This is Scientific Americans 60 Second Science.

I'm Lee Billings.

You got a minute?

Outer space may look mostly empty, but it's actually packed with cosmic radiation,

gamma rays and charged particles produced by

exploding stars, black holes, and other violent astrophysical phenomena.

Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field keeps us safe from the worst of this steady barrage of some atomic bullets.

But cosmic radiation would be a constant concern for astronauts on lengthy interplanetary

voyages.

NASA and other space agencies have known for decades that this radiation could W have been difficult to test, but a new study shows that in mice at least,

cosmic radiation likely causes cognitive impairment. The research is in the journal

Science Advances. The researchers mimicked cosmic radiation exposure by briefly bombarding the brains of lab mice with high energy particles.

Six weeks later, the mice scored poorly on tests of learning and memory.

They displayed less curiosity and more confusion than an

unexposed control group. Analysis of their brains revealed inflammation and

decreased numbers of dendrites, which transmit signals between nerves.

If humans are similarly susceptible, astronauts on voyages to Mars could suffer permanent cognitive

impairment that could hinder their abilities to recall information and to think on their feet.

Faster transits, new anti-radiation drugs, and better spacecraft shielding should help.

But until those solutions are developed, sending brain damaged humans to Mars

would be a dim-witted thing to do.

Thanks for the minute.

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