Spinning Human Brains

One day, astronauts might travel through the solar system onboard spinning spaceships. Can human brains adapt?

Next time you go to a playground, try this: Bring along a ball and a friend, and get on the merry-go-round. Try throwing the ball to your friend across the ride from you, or even just a few feet beside you, and see if they can catch it on the first attempt.

They won't be able to, guaranteed. In fact, your throw will be way off. You'll feel your arm pulled strangely to one side as you make the throw, and once in flight, the ball will veer wildly.

Physicists call this the "Coriolis effect," and it happens on any spinning platform. Hurricanes swirl because of the Coriolis effect, the spinning platform being Earth itself. Contrary to popular belief, Coriolis forces do not control your bathroom drains - Earth doesn't spin that fast. But playing ball on a merry-go-round is definitely a Coriolis experience.

Space travel could be a Coriolis experience, too.

Researchers have long known that spinning spaceships like a merry-go-round could solve a lot of problems: In weightlessness, astronaut's bones and muscles weaken. It's tricky to eat and drink, and even use the bathroom. Inside a spinning spaceship, on the other hand, there would be an artificial gravity (due to centrifugal forces) that keeps bodies strong and makes everyday living easier.

The problem is, spinning spaceships also come with a strong Coriolis effect. Tossed objects veer. Reach out to touch a button ... and your finger lands in the wrong spot. Could astronauts adapt to this? And if so, could they adapt well enough to perform dependably in the life-threatening environment of space?

Credit: University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana. Playing ball on a merry-go-round, beautifully illustrates the Coriolis effect.

That's what researchers James Lackner and Paul DiZio are trying to figure out. With support from NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research, these two scientists are performing a series of experiments with people in rotating chambers to learn how well astronauts might adjust to life onboard spinning spaceships. They also hope to find training techniques that could help ease the transition from non-spinning to spinning, and back again.