So, because our space book talks a bit about Antarctic psychology in the context of space psychology, a few people have been sending me this article: www.thetimes.com/article/17fd... - ThreadSky

zachweinersmith.bsky.social • 13 days ago

So, because our space book talks a bit about Antarctic psychology in the context of space psychology, a few people have been sending me this article: https://www.thetimes.com/article/17fd9cec-ca0e-47de-b647-a415ba6e5a25?shareToken=2600d6c297951ef4c3ad385152b27b87

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zoealicempls.bsky.social•13 days ago

paging @imsarahnow.bsky.social

eikepierstorff.bsky.social•13 days ago

To link this back to Mars, a similar scenario is the starting point for "How the heroes die" by Larry Niven (which I have to admit would be a less than mediocre story even without the homophobia, but seems marginally relevant here. Given how you researched the topic, you probably know it anyway).

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

So, let me give you a robustly boring perspective.

Stories about madness in isolated and confined environments go back a long time in exploration. For particularly spooky stories see for example the Greeley Expedition or the Mawson Expedition.

However.

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

See also the many missions, e.g. Nansen 1893, where people were isolated on the ice for years and had no major incidents. What can we conclude from this stuff?

My view, after lots of reading, became... not a lot.

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

If we look at Antarctica, polar exploration, submarines, people do often report a heightened emotional level, tension, etc. However, the rate of psych issues in different studies seems to be normal or even below the rate back home.

What's going on? Likely selection bias is part of the picture.

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

In these settings there are test screenings. Plus, the subset of people who want to go is non-random.

However, the general not-so-badness should convince you that there's not a straight line that runs from isolation in Antarctica to maaaadness.

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

Indeed, in the cases where we do see problems, it's often young men, likely with incipient undiagnosed issues like schizophrenia. In some cases on polar exploration where the selection process was not robust, you had things like alcoholism. But again, nothing really out of the ordinary for humans.

zachweinersmith.bsky.social•13 days ago

As in Antarctica, so in space. The issue is not that humans go mad in isolation. That's a book/movie thing. The issue is that you should expect a typical background rate of need for psychiatric care, which is harder to deliver away from the mainland. Or home planet.

darthhellokitty.bsky.social•13 days ago

My favorite is the Franklin Expedition, which was creepy enough even without the addition of a monstrous supernatural polar bear.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Terror_(TV_series)#

lexical-lushes.bsky.social•13 days ago

this story really just tells us white south afrikaners are terrible people, which we already knew

personalbrand.bsky.social•13 days ago

What a nightmare

superdan.net•13 days ago

Actually called out in the article: "He [environment minister] added that researchers undergo pyschometric evaluation before they are sent to Antarctica because of the strenuous conditions in the remote, harsh landscape, which he likened to outer space."

superdan.net•13 days ago

And closing comment by the author (Dr. John Dudeney, former deputy director of the British Antarctic Survey) is pretty interesting...

superdan.net•13 days ago

"A strong team is paramount, which for me, meant not forming close friendships or participating in splinter groups. The big lesson I learnt is to be a good team player but keep your intimate self to yourself, and question your own motives in disputes before you question those of others."

excretusmaximus.bsky.social•13 days ago

Why use the word complain instead of reported, or asserted, or claimed, or anything else that doesn't have a negative connotation attached to it?

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