Squid go into space – for the sake of humanity

Squid go into space – for the sake of humanity

If the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour goes ahead as planned next week, it will be carrying an unusual cargo: baby squid. This is not because the astronauts want a change in their menu: the squid could help us understand how "good" bacteria behave in the microgravity of space. As Jamie Foster of the University of Florida in Gainesville, who is running the experiment, puts it: "Do good bacteria go bad?" We already know that disease microbes grow faster and become more virulent if they are sent into space. In 2006 Salmonella bacteria were sent up on a space shuttle, and when they returned to Earth they were almost three times as likely to kill mice as normal

www.newscientist.com...

This was an interesting story I thought worth sharing.
After the results of the Salmonella tests you would think we would quit this.

Originally posted by newcovenant
Squid go into space – for the sake of humanity

If the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour goes ahead as planned next week, it will be carrying an unusual cargo: baby squid. This is not because the astronauts want a change in their menu: the squid could help us understand how "good" bacteria behave in the microgravity of space. As Jamie Foster of the University of Florida in Gainesville, who is running the experiment, puts it: "Do good bacteria go bad?" We already know that disease microbes grow faster and become more virulent if they are sent into space. In 2006 Salmonella bacteria were sent up on a space shuttle, and when they returned to Earth they were almost three times as likely to kill mice as normal

www.newscientist.com...

This was an interesting story I thought worth sharing.
After the results of the Salmonella tests you would think we would quit this.

edit on 19-5-2011 by newcovenant because: (no reason given)

Well damn.
Good find, lol this is awesome sauce!

Sounds like the starting of a B-grade horror movie. SQUIDS IN SPACE!!!!

Good find! Very interesting!

reply to post by TheMessenger1


Not so much a movie, but it's been done in books before. Manifold: Time, anyone?

Amazon Link

I won't spoil any plot here, but if the squid start reproducing, we're done for!

I wonder what other bacteria and viruses they sent up to space to "beef" them up...

reply to post by Echotebarknwhale


Anthrax, plague, smallpox, microsporidia, H5N1, West Nile, Necrotizing fasciitis and the entire plethora of micro organism spectrum, both natural and genetically modified, man made and enhanced natural etc.

Weaponization and vaccines are the main factor for why, in case any one was going to ask.