火星旅行需防范脑损伤
Mars Travelers Could Suffer Radiation Brain Damage
火星旅行需防范脑损伤
Mice exposed to radiation akin to what astronauts to Mars would receive experienced cognitive impairment.
在承受与火星旅行相类似的辐射之后，老鼠出现了认知功能障碍。
撰文 李·比林斯（Lee Billings）
翻译 M
审校 弥生
Outer space may look mostly empty, but it’s actually packed with cosmic radiation—gamma rays and charged particles produced by exploding stars, black holes and other violent astrophysical phenomena. Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field keep us safe from the worst of this steady barrage of subatomic bullets. But cosmic radiation would be a constant concern for astronauts on lengthy interplanetary voyages.
外太空或许看起来几乎空洞无物，实际上却充满了宇宙辐射。这些宇宙辐射包括了产生于恒星爆炸、黑洞和其他剧烈的天体物理现象的伽马射线与带电粒子。 在地球，大气层与磁场使我们远离了连绵不断的粒子弹雨。但在宇航员漫长的星际旅程之中，宇宙辐射必将是需要持续关注的问题。
NASA and other space agencies have known for decades that this radiation can cause cancer and other cell damage. However, possible effects on mental functioning have been difficult to test. But a new study shows that, in mice at least, cosmic radiation likely causes cognitive impairment. The research is in the journal Science Advances. [Vipan K. Parihar et al, What happens to your brain on the way to Mars]
美国国家航空航天局和其他空间机构在数十年前已经了解到这些辐射可能导致癌症和其他细胞损伤。然而对心理功能的影响难以测量。但一项新研究表明，至少对于老鼠，宇宙辐射可能会导致认知功能障碍。这项研究发表在《科学进展》杂志上。[Vipan K. Parihar et al, What happens to your brain on the way to Mars]
The researchers mimicked cosmic-radiation exposure by briefly bombarding the brains of lab mice with high-energy particles. Six weeks later, the mice scored poorly on tests of learning and memory—they displayed less curiosity and more confusion than an unexposed control group. Analysis of their brains revealed inflammation and decreased numbers of dendrites, which transmit signals between nerves.
研究人员通过高能粒子照射老鼠的脑部的方式模拟老鼠暴露在宇宙辐射下的情形。六周后，相对于没有接受辐射照射的对照组，这些老鼠在学习与记忆测试中的成绩较差。它们展现出好奇心更低和精神更为不集中。脑组织分析发现了炎症和树突数量减少的状况，而树突主要是神经之间传递信息的结构。
If humans are similarly susceptible, astronauts on voyages to Mars could suffer permanent cognitive impairment that could hinder their abilities to recall information and to think on their feet. Faster transits, new antiradiation drugs and better spacecraft shielding should help. But until those solutions are developed, sending brain-damaged humans to Mars would be a dim-witted thing to do.
如果人类同样易受影响，那么宇航员在去往火星的旅途上可能会出现永久性的认知功能障碍。这会阻碍他们回想信息，甚至会使他们变得愚钝。更快的星际旅行方式，新的抗辐射药物与更好的宇航器保护罩层会对宇航员有所帮助。但在这些方法完善之前，送一帮脑残的人类到火星将会是一件愚蠢的事。
—Lee Billings
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京ICP备11000850号-1
京公网安备11010502039775号 信息网络传播视听节目许可证0111611号
国家科技基础条件平台