January is National Mental Wellness Month, which has us thinking about how astronauts address their mental health in space. Spaceflight can be both physically and mentally taxing. Astronauts work in a high-pressure job that can be draining, often facing separation from their loved ones for months at a time. Future deep space exploration missions will require a small group of astronauts to live and work in a confined space for up to two and a half years. Here are some of the ways that astronauts deal with the psychological demands of space travel.
Physical activity: Astronauts exercise up to two hours a day. This is to counter the adverse effects of space travel on the human body, but exercise has been proven to have a positive impact on the mind as well. Training and preparation: Astronauts receive extensive training to prepare for space travel, including simulations in isolated environments, team-building exercises, and psychological training designed to help them apply self-assessment tools and treatments to maintain good mental health. Good sleep: Astronauts suffer from a lack of natural light to help maintain their circadian rhythms and get good sleep. To combat this, they use various technologies to help simulate a good sleep environment. This includes special LED lighting, noise cancelling earbuds, sleep masks, and cozy sleep pods. Social activities: Crewmembers gather for meals, holidays, and various social activities while in space. This includes activities like watching a movie or playing board games together. This helps the crew to bond as a team and having connections helps strengthen mental health. Relaxation: Astronauts have downtime built into their schedules. A week in space is designed to mimic a week on Earth, with five days of work and then two days of rest. Just to name a few things astronauts might do during downtime, they might read, play instruments, listen to music, connect with loved ones, practice their religious traditions, or spend time writing. Internet phones and videoconference systems allow astronauts to stay connected with family and friends on Earth. Care packages: Letters, treats, and gifts from home sent on resupply missions help astronauts feel connected to their homes and families.
0 Comments
Don't you just love snow? It's so beautiful and fun to play in, but also, pretty darn cold. Here are a few "snow" activities that can be done 100% indoors.
Snowman Snowball Shooters What you'll need: White paper cups Balloons Scissors Black and orange markers Marshmallows Cotton balls Measuring tape or ruler The process: 1. Poke a hole in the bottom of a cup with the scissors and cut out the entire bottom. 2. Tie the balloon. 3. Cut the bottom of the balloon off. 4. Stretch the balloon over the bottom of your cup. This is your snowman's hat. 5. Use the black and orange markers to draw a face for your snowman. 6. Put a marshmallow in the cup, pull back the balloon, and let go. 7. Measure how far your marshmallow flew. 8. Try again with a cotton ball and see if it goes farther than the marshmallow. Igloo Engineering Challenge What you'll need: Marshmallows Toothpicks The process: 1. Create a semicircle of marshmallows connected together by toothpicks. 2. Place toothpicks facing up out of the marshmallows. 3. Place marshmallows on top of the toothpicks to form a second layer. 4. Repeat making a third ring, but this time with two fewer marshmallows. 5. Continue up to the top of your igloo. Figure out a way to make a top for your igloo that is stable and doesn't collapse. Snowstorm in a Jar What you'll need: Clear jar, like a mason jar Baby oil Water 1 tablespoon of white paint Alka Seltzer tablet The process: 1. Fill 3/4 of the clear jar with baby oil. 2. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 jar's worth of water with the white paint. 3. Pour the water mixture into the jar. 4. Break up an Alka Seltzer tablet into pieces and drop them in the jar. 5. Enjoy your homemade snowstorm in a jar! Have fun out there and stay warm! The middle of winter is the perfect time to get cozy in your house and learn about science! Check out these fun winter STEM activities that are sure to keep you busy on a snowy day! Have fun, and, as always, if you try out any of these activities, send us pictures!
Foamy Snow What you need: Two bowls Measuring cup Baking soda Tablespoon and teaspoon Dish soap Vinegar Water Instructions: 1. Put one cup of baking soda in each bowl. 2. Put three tablespoons of water in each bowl. 3. Add one teaspoon of dish soap to (only!) one bowl. 4. Mix well. 5. Make snowmen with your fake snow. 6. When you're done playing, pour vinegar over your creations and see what happens! Did the added dish soap make a difference? Detect Static Electricity with a Homemade Electroscope An electroscope is a device that can detect whether a material is charged or uncharged with static electricity What you need: Metal hanger Glass jar Straw Scissors Cardboard Tape Hot glue gun Pliers Aluminum foil Piece of styrofoam or an inflated balloon Piece of wool or wool sweater Pen or pencil Instructions: 1. Cut about three inches off of the straw. 2. Trace the opening of the jar on the cardboard and cut out the circle. 3. Punch a hole through the center of the circle that fits the straw. 4. Secure the straw in the center of the cardboard with hot glue. 5. Cut the straight part off of the metal hanger. 6. Twist one end of the wire into a spiral. 7. Insert the straight end of the wire into the straw. 8. Make a small hook at the straight end of the wire. 9. Cut out two 1-inch long, teardrop shaped pieces of aluminum. 10. Cut a hole at the top of the aluminum pieces. 11. Flatten both aluminum pieces and hang them on the hook on the wire. Make sure they touch each other. 12. Place the wire with the aluminum pieces in the jar and tape the cardboard lid onto the jar. You have made an electroscope! 13. Rub the styrofoam on a piece of wool. 14. Hold the styrofoam close to the coiled part of the metal wire on your electroscope. Don't let it touch the wire. What do you observe? 15. Move the styrofoam away from the coil. What happens? 16. Touch the styrofoam to the leftover piece of the metal hanger, then bring it close to the metal coil on the electroscope again. What happens this time? 17. Rub the styrofoam on the piece of wool again. This time, touch it to the metal coil. How does touching the metal coil change your results? 18. Try rubbing other materials against the wool and see what happens! Colorful Patterns in Melting Ice What you need: Water balloons Water Freezer Oven mitt Small plates Cup Table salt Water dropper or syringe Food coloring, preferably liquid Workspace that can get wet Towel Optional: Flashlight Prep instructions: 1. The day before you plan to do this activity, fill water balloons with water, tie them each with a knot, and freeze them overnight (or for at least a couple of hours!) Freeze at least two balloons for each person doing the activity. 2. Just before you do the activity, fill a cup with water and add food coloring. Instructions: 1. Put on oven mitts to retrieve the frozen water balloons from the freezer. Peel off the balloons so that you have two ice balls. 2. Place each ice ball on a small plate and put them next to each other. 3. Sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon of salt on the top of each ice ball, add a few drops of your colored water to moisten the salt, and watch what happens. 4. Wait a few minutes. What happened? 5. Drip more colored water over the top of the ice ball on the left. Do you think one ball will melt faster? Which one and why? 6. Keep watching, and intermittently drip water over the left ball. Does one ball melt faster? 7. Occasionally sprinkle more salt on the top of both ice balls, followed by a few more drops of colored water to wet the salt. 8. Keep observing. Can you see patterns appear in the ice? 9. Optional: Hold a flashlight behind your melting ice balls and see how the patterns light up! ![]() Tawnya Plummer Laughinghouse has been working full time for NASA for two decades. Starting as a materials engineer, she was recently appointed to be the director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center Materials and Process Laboratory. Ms. Laughinghouse was recently featured in the Faces of NASA series, where she spoke about some challenges that she faced in her educational journey. Speaking to interviewer Tahira Allen, Ms. Laughinghouse said, "When I transitioned from Spelman to Georgia Tech, it was probably the first time in my life that I had a professor that made me question if I belonged or had what it takes...I was struggling with imposter syndrome before I knew what that was, wondering, 'Have I just been in some dream world up until now? Am I not as smart as I thought I was?'...I really struggled through that and did not pass that class--the first time I had ever not passed a class--and this was supposed to be my major! "Sometimes you look around and wonder why you don't see a lot of [people of color] in some positions, and it's probably because of situations like this where we have such high standards but feel we cannot meet them. We don't give ourselves grace. We assume, 'This obviously isn't for me.'" Ms. Laughinghouse learned from this experience and didn't give up. She took the class again the next semester with a new determination and passed with an A. Read the rest of Tawnya Plummer Laughinghouse's interview for Faces of NASA here. |