Human Minds in Deep Space: The Psychological Frontier

How might a trip to Mars change your brain? Mars is nine months away. No escape. No return. Can your mind handle it? In this episode, we dive into the psychological toll of the journey to Mars and how isolation, confinement, and cosmic distance test the limits of human resilience.

What happens to memory, time perception, and mental health in deep space?

And what can we learn from astronauts, psychologists, and sci-fi? And how does what we know about isolation, teamwork, and psychometrics help us prepare for the big trip?

Papers

De la Torre, G. G., Groemer, G., Diaz-Artiles, A., Pattyn, N., Van Cutsem, J., Musilova, M., ... & Antunes, I. (2024). Space Analogs and Behavioral Health Performance Research review and recommendations checklist from ESA Topical Team. npj Microgravity, 10(1), 98.

Wang, Y., Jing, X., Lv, K., Wu, B., Bai, Y., Luo, Y., ... & Li, Y. (2014). During the long way to Mars: effects of 520 days of confinement (Mars500) on the assessment of affective stimuli and stage alteration in mood and plasma hormone levels. PloS one, 9(4), e87087.

Music

https://www.purple-planet.com

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