In article ,
(steve rappolee) wrote:

mammalian reprodution in "zero g"
is this maybe bad news?
http://peer1.nasaprs.com/search2003/...y_taskbook_con
tent&TASKID=2384

I don't see why. I'm skeptical that their experiment really simulates
microgravity in any significant way -- note that in their rotational
control case, the embryos also died, it just took slightly longer than
in the vertical rotation case. No doubt the stresses are different in
these two cases. But true microgravity would be an absence of stress, a
very different situation. So I don't think this experiment says much of
anything at all about how embryos would develop in microgravity.

Of course, if it does turn out that embryos can't develop in
microgravity -- which I find highly unlikely -- it's still not a big
deal. People aren't likely to ever live in microgravity in large
numbers (at least, not in biological form). Space colonies will be
built at whatever gravity level is safe and comfortable.

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