Air, gravity, hot showers, fresh fruit, solitude, and beer are all things we need to survive and prosper in space. In some respects, space exploration is a study of what it means to be human. How much is a person willing to give up? What's the limit of their tolerance for strangeness? What happens when you are unable to walk for a year? Have you ever had sex? Is it possible to smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your space suit while on a mission? Is it feasible for a human body to withstand a bailout at 17,000 mph? Space organizations devised a bewildering array of perplexing and stunningly strange space simulations in order to solve these problems. It is possible to glimpse space without ever leaving Earth, as Mary Roach learns. Roach takes us on a strange and humorous journey into the science of living in space and space on Earth, from the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver stepping in for astronaut).
Yes, the money could be better spent on Earth. But would it? Since when has money saved by government redlining been spent on education and cancer research? It is always squandered. Let's squander some on Mars. Let's go out and play.
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