Training tomorrow's space doctors

+ what the Renaissance taught us about artificial limbs and amputation US Edition - Today's top story: Keeping astronauts healthy in space isn't easy − new training programs will prepare students to perform medicine while thousands of miles away from Earth [View in browser]( US Edition | 19 June 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Going to space isn’t easy on the human body – your muscles and bones can decay, and space radiation can disrupt digestion and the cardiovascular system. Then there’s the psychological effects of being far from home. And while astronauts tend to be the healthiest people around, in future years it probably won’t just be astronauts heading to space. Tourists on commercial crafts may have complex medical histories or prescriptions that the few astronauts selected by NASA don’t. Crew members will have to think about how to deal with medical emergencies when an evacuation isn’t feasible, particularly for space missions that go farther than the International Space Station or the Moon. Right now, very few people with the aerospace training to go to space also have medical degrees. A few programs at universities and hospitals across the country are looking to change that. As Arian Anderson, an emergency medicine physician at the University of Colorado-Anschutz, explains, these programs aim to [meet a future demand for astronaut-physicians](. Also in this week’s science news: - [New treatments for improving gut health]( - [Weirdness of quantum computing demands unusual metaphors]( - [Decriminalized ‘magic mushrooms’ lead to uptick in poison center calls]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. [ [We don’t have a paywall or subscription fees. We rely on the generosity of readers like you to sustain our work.]( ] Mary Magnuson Assistant Science Editor Space medicine professionals in training consult with each other during a simulation exercise. Katya Arquilla [Keeping astronauts – and tourists – healthy in space]( Arian Anderson, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Future space missions will fly farther and longer than ever before – which means crew members may need more involved medical care in space. Amputees in 16th century Europe commissioned iron hands from artisans, many of whom had never made prostheses before. Lernestål, Erik, Livrustkammaren/SHM [Modern surgery began with saws and iron hands – how amputation transformed the body in the Renaissance]( Heidi Hausse, Auburn University Gunpowder warfare kicked off a new era of invasive surgery and prosthetic technology in Western medicine. The bamboo coral Isidella displaying bioluminescence in the Caribbean in 2009. Sönke Johnsen [From glowing corals to vomiting shrimp, animals have used bioluminescence to communicate for millions of years – here’s what scientists still don’t know about it]( Danielle DeLeo, Florida International University; Andrea Quattrini, Smithsonian Institution Dozens of animals, some on land but many in the ocean, can produce light within their bodies through chemical reactions. Scientists are still trying to understand when and why this trait developed. [Abortion bans are changing what it means to be young in America]( Julie Maslowsky, University of Michigan The 2022 Dobbs decision that overturned 50 years of abortion rights is affecting where young people choose to go to college, to work and to live, as well as the way they vote. [Digital public archaeology: Excavating data from digs done decades ago and connecting with today’s communities]( Emily Fletcher, Purdue University Archaeologists preserve records of their excavations, but many are never analyzed. Digital archaeology is making these records more accessible and analyzing the data in new ways. [Scientists and Indigenous leaders team up to conserve seals and an ancestral way of life at Yakutat, Alaska]( Aron L. Crowell, Smithsonian Institution; Judith Dax̱ootsú Ramos, University of Alaska Southeast Collaborative research by archaeologists, environmental scientists and tribal elders combines science and Indigenous knowledge to tell the story of centuries of life at a glacier’s edge. [What is a heat dome? A meteorologist explains the weather phenomenon baking the northeast quarter of the US]( William Gallus, Iowa State University Heat domes are a dangerous part of summer weather. Millions of Americans are facing exceptionally high temperatures going into summer 2024. - [Space weather forecasting needs an upgrade to protect future Artemis astronauts]( Lulu Zhao, University of Michigan The Sun will be at its most explosive right around the time NASA plans to put people back on the Moon. - [Microrobots made of algae carry chemo directly to lung tumors, improving cancer treatment]( Zhengxing Li, University of California, San Diego Green algae carry drug-loaded nanoparticles directly to the lungs, reducing side effects in other organs and increasing treatment efficiency. - [The Hubble telescope has shifted into one-gyro mode after months of technical issues − an aerospace engineering expert explains]( Panagiotis Tsiotras, Georgia Institute of Technology Hubble’s technical issues continue. But through some clever engineering, the telescope can continue operations with just 1 gyroscope. - [Oral nicotine pouches deliver lower levels of toxic substances than smoking – but that doesn’t mean they’re safe]( Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, UMass Amherst; Nargiz Travis, Georgetown University While manufacturers say they are marketing oral nicotine pouches as a safer alternative for people who already smoke, nonsmokers and young people are being drawn to them, a large-scale study found. - [Is Earth really getting too hot for people to survive? A scientist explains extreme heat and the role of climate change]( Scott Denning, Colorado State University The answer depends in part on where you live. If it’s extremely hot and humid, the health risks are much higher. - [The US is losing wetlands at an accelerating rate − here’s how the private sector can help protect these valuable resources]( - [Calls to US poison centers spiked after ‘magic mushrooms’ were decriminalized]( - [Quantum computers are like kaleidoscopes − why unusual metaphors help illustrate science and technology]( - [Poop has been an easy target for microbiome research, but voyages into the small intestine shed new light on ways to improve gut health]( - [Wastewater surveillance reveals pathogens in Detroit’s population, helping monitor and predict disease outbreaks since 2017]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our other weekly emails: • [Politics Weekly]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Giving Today]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Threads]( • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Post.news]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](