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The study beds are angled so that the participants' heads are lower than their 6 degree body.
Credit: DLR
Would you be willing to spend 60 days in bed for $ 19,000?
That's what a group of space scientists hope for: they are recruiting female subjects as part of an upcoming study on how to protect the human body from effects of microgravity.
In addition, there will be pancakes. [6 Weird Facts About Gravity]
These so-called bed rest studies are conducted in partnership by NASA, the German Space Agency (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The first part of the artificial gravity bed rest study (AGBRESA) launched on March 25 at the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine in Cologne, Germany, and the second stage – which still needs volunteers – will take place from September to December this year, NASA representatives said in a statement.
But what does staying in bed have to do with weightlessness in the space? When a person lies down with the head lower than the body, this position causes over time a movement of fluids in the body towards the head. The same state – fluids migrating upwards – is observed by astronauts in the absence of gravity, explained DLR on the project website.
By observing people lying down for 60 days with their heads 6 degrees lower than their bodies, researchers can develop strategies to help astronauts cope with similar challenges in space. One of the methods tested by the subjects of the study is a centrifuge capable of running them for 30 minutes each day, even if it is slower than a carnival tour. It generates an artificial gravity and forces the fluids to circulate in the body, according to the DLR.
For the new study, scientists are looking for German-speaking women aged 24 to 55 who do not speak. The compensation is 16,500 euros, or about 18,500 US dollars.
Bed rest studies last a total of 89 days: 15 days to get used to the equipment, 60 days of bed rest and then 14 days of rest before returning to the "daily", said DLR representatives. The participants lie down in individual rooms and all the daily activities take place in a supine position.
To make sure that subjects do not gain weight during this restricted two-month activity period, researchers provide them with a standardized diet. However, meals are not "very healthy" and participants will sometimes receive "pancakes and sweets", according to the DLR.
Originally published on Science live.
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