Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2019 October 12

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October 12

Effect of spaceflight on the human body

(Added header.) Double sharp (talk) 14:28, 19 October 2019 (UTC)

Hi. I have a question and have already searched for the answer, so I think this is the place to ask. I was reading Effect of spaceflight on the human body. I find the topic interesting in itself, but I thought something might be missing? I'm not sure where to look or if research on this topic exists, but I was wondering how spaceflight might affect the Menstrual cycle? Clovermoss (talk) 20:01, 11 October 2019 (UTC)

When in doubt, consult DTIC (Defense Technical Information Center) and/or NTRS (NASA Technical Report Server)!

NTRS has over 100 scientific articles and publications on the broad topic of female astronaut health in both normal and abnormal conditions. Here is a recent conference presentation:

• Practical Considerations for the Care of Female Astronauts on the International Space Station (2015)

.... which was a conference presentation by several aerospace medical doctors, including astronaut/flight-surgeon Serena Auñón-Chancellor, who flew on ISS during Expedition 56/57. Her work was also recently published in the journal Nature: Limitations in predicting the space radiation health risk for exploration astronauts (2018).

Here is a 2015 news summary from an NPR interview with some of the very same astronaut-scientist-doctors: What Happens When You Get Your Period In Space?

And if you search the NTRS database, you can input specific keywords including "women's health", "reproductive health", "menstruation", or any other keyword.

There is a lot of research on both normal and non-normal medical considerations for female astronauts, including the effects of (and on) their reproductive health.

A great starter-book for readers interested in aerospace health at large is Introduction to Aviation Physiology, which is decidedly gender-neutral in its coverage - but if you're not already aware of the basics, that's a good book to get oriented with the terminology and the concerns, before you dive deep into specialization topics.

Nimur (talk) 21:25, 11 October 2019 (UTC)

Thank you so much Nimur! This is exactly what I was looking for. Clovermoss (talk) 22:36, 11 October 2019 (UTC)

Static vs. kinetic friction

In this problem [1], the truck would experience μk if its wheels are jammed and the truck slides down the slope. But how would it experience μs, when static friction only acts on a non-moving object or allows wheels to roll without loss of energy? 104.162.197.70 (talk) 03:32, 12 October 2019 (UTC)

I think you misread the problem. The static and dynamic friction values given are between the load and the bed of the truck, not between the wheels and the slope. SinisterLefty (talk) 03:36, 12 October 2019 (UTC)

The problem assumes the driver applies the brakes very skilfully and the wheels do not skid. The μ_k value is not used. DroneB (talk) 12:35, 12 October 2019 (UTC)

D'oh! Thank you. 104.162.197.70 (talk) 18:21, 12 October 2019 (UTC)