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COP15 - UN Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen 2009
Medical Research
last update: Aug 21, 2007 08:44 PM
All personnel of an Antarctic station must go through thorough health checks before they are
allowed to go to Antarctica. Many countries differ in the way that they perform health checks.
Some countries, for example, do psychological testing, while others do a wide range of chemical
and physiological tests.
Scientists investigate the behaviour of the personnel in small groups, their body rhythms
(mainly sleeping patterns), and healthcare. The population of an Antarctic station must therefore
be fit, eat the same diet, and experience the same environment for fair testing.
Much of the medical research done is used by NASA to understand the physical and psychological
effects of living in confined spaces for extended periods of time. With missions planned to Mars
etc, it is essential to understand these types of things before selecting people and setting off
on the 9 month journey.<
