Sex in Space
July 17th, 2008 by joe
While the title of this post may appear a blatant play for Google traffic, longtime readers of this blog will know I would never stoop to such cynical tactics.
A “Dr. Kring” is reportedly recommending NASA study the practicalities of sex in space:
He believes that Nasa could learn from the operation of bases at the South Pole, where researchers who are separated from their families for months at a time take “expedition spouses” as sexual partners for the duration.
He said: “You have an exclusive relationship with them for six to nine months but when the expedition is over, so is the relationship and you return to your normal lives and families.”
He added: “The polar environment has similar characteristics of isolation and confinement to space. Most of the evidence suggests that the addition of women there has had a positive effect on these traditionally all male crews.”
I’ll say.
It is personally comforting to me to know that scientists going into polar regions for a few months nowadays get concubines for the trip, and also that everyone goes home to their normal lives and families afterwards, and also that my geek friends from college who were mired down in organic chem while I was drinking Southern Comfort and arguing philosophy eventually made out quite all right. Better living through science, indeed. When I dropped calculus my senior year of high school, I had no idea the fork in the road I was then choosing and the fabulous life of hedonism I was leaving behind.
Clearly, the question of sex on Mars is an interesting one … sex on the Moon slightly less so. The Moon trip would likely only be six or nine months: You tell your wife, Hey I’ll be away nine months and Dr. Lovelace will be my expeditionary spouse, and your wife probably responds with something like, “Like hell” and you don’t get to go.
But Mars -well that’s pretty exotic, a few years project at least and a cherry subtitle on the curriculum vitae. You say: Honey, we are preparing the way for the next stage of humankind, the point of departure for civilization, the very evolution of our species, so me and Dr. Lovelace will be testing all the ramifications of gestation in a zero-gravity environment. I trust you and the kids will be fine until I get back and we start up the Wednesday night bridge games again.
I’m sure 99 out of 100 wives will say: Well, you were a physics major, I knew what I was getting into when I said “I do.”
We have some scientists around here: What say you, guys? Is Dr. Kring spilling the beans?
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2008 at 2:38 am and is filed under Technology/Science. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Hey. Did you ever wonder why the Eskimoes offer their wifes to visitors? When you are on a polar expedition or stuck in a space capsule/station is not much different. Sure, you like the company at the beginning but 24/7, 365 for 6 to 9 months? “Ah, dear. I’m going to take a spacewalk for the rest of the day.” or how about this; “honey, I’m going out to find some baby seals to club. Be back around nightfall!” At least on Mars there is some room to roam. The line that works there is “you know, we may never get back and our air supply is almost exhausted so whats say we just get cozy. You know, I always have liked you”. That line works even for geeks.
Chime in here, braintrust. I’m curious as to what you think.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Joe,
“The men and women whom we select to go back to the Moon, and on to Mars, will be professionals.”
Is he advocating porn stars/prostitutes?
July 17th, 2008 at 10:28 am
“I’m sure 99 out of 100 wives will say: Well, you were a physics major, I knew what I was getting into when I said “I do.”
Joe, many more than 1 out of a hundred scientists and physics majors are women..
Is Dr. Kring advocating something new, or is he discussing relationships that naturally occur when humans are sequestered out in the middle of nowhere for long periods of time ? And, what are the spouses doing back home ? Imagine this is a two way street..
I’ll go, I am ready for some out of this world sex, just hope the female scientists have two eyebrows..
July 17th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Joe, Do you think Dr. Kring listens to the The Zero-G Sex Song while he is at work?