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Tensions in space but not of the political kind!

26/3/2014

A slight hiccup occurred with the docking procedure for the latest supply soyuz capsule that blasted off from the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan this week.

The soyuz, carrying three astronauts - Russians Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Artemyev, and American Steve Swanson - plus supplies for the ISS, was unable to complete the docking procedure due to a slight glitch which led to a 24-second engine burn not taking place. Although the crew members are not in any danger, it does mean an extended stay in their capsule while they wait for the next possible docking tomorrow, Thursday at 7.58p.m ET.

Since the retirement of the US space shuttles in 2011, American astronauts have been reliant on Russian spacecraft to transport them to and from the International Space Station. With recent and mounting tensions between east and west following the Ukraine/Crimea crisis, and sanctions being imposed, it is good to see that, thus far, the cooperation in space does not seem to have been affected – and long may this continue!

Read the BBC Report

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Can I Skype with my Doctor please?!

18/3/2014

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As reported in the UK newspaper The Telegraph this week, a hospital in the county of Staffordshire is set to become the first in Europe to allow doctors to consult with their patients via Skype, the voice-over-IP service.

Managers at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire believe that the use of the Skype online video calling service could potentially reduce outpatient appointments by up to 35%. Obviously limitations will exist as to the type of consultation that would be suitable for an at-distance appointment, and consultants will have to recognize those situations where a face-to-face assessment of the patient is vital.

Many factors need to be considered when contemplating the use of any new technology for the provision of healthcare - there are always positive and negative aspects. Skype consultations would also bring with it risks as well as advantages for both the patient and doctor involved.

Pros
Should allow greater numbers of patients to be seen per day.
Patients will benefit by not having to take time off from work to attend a consultation in person.
Will reduce waiting times and also the demand for hospital parking spaces.
Should considerably reduce numbers of outpatient visits per year.

Cons
Not all patients will have access to Skype or be comfortable using new technology.
Greater consideration must be given to maintaining a secure network and patient data privacy.
The medical-legal aspects of Skype consultations need to be fully defined to protect both the patient and consultant.

One thing is certain – the use of telecommunication and information technology for the provision of healthcare at distance (Telemedicine) is likely to grow hugely over the coming decades. It has enormous potential for improving access to medical services and specialist opinion, particularly in deprived or remote communities or in developing countries, such as those in some regions of Africa. As such, Telemedicine should be embraced by medical and technology communities willing to invest money and ideas, and facilitated through open-minded governmental policies designed to encourage any measures leading to improvements in the health and well-being of its peoples.

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Don't miss - "Live from Space" . . . . . .

14/3/2014

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If you are lucky enough to have the National Geographic Channel on your television at home, then turn it on today to see a special two-hour “Live from Space” program that will be broadcast from 8 p.m. EDT/5 p.m. PDT (0000 GMT).

NASA will, for the first time, allow a live broadcast from inside the Mission Control Centre in Houston whilst it follows the International Space Station for one full orbit of the Earth. The program will include live coverage from within the ISS itself, with a guided tour of the space station and astronauts talking about their day-to-day life, while in microgravity.

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An out-of-this-world pint from down under!

12/3/2014

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Having recently visited Australia and knowing that everywhere I go in the world I pick up some local beer mats, my good friend and colleague and his wife João Castro e Rosi, kindly brought me back a couple of the aforementioned items from an Australian brewer that manufactures a very special beer - introducing Vostok – a space-safe beer!

But why ‘space-safe’? What makes this beer suitable to wet the whistles of future astronauts?

In fact, there are two considerations that the brewers took into account – taste and gas content.

Numerous astronauts over the years of occupation of the International Space Station have reported the sensation of a loss of taste when eating in microgravity – consequently, foods have tasted bland with a resultant desire for stronger flavours and spiced up rations. The jury is still out as to why exactly this occurs, but it could be related to the fact that an upwards fluid shift occurs in the body when in microgravity and thus, there is a feeling of greater congestion in the head and nasal cavities – perhaps reducing the senses of smell and taste. Considering this, the brewing company selected ale with a strong flavour.

Drink a pint of beer at the pub and what most frequently happens next? The liquid travels down your throat and sits in your stomach, and before long the carbon dioxide bubbles rise up to the top due to gravity and form an uncomfortable pocket of gas, requiring a burp to release it. However, in space this separation of liquids and gases does not take place because of the large reduction in gravity – the bubbles remain mixed in with the liquid – thus, if an astronaut were to burp in microgravity there is a strong possibility that both gas and liquid would be expelled – not a pleasant thing to have floating around in the cabin environment! Therefore, the brewing company chose a reduced-carbon dioxide beer recipe.

On 26th February 2011, Vostok, the world’s first space-safe beer was tested by ale loving volunteers in microgravity, on board a ZERO-G parabolic flight. Testing looked at drinkability, taste, and alcohol absorption during microgravity and resulted in successful validation of the beer’s recipe. Who knows how long it will be before the first space hotel opens for business to serve its guests a refreshing pint of Vostok 4 Pines space-safe beer!

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And the Winner is . . . . . . . .

7/3/2014

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Astronauts from the ISS this week sent their congratulations to the team behind the film Gravity for their success at the 86th Academy Awards. The blockbuster movie which cost $100 million to make was a big winner on the night, winning a total of seven Oscars for:

Best visual effects
Best sound editing
Best sound mixing
Best cinematography
Best film editing
Best original score
Best director

Having seen the film myself in 3D, I can affirm that the special effects are certainly worthy winners of the gold plated statuette called Oscar, which was first awarded in 1929.

Female star of the movie, Sandra Bullock, nominated for the Best Actress category, was not so lucky on the night with the award going to Cate Blanchett for the Woody Allen movie, Blue Jasmine. However, it is hard to feel sorry for her as she will reportedly receive an insanely large paycheck of around $70 million for her role in the film, once all royalties have been received! That means a reward of $769,230 for each minute of the 91 minutes running time of the film - nice work if you can get it!

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Tensions in space but not of the political kind!

Can I Skype with my Doctor please?!

Don't miss - "Live from Space" . . . . . .

An out-of-this-world pint from down under!

And the Winner is . . . . . . . .

Space Doctor

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