M Thomas Apple Author Page

Science fiction, actual science, history, and personal ranting about life, the universe, and everything

Elementary school students show NASA that EpiPens are toxic in space

March 8, 2023
MThomas

For the program, the 9- to 12-year-old students designed an experiment in which epinephrine samples were placed into tiny cubes and sent to the edge of space via either a high-altitude balloon or a rocket. Once back on Earth, researchers from the John L. Holmes Mass Spectrometry Facility at the University of Ottawa tested the samples and found that only 87% contained pure epinephrine, while the other 13% had been “transformed into extremely poisonous benzoic acid derivatives,” according to a University of Ottawa statement(opens in new tab).

https://www.livescience.com/elementary-schoolers-prove-epipens-become-fatally-toxic-in-space-something-nasa-never-knew

EpiPens are already dangerous enough as it is, and lots of people who have one don’t know how to use it properly.

So…uh…why would an astronaut have this thing in space to begin with? NASA should know the full medical history of all its astronauts before even considering sending them into space.

Let’s make rocket fuel with E. Coli!

April 12, 2022
MThomas

In short, the algae will use sunlight to transform CO2 into sugars that are then enhanced by bio-engineered E.coli into 2,3-butanediol. Interestingly, 2,3-BDO is not entirely conceptual as it currently exists and is mainly used to produce rubber components. It has just never been thought of as fuel before.

https://www.universal-sci.com/article/producing-rocket-fuel-on-mars-using-microbes?utm_campaign=Universal-Sci%20Weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter

Neat. So all the astronauts have to do is bring, uh, how much algae we talking here?

The article doesn’t say, but it does mention a by-product of the process: Oxygen!

That would seem rather helpful. Mars or bust?

SpaceX to launch 🚀 May 27

April 18, 2020
MThomas

Hmm, this doesn’t look much like a dragon… 🐉 🤔

(First NASA manned launch in a decade. First NASA launch by a private company. We’ll likely see many, many more.)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52333932

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