Viable Mammal Embryos In Space Demonstrated by Chinese Experiment (chinadaily.com.cn) 22
hackingbear writes: "The latest experiment results from China's SJ-10 recoverable satellite have been sent back with some groundbreaking news. For the first time in human history, it has been proven that the early stages of embryos in mammals can be developed completely in a space environment," according to China Daily. "High-resolution photographs sent back by SJ-10 show that the mouse embryos carried by the return capsule completed the entire developing process within 96 hours from the launch, the first reported successful development of mammalian embryos in space."
The U.S. conducted similar experiment on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996 and China conducted one abroad its SJ-8 in 2006, neither was able to show any viable embryos back then. "The human race may still have a long way to go before we can colonize the space. But before that, we have to figure out whether it is possible for us to survive and reproduce in the outer space environment like we do on Earth. Now, we finally proved that the most crucial step in our reproduction – the early embryo development -- is possible in the outer space," said Duan Enkui, Professor of the Institute of Zoology affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and principle researcher of the experiment.
The U.S. conducted similar experiment on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1996 and China conducted one abroad its SJ-8 in 2006, neither was able to show any viable embryos back then. "The human race may still have a long way to go before we can colonize the space. But before that, we have to figure out whether it is possible for us to survive and reproduce in the outer space environment like we do on Earth. Now, we finally proved that the most crucial step in our reproduction – the early embryo development -- is possible in the outer space," said Duan Enkui, Professor of the Institute of Zoology affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and principle researcher of the experiment.
Give me a chance (Score:1, Funny)
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Not my job. I don't get involved until they are old enough for Pop Warner.
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You're old-fashioned. I don't get involved until they're drafted into the NBA.
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Although no doubt contraception was used, you most likely would not be the first member of the "200 Mile Club". Astronaut memoirs may one day provide candid public discussion regarding this.
Jan Davis and Mark Lee, who were the first married couple to go to space in 1991, and were on their honeymoon. This was an unusual situation, NASA does not send up married couples as a rule, but these two were training for a specific mission together when they got involved and married. Changing the mission crew would hav
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I knew about Jan and Mark Lee on the shuttle but I had no idea about the mir thing, that's awesome.
In mike mulane's book riding rockets, he mentioned that they suspected both jan and mark probably had sex (he wasn't on that flight).
Lots of interesting and funny stories in that book, one seemed to insinuate that they all knew (or suspected) sally ride was gay and that her marriage to hoot gibson didn't really seem to make much sense (since he was described as being a very planet AD womanizing type fighter jo
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oops meant hawely, not gibson.
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Jan Davis and Mark Lee, who were the first married couple to go to space in 1991, and were on their honeymoon. This was an unusual situation, NASA does not send up married couples as a rule, but these two were training for a specific mission together when they got involved and married. Changing the mission crew would have delayed the mission, so up they went. Despite the close quarters, and busy schedule I would think that the other astronauts would be able to find some way to stay busy, while the newlyweds "got busy" at some point.
And yet somehow, NASA has made last minute substitutions to flight crews for illnesses without a delay in any of the missions. It is very likely that NASA would have split the couple up if they did not want them there. A much more plausible explanation was that given the opportunity of having a married couple in space, NASA chose to maximize the research opportunities it allowed (versus dealing with various morality issues if they were not married to each other).
Sponsors (Score:2)
And I'm sure about a dozen of internet companies with name containing elements like "X", "You", "Red", "Porn", "Tube", "Hub", "hasmter" - and various combinations thereof - will all be willing to pool the necessary money in exchange to the rights of streaming the content of the experiment's visual footage.
For science, you know...
150 AD inquiry (Score:2)
Colonize space - with mice (Score:4, Funny)
I, for one, am happy to welcome our space mouse overlords.
I at no point fed you guys a bunch of sacharine, aspartame, or anything else.
The one thing "determined to cause cancer in laboratory rats" is... lab researchers.
My best and mousiest wishes.
Ehud Gavron
Mouseville Tx
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Also a giant transforming lion robot [voltron.com]! ;)
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You do know the universe is run by mice, right? [shmoop.com]. So this research is merely the next step in their experiments and getting the one true answer.
the Viable Embryos (Score:2)
Viability argument of abortionists (Score:2)
Dismissed in a single experiment. Cool.
Anyone else misread the headline as "Mammoths"? (Score:2)