this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2024
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"Exposure to short duration gravity load changes including microgravity, as sustained in a parabolic flight statistically significantly decreases the sperm motility and vitality of human fresh sperm samples," the team found, adding that this may have huge importance for any prolonged human settlement missions in space. 

"In the future, should humans remain in space for long periods of time with exposure to different microgravity and hypergravity peaks, which could range from months to a number of years, reproduction may pose a problem to be tackled."

The mechanism by which sperm motility was decreased remains unknown, with further study needed.

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[–] ChronosTriggerWarning@lemmy.world 1 points 22 minutes ago (1 children)

Wait, how is this a thing? Were they -ahem- draining the men before the flights..?

[–] JigglySackles@lemmy.world 1 points 31 seconds ago

Wank in a cup pre flight and wank in a cup after.

[–] Cocodapuf@lemmy.world 5 points 4 hours ago

Can we please stop pretending that future space colonists will live their whole lives in microgravity? Nobody seriously suggests that as an option, that's stupid. Countless studies have shown that for proper biological development, humans (and in fact nearly all organisms) need gravity. But for large space stations, spin gravity is actually not that freaking hard. If you can create a large enough station to support a sizable colony, it does not take much more engineering to make it spin.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 9 points 11 hours ago

Imagine turning on a black light inside the Vomit/Semen Comet.

[–] card797@champserver.net 20 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

We're never getting off this rock. Lol

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

I really hope not. Looking at how humanity has managed this world, I think it’s for the best if the laws of physics and biology are such that we’re never able to escape our solar system.

[–] card797@champserver.net 0 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Large developed organisms don't travel the stars. The building blocks of life travel. I think anyway. Maybe that's too oversimplified.

[–] Uruanna@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Thus, the semen comet.

[–] Francisco@lemmy.world 75 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

After sparing this paper a fair bit of attention I feel I've wasted it.

Nowhere in the paper could i find in what conditions the test samples were kept during the experiment. This is pretty basic stuff. At this stage I'd wage sloshing was the issue.

Reading this part of the methodology:

"2.2 Initial sperm analysis

After liquefaction...

[Two paragraphs later, in the same section: ] After this first analysis, the 15 sperm samples were split into two fractions. All the samples were exposed to 'Parabolic flight' (split 1) and to..."

Did they liquefied the samples and tested like that? Whaa?

The "After this first analysis" should not be in the "2.2 Initial sperm analysis". It just shouldn't!

Then I think "15 sperm samples were split into two fractions". ... "the samples were exposed to 'Parabolic flight' (split 1)"


splits, fractions, what a mess!! At this stage I've wasted enough.

The paper should be retracted, the reviewers spanked and the editor fired.

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 1 points 10 hours ago

Sloshing? On a vomit comet? Naw...

[–] ReadyUser31@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago

the reviewers spanked

likely not much of a punishment for these perverts

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 79 points 1 day ago (1 children)

A few seconds of microgravity? Something sounds off, that would probably be enough to be seen in parachutists and fighter pilots. I think I'm going to wait for the peer review on this one...

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Also can we stop trying to figure out how humans are going to survive off earth... Until we at least make earth livable again? Like "Genius of the Century" Elon Musk is pouring billions into trying to get man to Mars while actively helping to making earth unlivable.

Like no one should be allowed to leave this rock until it either becomes Paradise or worse than fucking Mars!

[–] rumba@lemmy.zip 21 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

If you're going to call for the stopping of advancement of science while we figure out how to not be horrible we might as well just cash it out now.

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[–] Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 20 hours ago

Methinks they've given up on earth.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

i dont think anyone is going to survive if they try to leave permanently, not with this level of technology. Or if they do they will just suffer

[–] 9point6@lemmy.world 89 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Who'd have thought a headline could contain all those words

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 9 points 23 hours ago

I'm dyslexic and for a moment I was like. Why would you take people who work on boats on the vomit comet? Is it to see if their sealegs transfer to space?

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ disorders can be fun sometimes...

Ps. Someone should do that study I mentioned.

[–] veganpizza69@lemmy.vg 20 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
[–] yumpsuit@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago

Why do you think baseball teams sell those mini batting helmets?

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 15 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I was dropped on my head before i was even born.

[–] myeyesburn@lemmy.world 6 points 19 hours ago

I was dropped on my head before i was even ~~born~~ conceived.

Ftfy ;-)

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 30 points 1 day ago (2 children)

comparing an existing sample exposed to small doses of micro-gravity seems incredibly... useless.. compared to sperm generated in space. how can they even begin to use it to make generalizations on 'long term human space colonization'?

[–] lunarul@lemmy.world 7 points 20 hours ago

incredibly... useless.. compared to sperm generated in space

That's what I don't get. Transporting fresh sperm is not an issue that anyone cares about in space colonization. Sperm will get there in two ways: frozen or made on the spot.

[–] scops@reddthat.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Especially considering the samples were exposed to supergravity as the plane came out of its dive. I feel like that would mostly invalidate whatever they were hoping to find.

Also, why do they dismiss asking ISS staff to participate in studies? Bodily autonomy doesn't mean you can't ask someone to conduct .. uh... research with you. It just means you have to respect it they say no. Astronauts seem like the types who wouldn't mind putting in a little extra effort for... science.

[–] T156@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

Also, why do they dismiss asking ISS staff to participate in studies? Bodily autonomy doesn’t mean you can’t ask someone to conduct … uh… research with you. It just means you have to respect it they say no. Astronauts seem like the types who wouldn’t mind putting in a little extra effort for… science.

Too many other introduced variables? Microgravity has a lot of other systemic effects on the astronauts that might affect sperm motility, even before effects to the sperm themselves. Or just individual variation/genetics on the part of the astronauts themselves.

They wouldn't be able to get a sperm sample that wasn't affected by microgravity from the astronauts to begin with.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 37 points 1 day ago (7 children)

I find it very hard to believe this hasn't been tested on the ISS.

[–] konomikitten@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 22 hours ago

Oh no, maybe this will stop us finding another planet to ruin.

[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

gravity load

[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Literally (fiction) speaking, I've randomly gambled on ~10 generations max before the population crashes if a generation ship arrives and fails to complete an O'Neill cylinder on the other side.

Sound legit? 4am, going to bed, so no read.

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[–] br0da@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Jokes on you, that’s my kink

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