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Science

Scientists' Brains Shrank a Bit After an Extended Stay in Antarctica (sciencenews.org) 49

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
Socially isolated and faced with a persistently white polar landscape, a long-term crew of an Antarctic research station saw a portion of their brains shrink during their stay, a small study finds. From a report: "It's very exciting to see the white desert at the beginning," says physiologist Alexander Stahn, who began the research while at Charite-Universitatsmedizin Berlin. "But then it's always the same." The crew of eight scientists and researchers and a cook lived and worked at the German research station Neumayer III for 14 months. Although joined by other scientists during the summer, the crew alone endured the long darkness of the polar winter, when temperatures can plummet as low as -50 Celsius and evacuation is impossible. That social isolation and monotonous environment is the closest thing on Earth to what a space explorer on a long mission may experience, says Stahn, who is interested in researching what effect such travel would have on the brain. Animal studies have revealed that similar conditions can harm the hippocampus, a brain area crucial for memory and navigation. For example, rats are better at learning when the animals are housed with companions or in an enriched environment than when alone or in a bare cage, Stahn says. But whether this is true for a person's brain is unknown.
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Scientists' Brains Shrank a Bit After an Extended Stay in Antarctica More

Scientists' Brains Shrank a Bit After an Extended Stay in Antarctica

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  • Sounds familiar (Score:5, Funny)

    by Tablizer ( 95088 ) on Thursday December 05, 2019 @12:02PM (#59488062) Journal

    Washington DC has the same problem.

    • That's an illusion. Brains don't actually shrink in DC. Rather, the smaller brained is attracted to the location. Makes it look like brains outside of DC are growing, and compared to that trend, DC brains are either static or even shrinking depending on which study you trust.

      Either that or it's swamp gas.

    • Washington DC has the same problem.

      Fuck all that travel and isolation, if I want my brain to shrink I'll just visit slashdot.

    • and my brain shrank 50%, unable to communicate with humans IRL and pressing the like button obsessively to get my kicks.

    • Washington DC has the same problem.

      That's not correct. 37 seconds after being elected, said brains shriveled up and died. The politicians wander about like zombies mumbling money, money.

  • The mental toll of isolation has been know. It is suppressing it has a physical effect with the brain.

  • But whether this is true for a person's brain is unknown.

    Why? Because we're so special, amirite?
    And no, it's not unknown, they just proved it with this research, did they not?

    Ugh.

  • I'll bet a lot of their body parts shrank (Score:4, Funny)

    by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Thursday December 05, 2019 @01:01PM (#59488226)
    Cold has that affect on people.

  • I'm actually interested in this (Score:4)

    by twocows ( 1216842 ) on Thursday December 05, 2019 @01:19PM (#59488320)
    I was actually looking into jobs in Antarctica because I've always wanted to go there for a few months. Most of the listings are summer only, which is fine by me. I'm interested by the challenges that would be presented by managing computer systems and networks in an isolated location like that. Also, I bet I could set up some local game servers that would be good entertainment for the other people working there!

    • Re: (Score:1, Funny)

      by 110010001000 ( 697113 )

      As an added bonus your brain is already pre-shrunk!

    • Do you like to drink?

      • I do, but I also don't mind isolation if I have technology because I can always find things to do: writing programs, learning systems, playing single player games, etc.

      • Do you like to drink?

        Hint: ice doesn't ferment, no matter how long you wait. Neither does the snow. Or the wind. Or the cold.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by dargaud ( 518470 )
      Been there, done that. I heartily recommend it, particularly in winter. The summer jobs are generally logistics, while the winter jobs are science. So you find the formers with the main organizer (is it still Raytheon in the US?) and the latters with the scientific teams. Those won't be advertised much, but if you get the list of scientific experiments currently running, you can try and contact their teams and ask them. Go for it.
      And a side note: US stations are big formal organizations, with very little

    • I've worked at South Pole for a bit over a month. Some people like it, some don't. Its amazing when you get there but gets monotonous rather quickly and the lots of inconveniences start to add up. High altitude makes most people stupid, even after the acclimate. Keeping people there is very expensive, so people tend to be very busy with work. (there is some free time but not a ton).

      The staff is in generally extremely skilled and generally very interesting people.

      There is outside network connectivity p

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • I knew a girl who stayed at one of the antarctic facilities for a 6-month stint. She, who, for a period, was the only female down there, told stories showing an active social environment. She didn't f.... anyone, btw. (Hi, Anne.)
    Anyway, lots of people in the US have experienced long periods of isolation in prison or jail. I did 5 days myself. That situation is more serious isolation than being with a group of guys at a research station.

  • It's always the same... if you let it (Score:5, Interesting)

    by dargaud ( 518470 ) <slashdot2@nOSpaM.gdargaud.net> on Thursday December 05, 2019 @02:20PM (#59488642) Homepage
    Been there, done that: I spent 3 years in Antarctica, including one winterover, the 1st one ever, at Dome C in the middle of Antarctica. So if you are bored there, it's your fault. First there's a lot of your own work to do. Then there is other people's work: when the chef takes a day off, someone needs to replace him. Then there's a lot of improvisation: fixing things you didn't know you could fix, learning new skills, etc...
    To give you a few examples: learning to drive a Caterpillar, helping the plumber fix leaks, playing with dynamite, building a snowboard from scratch, climbing icebergs, capturing (and being vomited on by) birds with the ornithologist, exploring crevasses, sorting garbage in 27 different bins... But you can learn it all by clicking on my sig. It's a fascinating place and I heartily recommend going there, particularly for a winterover. And to hell with my shrinking brain, I'll dip it in alcohol to keep it in the cold !!!
  • I think their brains were already shrunk a little bit for wanting an extended stay in Antarctica.

  • That's the (sadly, fictional) way to stop this sort of brain-shrink in outer space.

    Now if only they were actually practical...

  • ... when cooled.

  • Oh! So that's why they're unable to find the edge of the flat Earth! They get more stupid as they get closer. /s

  • Have been to the South Pole twice. Yes, it's flat and white but it's also at high elevation - those who are susceptible to altitude sickness may need an oxygen tank the first few days. Everyone is advised to take it easy until they acclimatize. Maybe the altitude is factor in the cerebral shrinkage. Winter overs got to attempt to join the 200 club - go from a 100 degree sauna in the dome to the pole marker outside when it was 100 below with just their boots on - talk about shrinkage...

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