> > Not to mention that our senses of smell and taste will be quite different on Mars than on Earth.
>
> They will? That's kind of cool. Why is that?
>

Because the gravitational pull on Mars is only 38% of that of Earth (My physics notes say it has 0.107, or one-tenth, the mass of Earth, and four times less surface area than Earth). In such a low gravity field, we'll have problems with edema (i.e. fluid swelling) in our bodies and heads. Blood will pool somewhat longer inside our heads than normal, and it will swell the membranes lining the cranial air spaces. So the olfactory and taste receptors will be adversely affected by the fluid buildup. Everything on Mars will probably taste dull and insipid compared to Earth norm.

We already know this effect from the fact that airline food tastes so incredibly bland and yucky during plane flights. It's not so much that the food is always bad (okay, it might well be that way for you), but mainly the changes in air cabin pressure are sufficient to make one's head swell enough and affect one's nose and tastebuds.

Also, the lower Mars gravity ought to be fun for playing neat Mars-specific ball games and for doing extreme rock climbing. However, current physiological estimates suggest that humans would have to do four hours a day of high-intensity exercise -- in order to counter the known effects of calcium loss from bones (osteoporosis), as well as muscular atrophy, both of which occur when spending extended time in a low-gravity environment. Proper calcium deposition on bones requires the stress of weight-bearing exercise. If we do not develop the ability to put full weight on bones, astronauts' bodies will also suffer brittle calcium loss throughout the duration of the space flight needed to get to Mars.


> Forgive my ignorance; it just seems like that because I'm ignorant. :-}

Wolf "deviner les jeux avec moi à notre club des ignorami" spirit