

00:57it out eventually and reach a point of homeostasis pretty cool and just goes to show how adaptable

01:02humans can be even to something as alien as space