60 days in bed for science

Imagine tomorrow morning your alarm goes and – you just don’t get up, you stay in bed. Most people will be like: “awesome!!!” Imagine you do that for 60 days, and you’ll even get payed for that! Super awesome!!!!

This scenario is not a nerdy daydream, but real science - if you participate on a so called ‘bedrest study’.

Regarding the current study at the German Aerospace center, we have 12 people, staying in bed for about 60 days, head tilt down in a 6 degree angle to simulate zero gravity and the impact on their muscles.

The most interesting aspect for me is the psychological one: who is the person laying in that bed for 60 days?

The thing is: We can learn a lot from people living in extreme environments, because they teach you about the most important aspects in life. If it comes back to basic, you learn about things, you might forget in your everyday life.

yes or no – the question of autonomy

„Imagine your house is like a public space. Everyone can walk through and you have no power to prevent someone from it. I was afraid, it would be like this.“

What was the first the first thing I realized during our study? The fact, that each participant’s room started to transfer into a small and unique universe. People would hang up posters and pictures, and start to organize themselves in the rooms. I learned how important it is for everyone, to have your own space, to define privacy and decide about connection to a group or solitude. The main factor is, whether you have the possibility to decide about this or not.

“I thought about the astronauts who are stuck in the Soyuz for about two days in a really confined position. Compared to them, I have many possibilities to move.”

being bored!

Once I asked my participants what would motivate them to continue the study.  They said two things: 

First: the support of our team, conversations, consolations and more. I learned that wherever we go, we need people to join and go with us. 

Second: projects and small successes they would achieve every day, like conducting an experiment, learning a new language or designing a webpage. 

„Sometimes I feel bored.

  It‘s Saturday and you can‘t go out.  

  And whatever I do,

  I need much more time for it.

  Going to the bathroom

  becomes a planned action.

  On the other hand, I become

  aware about everything I do.“

perspective and hope

That brings us to our next point: every human being needs a perspective. One of my participants said:

“Being here, I imagined how life must be for someone who is really stuck in bed. Someone old, or sick. I mean, I can leave after two month. Knowing that, helps me a lot.”

We all live, because we have a hope, a dream or a goal we want to reach. What influences us, is our past, but what guides us, is our future. 

„I am looking forward to

  feel the rain on my skin.

  To enjoy the smell of

  fresh boiled coffee.

  To see colours and to listen to

  the sounds of the city.“

this is an outtake of a presentation @SpaceUpNL//october 2015