Hey there! It’s Danny, and today we’re diving into a fascinating topic: motion sickness. Have you ever felt sick while riding in a car or on a boat? I sure have! When I’m on a boat, the rocking waves make me feel dizzy and my stomach gets all knotted up. This is called seasickness, and it’s a type of motion sickness.
My friend Bruno asked a great question: Do astronauts get motion sick in space? If you’ve ever felt sick on a roller coaster or in a car, you know how uncomfortable it can be. But what about in space? Astronauts float around, which looks super fun, but it takes some getting used to. At first, they might feel dizzy, have a fast heartbeat, and even feel sick to their stomachs. It’s like an extreme version of being carsick!
Motion sickness happens when your brain gets confused by different signals from your body. Imagine being in space: your body feels like it’s floating, but the space station doesn’t seem to move. This can make your brain feel mixed up, and that’s when you start feeling sick.
Back in the 1970s, scientists realized that motion sickness was a big problem for astronauts. It was hard for them to focus on their important tasks. Dr. Patricia Coings, a scientist who studies how our minds and bodies work together, had an idea. She thought that astronauts could use their minds to help calm their bodies.
Dr. Coings suggested exercises where astronauts focus on calming their heartbeat and breathing. For example, you can think, “My heartbeat is calm,” and imagine it slowing down. These exercises help astronauts feel better when they start to feel sick.
Dr. Coings and her team created special training for astronauts. They practiced in situations that made them feel motion sick, like spinning in a room. Then, they used the mind exercises to calm down. They even wore special shirts with wires that measured their heartbeats, so they could see how their bodies reacted.
Dr. Coings faced challenges because she was a young Black woman leading a team in a field mostly led by older men. But she believed in her work and helped astronauts succeed in space. Her training is still used today, not just for astronauts but also for people who fly in jet planes.
When I feel seasick, I use these mind exercises too. I focus on my heartbeat and breathing, and it really helps. You can try it when you’re feeling nervous or upset. By taking deep breaths and calming your mind, you can help your body feel better too.
Thanks for joining me on this exploration of motion sickness. Remember, there are mysteries all around us, so stay curious and keep asking questions. See you next time!
Make Your Own Motion Experiment: Find a small toy car or a toy boat and a flat surface like a table. Gently push the toy and watch how it moves. Now, try to make it move in a circle or zigzag. Imagine how it would feel to be inside the toy. Discuss with a friend or family member why you think motion sickness happens when we move in different ways. How does your brain react to these movements?
Mindful Breathing Exercise: Practice the calming exercises that astronauts use. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, counting to four, and then breathe out slowly, counting to four again. Repeat this five times. Imagine your heartbeat slowing down and your body feeling calm. Try this exercise next time you feel nervous or upset and notice how it makes you feel.
Observe and Report: Next time you are in a car or on a bus, pay attention to how your body feels. Do you feel any signs of motion sickness? Write down what you notice about your body and how you feel. Share your observations with your class or family. Discuss what you can do to feel better if you start to feel motion sick.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, it’s Danny! One of my favorite things is exploring the ocean. While I love being in the water, being on a boat can be tough for me. The rocking of the waves gives me a sick, dizzy feeling. My heart beats faster, my body gets cold and sweaty, and my stomach feels like a knot. This feeling is commonly known as seasickness or motion sickness.
Someone named Bruno is curious if other explorers experience a similar feeling, so let’s give Bruno a call.
Hi, Danny!
Hi, Bruno! I have a question for you: Do astronauts ever get motion sick in space?
Great question! If you’ve ever felt car sick, seasick, or sick from a roller coaster, you know how unpleasant it can be. We’ve explored why people get motion sick in another mini-lesson if you’re curious to learn more.
So, if people can feel motion sick while traveling in cars, boats, and on roller coasters, what about traveling in space? Floating in space looks like so much fun, but it does take time to get used to it. Astronauts practice for this as best they can, like in a special pool. However, being in space is a totally unique sensation, and at first, some astronauts feel strange. Their hearts beat faster, their hands get cold and sweaty, and they feel dizzy and weak. Some even get sick to their stomachs. Sound familiar? It’s like an extreme space version of being carsick.
In fact, back in the 1970s, as more astronauts went into space, it became clear that motion sickness was a significant problem. Feeling sick makes it hard to focus on important tasks, like staying safe in space.
Before I continue, I’m curious: What do you think astronauts could do to feel less sick in space? What helps you if you feel motion sick? Now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss.
Okay, are you ready? Some things you might do on Earth for motion sickness would be really tricky in space. You can’t just open a window for fresh air! Space motion sickness is not like the flu or other illnesses you can catch from germs. In fact, we’re not entirely sure what causes it. One idea is that the sick feeling comes from a mix-up between your mind and body. Imagine being an astronaut: you feel your body floating even though the space station doesn’t seem to be moving. If you turn, up can feel like down, and your mind isn’t sure what’s right.
Some scientists study the ways our mind and body work together, including Dr. Patricia Coings. When she heard about the astronauts’ space sickness problem, she had an idea. Dr. Coings had studied ways that people can use their minds to help their bodies feel more calm. These are kind of like exercises, but instead of working your muscles, you work your mind.
Here’s a version you can try: Focus on your heartbeat and think, “My heartbeat is calm.” Imagine that your heart is beating slower. You probably won’t notice a change right away, but some people who practice this exercise repeatedly find that their heart does start to beat more calmly. Those calm thoughts can be powerful.
Dr. Coings thought exercises like this one could help astronauts handle motion sickness. That way, when their hearts raced and their hands got cold and sweaty, they could use their minds to help calm their bodies and feel better faster. So, Dr. Patricia Coings shared her ideas with scientists at the space program, and soon she was leading a team to test those ideas with new training for astronauts.
Astronauts went through experiences that made them feel motion sick, like spinning around in a striped room. Then they used the thinking exercises to calm their body’s reactions. They even wore a special shirt designed by Dr. Coings and her team, which had wires connected to machines that measured things like how fast an astronaut’s heart is beating. This way, astronauts could see how their bodies changed as they did the thinking exercises, and they could even wear it in space.
Although training was going well, Dr. Coings faced challenges. When she started at the space program, most of the scientists leading teams were older men. A young Black woman being in charge was new, and some people doubted Dr. Coings. But she was confident that her team could help astronauts succeed in space, and that’s what she’s done for more than 40 years. Dr. Patricia Coings is still making history with the space program today.
She doesn’t just help astronauts; she has adapted her training for other situations where people need help with motion sickness, like flying in jet planes.
In summary, many astronauts do feel motion sick in space, at least at first. However, using the training program developed by Dr. Patricia Coings can help them manage that sick, dizzy sensation. When I feel seasick, I take medicines that help, and I also do thinking exercises like the astronauts. I focus my mind on things like my heartbeat and my breathing, and it really works. Those calm thoughts help my body calm down.
It doesn’t just help with motion sickness; have you ever noticed how when you feel nervous, angry, or upset, your body reacts? Maybe your heart beats fast, your face feels hot, and your stomach feels like a knot. When big emotions make your body feel tense, you can do what astronauts do too. By focusing your mind on calm, deep breaths, you can help the rest of your body feel calmer as well. Give it a try!
That’s all for this week’s question. Thanks, Bruno, for asking it! Now, for the next episode, we reached into our question jar and picked out three questions sent to us that we’re thinking about answering next. When this video is done playing, you’ll get to vote on one. You can choose from: How is string made? How does mail get delivered? Or when was gum invented? So submit your vote when the video is over. We want to hear from all of you watching. There are mysteries all around us. Stay curious, and see you next week!
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
