Canadiens1131
ONE love, blood, life
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Women go to bed for space science
Twelve women have spent two months in bed with their feet higher than their head - all in the name of science.
Designed to recreate the effects of weightlessness, the experiment was run by the European Space Agency in France.
The women, volunteers from Switzerland, Scotland, Finland and France, had to carry out all daily activities in their bed, tilted back at a six degree angle.
Now back on their feet for final tests, the women said they were proud to have helped future female cosmonauts.
The ESA hopes the results of the study will help scientists anticipate the medical problems that may arise as space missions go further and last longer.
The women underwent more than 180 tests and were kept under constant video scrutiny before being allowed out of bed on 30 November.
They were split into three groups, one fed a special diet, one asked to carry out certain muscular exercises and the other used as a control group.
'Childhood dream'
During the 60-day "bed-rest" stint they were allowed books, TV, music and internet access but had face-to-face contact only with medical staff.
Their rehabilitation will come to an end next week, after living in the MEDES medical research centre in Toulouse in France for 101 days in total, including three weeks at either end of the bed-rest.
That's nuts. I think I'd go crazy in a situation like that and start gnawing on my own legs....
Twelve women have spent two months in bed with their feet higher than their head - all in the name of science.
Designed to recreate the effects of weightlessness, the experiment was run by the European Space Agency in France.
The women, volunteers from Switzerland, Scotland, Finland and France, had to carry out all daily activities in their bed, tilted back at a six degree angle.
Now back on their feet for final tests, the women said they were proud to have helped future female cosmonauts.
The ESA hopes the results of the study will help scientists anticipate the medical problems that may arise as space missions go further and last longer.
The women underwent more than 180 tests and were kept under constant video scrutiny before being allowed out of bed on 30 November.
They were split into three groups, one fed a special diet, one asked to carry out certain muscular exercises and the other used as a control group.
'Childhood dream'
During the 60-day "bed-rest" stint they were allowed books, TV, music and internet access but had face-to-face contact only with medical staff.
Their rehabilitation will come to an end next week, after living in the MEDES medical research centre in Toulouse in France for 101 days in total, including three weeks at either end of the bed-rest.
That's nuts. I think I'd go crazy in a situation like that and start gnawing on my own legs....
