In theory, colonizing Mars is a cool concept but until we get the whole living in space thing down, it will be anything but a pleasant experience. If the severe weather, radiation or general lack of oxygen doesn’t kill you, humans in space have a whole other threat to worry about. Stress.
STRESS IS A UNIVERSAL THREAT TO HUMANS
The first humans on Mars will get bragging rights for life, but unfortunately, that life won’t last very long. Stress, not laser welding Maritains, will wreak havoc on humans in space. We see these effects first-hand every time an astronaut comes back to Earth. With weaker immune systems and large loss of muscle mass, space living takes a major toll on the body. When a human is in a hostile environment, stress is a natural response. Mars will certainly be one of these environments and as humans attempt to adapt in space, their central nervous system will be on the fritz.
STUDY SHOWS WE ARE NOT READY FOR MARS
A study called The Immuno experiment was conducted to examine the effects stress has on astronauts. Between a questionnaire, saliva, blood and urine samples, researchers were able to analyze the immune system reaction to environmental stress.The five-year study concluded that the immune system, when under abnormal stress, tends to overreact. What would cause a normal immune response for healthy humans on Earth causes a greatly increased reaction in an environment like Mars. Until we find a way to deal with that stress, astronauts won’t be leading very happy lives on the red planet.
STRESS RELIEF IN SPACE
If mankind is ever going to attempt life on Mars then they need to learn a thing or two about stress relief in space. Maybe NASA will look into funding marijuana legalization on the ISS for this very reason. They’re already experimenting with lighting fire up there, so this really seems like the next logical step. They can even grow their own NASA and sell it for a huge profit down on Earth. Not only would people pay big bucks to buy an ounce of Interstellar Cosmic Kush, but it might inspire a different group to become astronauts.Those who used to smoke up and stare at the stars may soon be the ones exploring them. All in a mellow, stress-free environment. Man.
