On the Long trip to Mars, VR Could Keep Astronauts Sane

[CommanderFrank]

NASA is exploring the possibilities of the Oculus Rift in keeping the isolated Mars astronauts in good mental health. In preparation for the long journey to Mars and the subsequent stay on the Red Planet, six test subjects will be entering a simulated Mars habitat using the VR capabilities of Oculus Rift to maintain their sanity.

Dartmouth is pairing the content with realistic sounds and smells too, so an astronaut’s walk on the beach can bring the brain even deeper into an experience.

 

[Travolta]

Until one astronaut sneaks a copy of Doom 3/4 or Alien:Isolation on board to use the Rift with, freaks out, murders the crew, mission fail.

 

[bucketlist]

8 months + 3 females + 3 males = no need for OR.

 

[temujin987]

a journey to mars? i don't mind. my job is already so boring, it's pretty close to a trip to mars with obnoxious colleagues that top any fellow astronauts easily.

8 months + 3 females + 3 males = no need for OR.

why not 1 male and 5 females? gotta improve the ratio of female astronauts or feminists will riot

 

[Twisted Kidney]

If its for that reality show Mars thing, the last thing they should do is keep the crew sane.

 

[CreepyUncleGoogle]

Good idea. Give them a Facebook's vomit inducer so they can like whatever chunks are floating around in the air after they start barfing 30 minutes into the multi-year mission.

 

[NotEd]

So basically they're going to steal the "twist" ending to the US version of Life on Mars and implement it for reals?

Way to go there NASA.

 

[Dekoth-E-]

8 months + 3 females + 3 males = no need for OR.

8 months in extremely close quarters with the same 3 females...you are right no need for OR. The men would shoot themselves out in space without a suit after a month.

 

[Ducman69]

8 months in extremely close quarters with the same 3 females...you are right no need for OR. The men would shoot themselves out in space without a suit after a month.

The best test would be to take a claustrophobic person, put them in a tiny room with walls that are slowly pressing closer and closer to them until its the size of a small closet, and then have them put on a Rift and see if their symptoms abate. If it does, then problem solved.

Otherwise, just hook em up with several seasons of their favorite TV shows and some multiplayer Wii games on a traditional screen and they should be gold. I think the brain is happy as long as it is kept stimulated with sensory data.

 

[Germanium]

We should just build a moon base first, then build a huge sticky hand, and then grab onto to an asteroid going super fast and get to Mars in a week. Enough time for orgies on the flight but not too long to where the women figure out you give them herpes. Just blame it on the extreme environment once there.

 

[Jagger100]

a journey to mars? i don't mind. my job is already so boring, it's pretty close to a trip to mars with obnoxious colleagues that top any fellow astronauts easily.




why not 1 male and 5 females? gotta improve the ratio of female astronauts or feminists will riot

Just as long as the women get the high visibility glam jobs, aren't accountable for performing adequately, it should be ok as 3 & 3.

 

[CreepyUncleGoogle]

We should just build a moon base first, then build a huge sticky hand, and then grab onto to an asteroid going super fast and get to Mars in a week. Enough time for orgies on the flight but not too long to where the women figure out you give them herpes. Just blame it on the extreme environment once there.

So much wrong with that post.