Submitted by Bob_Perdunsky t3_1200mat in askscience
Dark_Believer t1_jdgu5pu wrote
Reply to comment by seanbrockest in How does the gravity (or lack thereof) on the ISS affect digestive systems of it's occupants? by Bob_Perdunsky
This issue isn't fully understood, and would be tough to reproduce outside of space flight. From reports I've read it takes up to a full 24 hours of being in zero G before the effect kicks in. That would be too long to simulate in most experiments on Earth ( such as on parabolic flights which give zero G in bursts of like 30 seconds). Personally I doubt you would need a full 1 G to mitigate this smell and taste issue, but realistically if you were going to use rotational simulated gravity, you would want something closer to a full 1G for the other benefits (such as keeping up bone density and muscle mass).
Kerwinkle t1_jdgyw1h wrote
Ever wondered why airline meals seem to taste bland? Ask an airline meal chef about loss of taste on passenger flights. I'm sure it's not the same issue as spaceflight but a long haul flight also affects your sense of taste and smell. A good thing when you consider all the farts unleashed during those flights too.
Cow_Launcher t1_jdhb7fk wrote
The problem with aircraft is that the cabin air is very dry, (bleed air from the engines that has been run through airconditioning packs and is at least partly recycled). This dries out the mucous membranes in the nose, which in turn dulls your sense of smell.
Your sense of taste isn't standalone - it depends heavily on your sense of smell. So with that missing/impaired, food will taste bland or even entirely different to how it does on the ground.
Come to think of it, this may also be a factor in the ISS as well as the congestion problems they have. It would be interesting to know if they have humidifiers on board up there.
::Edit:: Yes they do, sort of! it's the Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) subsystem of the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS).
Remcin t1_jdibflm wrote
Has any airline ever tried a humidifier? Seems too simple to not have thought of.
[deleted] t1_jdhgoml wrote
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hawkwings t1_jdho1vv wrote
0.1 G would cause dirt and water to go down to the floor. That might make cleaning easier.
ChemicalRain5513 t1_jdgvszx wrote
Wouldn't patients lying flat in bed all day experience a similar issue?
auraseer t1_jdh29c4 wrote
Only very slightly. I read a study on this, and they found that the effect is almost too small to measure, affecting only odors that were barely perceptible in the first place.
This might be because it's nearly impossible for a person to be truly flat and immobile for long enough. They'll turn their head, lift it sightly from the pillow, etc., and even small shifts like that would affect fluid movements.
joanzen t1_jdnxf4b wrote
Reading up on how quadriplegics cope with a lack of body movement while still eating whole foods is quite interesting.
Immortal_Tuttle t1_jdh8uuo wrote
What about the Moon? Did astronauts there experienced such symptoms or not?
reboot-your-computer t1_jdhghmx wrote
If they did, it was probably due to the exposure to 0G for a few days before even getting there. The moon has gravity so we could assume that would prevent such things from occurring. A question this brings me to is how long does it take to fully regain those senses? Would the short time on the moon under some amount of gravity bring the senses right back or does it take time? On top of that, was this an effect we even understood when we were still putting people on the moon or was that too short of a time to really observe this?
Immortal_Tuttle t1_jdhnxw3 wrote
That's what I wonder if anyone did any research while they were on the surface of the Moon or were they just too busy keeping astronauts alive :)
reboot-your-computer t1_jdhoa5v wrote
I’d guess they were quite focused on the mission, but there could have been observations made about this issue regardless.
[deleted] t1_jdiirhi wrote
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