This could have big implications for human reproduction in spaceflight.

“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.

  • rumba@lemmy.zipEnglish
    51·
    4 hours ago

    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.worldEnglish
      54·
      1 hour ago

      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.zipEnglish
        71·
        1 hour ago

        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.

        • NatakuNox@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          55 minutes ago

          Not my point. Advancement should never be stopped but us as a civilization needs push that science towards solving the most immediate and important problems.

          Just a observation. Wish it was reality. But with enough social collaboration we can make one man’s wet dream of being the last of humanity, while spreading his “Superior” seed across the cosmos; socially, financially, and legally unacceptable.

          • GBU_28@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            11 minutes ago

            We have many many scientists working on “important problems”.

            We do not have a deficit in research or curiosity, we have an issue with people willfully implementing policy that is detrimental. (Power, Profit, willful ignorance, intending to hurt others, etc)

          • boywar3@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            16 minutes ago

            Scientific advancement in space experimentation leads to breakthroughs in other areas - all scientific progress is interconnected.

            “Pushing science towards solving the most immediate and important problems” is sort of a nonsense statement, as there could be new efficiencies/strategies that are discovered in fields that are completely unrelated to what would normally be associated with “the most immediate and important problems.”