Spaceflight does some weird things to astronauts’ bodies

Concerns over AstraZeneca's vaccine trial data

Sponsored by IBM The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology What spaceflight does to our bodies 11.26.20 Good morning. Happy Thanksgiving, if you're celebrating that today 🦃 Here at Download HQ we're thankful for you, our readers. So thank you! ❤️ Onto the news: the impact of spaceflight on astronauts' bodies, and growing concerns with the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine data. If you're enjoying The Download, send your friends here to sign up.  Spaceflight does some weird things to astronauts’ bodies   The news: The NASA Twins study famously compared changes in the body of astronaut Scott Kelly while on the International Space Station for a year with that of his twin brother Mark who stayed on Earth. It provided evidence for what we already suspected—that in space the immune system takes a hit, and muscle and bone mass drop—but it also showed some surprising effects, like slower cognitive abilities, certain genes switching off and on, and changes in the gut microbiome. New research published this week reanalyzed the data from that study, and provided comparisons with other astronauts. What it found: Across 19 new studies, which incorporate results from cell-profiling and gene-sequencing techniques that have become easier to run only recently, the researchers highlight six biological changes that occur in all astronauts during spaceflight.These are: oxidative stress (an excessive accumulation of free radicals in the body’s cells), DNA damage, dysfunction of the mitochondria, changes in gene regulation, alterations in the length of telomeres (the ends of chromosomes, which shorten with age), and changes in the gut microbiome.  What does it mean? Ultimately, the data highlights just how much havoc and stress even the healthiest bodies face during space missions—which should have an impact on planning for longer missions. “I don’t think we’re close to sending untrained people into space for really long periods of time,” says Scott Kelly. But they could also give scientists clues on how to mitigate those changes. Read the full story. —Neel V. Patel We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + Not all the early New Englanders were puritans. Some of them were wild party animals.   + Hi Victorians, Sauron called, and he’d like his arm back.    + Thanks Mark for flagging this great art, crafts and photography website.   + RIP Maradona. Here are some of his best moments… even his warm-up routine was special.    + How to make an AC/DC track in just 30 seconds. Sponsor Message Realize high business value from your B2B data exchange investment In today’s digital economy, organizations rely on B2B integration (B2BI) and managed file transfer (MFT) for timely and secure flow of information between customers, partners, and employees. Read this research whitepaper from IDC, which calculates how interviewed IBM B2BI and MFT customers will realize value worth an annual average of $14.72 million per organization by: Generating higher revenue Reducing the cost of unplanned outages Allowing efficient management of B2B platforms Increasing productivity for line-of-business users Read the IDC Research Whitepaper. The top ten must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 There are concerns with AstraZeneca/Oxford’s vaccine data 💉 Instead of presenting data from a single large Phase III trial, they mashed together two separate and substantially different studies. (Wired $)   + The odds of it getting rapid approval are declining. (NYT $)   + If it does at least help to cut transmission, that could be highly significant. (Wired $)   + We don’t even have a vaccine yet, but distribution is already getting messy. (Ars Technica)  2 Time to suck it up and get back on Zoom 🖥️ Yes, it’s not as good as hanging out in-person, but it’ll have to do for now. (Mashable)   + The Zoom-fatigued person’s guide to connecting virtually on Thanksgiving. (TR)   + Tech tips for “Zoomsgiving.” (WP $)  3 Mass testing cannot stop the spread of the coronavirus alone It only works alongside properly enforced quarantines, rigorous contact tracing, masks, social distancing, and other measures. (New Scientist $)   + The CDC seems likely to shorten the recommended quarantine period down from 14 days to 10 or even 7. (NPR)   + What we learned from contact tracing a whole province. (Ars Technica)  4 Struggling with sadness? It’s not just you Understanding the science behind it might help. (New Yorker $)    + Jobs have got harder this year too (for those that still have them.) (The Next Web)   + Doctors and nurses are having an incredibly tough time. (NYT $)  5 Here is a classic example of “pandemic theater” 🤦‍♀️ This germ-zapping robot does absolutely zero to prevent aerosol transmission, which is a major route for infections. (WP $)   6 The TikTok US sale has been extended (again) to December 4 Reckon the odds on this just not happening are quite high. (Reuters)   7 Facebook allowed thousands of illegal ads in the UK Big tech policing itself is going so well. (FT $)   + Facebook is deleting evidence of war crimes, say researchers. (The Verge)   + A Facebook glitch has shaken advertisers’ confidence. (WSJ $)  8 You should opt out of Amazon Sidewalk It has credible potential to become a privacy and security nightmare. (Gizmodo)   9 What it’s like to live with locked-in syndrome (and emerge from it) Incredible. Just read it. (The Guardian)   10 Meet the queen of online yoga 🧘 People seeking refuge from the stress of the pandemic have found solace in gentle, calm Adriene Mishler. (NYT $) Finally, a Cyber Week deal that lasts. Get 2 additional months FREE when you purchase a subscription to MIT Technology Review. With access to the leading voices on world-altering technologies, you'll be empowered to make better-informed, more conscious technology decisions. Claim your Cyber Week deal now. Quote of the day “The difference between getting 10 likes and 20 likes, it’s all just meaningless.” —Adam Alter, a marketing professor at New York University, suggests the holidays might be a good time to reassess your relationship to your devices to the New York Times. Top image credit: NASA Please send party animals to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. 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