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This is ... unsettling
07-30-2016, 04:04 PM
Florida State University: http://news.fsu.edu/Top-Stories/Apollo- ... ted-deaths]Apollo astronauts experiencing higher rates of cardiovascular-related deaths
Apparently (it's difficult to do a proper study with such a small sample), going outside the magnetosphere substantially increases one's risk of developing cardiovascular problems, according to FSU Dean of the College of Human Sciences and Professor Michael Delp.
Let's assume it's accurate. So how does this relate to Fenspace?
Anybody who came Up after proper radiation shielding was available should be fine. Applying handwavium to a ship's or station's hull or a settlement's dome should count as "proper radiation shielding" - but there are probably some First Fen who did a slap-dash job on their handwavium application. Biomods should help, too - but there are a lot of First Fen who never biomodded.
I think it's safe to assume the scientists, engineers, and military veterans would have done a sufficiently thorough job with their handwavium application. That leaves the economists, businessmen, sociologists and humanities majors.
Hmmmmm... I think I now have an in-universe reason why both Tanith Curtis (Serenity I) and Noah Scott withdrew from active SMOFdom after a decade or so in space. They're becoming too ill to remain active.
Thoughts, anyone?
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Actually I think this is a result of low gravity effects with no work out regimen on the cardiovascular system and heart. If I remember correctly that was one of the prime worries at the time.
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Considering faction leaders tend to be desk jockeys, "no work out regimen" is just as valid a reason for the two that I named to be in less than perfect shape.
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Rob Kelk
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Fenspace has better medtech anyway.
Sure, can't ye just get a new one?
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Health problems from a long time in zero or low gravity are well known. This is a legitimate problem, especially for early Fen (And especially for kids. Hoo boy, some of the folks back on Earth are going to get worked up when THAT gets noticed.) Fenspace has developed some interesting and impressive medtech, but I suspect it could easily be used however you like on a character by character basis.
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We've also developed artificial gravity, (on we handwaved it but still)
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Yeah, but that doesn't mean everyone uses it, or has it set to Earth normal.
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I could see it being a little in character dissonance between people like Jet for whome replacing old, worn out or defective parts might be perfectly natural, and others who might not be too keen on the whole violation of their bodys thing. And neither really getting' the others viewpints.
Noah and Jet would have very different opinions.
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Quote:Matrix Dragon wrote:
Yeah, but that doesn't mean everyone uses it, or has it set to Earth normal.
I haven't looked, but I thought at least one of the active Fen early on, maybe The Jason, had deliberately set his craft's gravity a bit lower to help with his health issues, at least until he decided to biomod himself to clear them. And there was at least one spacecraft that one of the quirks was that the gravity would switch off at night.
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It occurs to me that, from now-ish to the mid 2020s, there will be quite a lot of interesting medical conditions appearing as a consequence of living in space, even without Biomods making life exciting. And that's only in the people that actually have access to medical services. The people that vanish off the grid and set up on remote asteroids and such would be even worse.
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I went back and re-read the article - Prof. Delp set as his "control group" the astronauts who only made it to LEO.
So all the lack of exercise has already been taken into account. The only things different between the LEO astronauts and the Apollo astronauts are the duration of the missions and the amount of radiation received. And "duration of the missions" is covered by the Skylab astronauts.
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{Potterite} Obviously, it's leaving the Earth's magisphere and living in a low-mana environment that causes it. {/Potterite}
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Hmm, judging by the control group they've taken into account the effects of the acceleration experienced on launch, then, which was my own first thought.
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