Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

NASA Sent Several Mice Into Space To Analyze Their Behavior In Microgravity—And The Mice Actually Had A Blast

NASA Sent Several Mice Into Space To Analyze Their Behavior In Microgravity—And The Mice Actually Had A Blast
NASA Video/YouTube

Mice are the often unsung heroes of humans' scientific research. We use them as a proxy for our own species when researching how things might affect humans.

Obviously, we aren't mice, but their bodies are similar enough that they can tell us a lot about the safety of different medications or situations.


Mice also live shorter lives than humans, so they are excellent for testing the long-term effects of microgravity—like that experienced during prolonged space travel.

Humanity is getting closer and closer to taking a trip to Mars but, before we can make that idea a reality, we need to learn how being weightless for the amount of time it takes to get there will do to the astronauts that take the trip.

Rodent Research in Microgravitywww.youtube.com

In order to study how mice react to the microgravity of space, NASA designed a special enclosure to hold and observe mice on the International Space Station (ISS).

Called the NASA Rodent Research Hardware System, the enclosure had enough room for the mice to move around freely.

A researcher from NASA's Ames Research Center, located in Silicon Valley, talked about the enclosure

Studying Behavior in Space Shows Mice Adapt to Microgravitywww.youtube.com

Surprisingly, the mice didn't seem to mind being in space at all!

They did all of the same things that the control group of mice who stayed here on Earth did: grooming, eating, and interacting with the other mice in the enclosure (including adorable snuggle huddles—mice are very social animals).

They also did some things that the earthbound mice didn't, mostly because they couldn't. The space mice rapidly adjusted to the microgravity quickly, and some of the younger mice began doing what scientists called "race tracking."

They would run laps around the walls of the cage, eventually in groups!

Scientists aren't sure of the reason for these mousy jogging clubs, but they could be do to a few different factors.

It might be because the mice enjoy the physical exercise itself, like many human runners, or the motion helped stimulate the mice's sense of balance.

There is also the possibility that it is a stress response, but scientists think this is the least likely possibility. The mice were in perfect health, and didn't show any other abnormal behaviors.

Ronca commented on the importance of mouse research and the success of this initial study.

"Our behavioral study shows that the NASA Rodent Hardware System provides the capability to conduct meaningful long-duration biological research studies on the International Space Station."
"Experiments conducted in the habitat can focus on how mouse physiology responds to the spaceflight environment during extended missions and on similarities in response to astronaut crew."

Twitter users were excited by the study's results.




NASA is sending up another group of mice with the next cargo shipment to the ISS today!



If we really plan to make it to Mars, or even farther planets, these studies of the effects of being in space are vital. The ISS is too small to conduct a large-scale study on humans, and a sufficient number of samples are vital to understanding whether a reaction is a species-wide one or just an individual one.

These mouse studies are the first step in understanding the effects of space on bodies that are designed to exist with significantly more gravity.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less
Jojo Siwa; Mickey Rourke
ITV

Mickey Rourke Reprimanded After Indirectly Aiming Anti-Gay Slur At JoJo Siwa On 'Celebrity Big Brother'

Dance Moms dancer, Nickelodeon child star, singer, and reality TV staple Jojo Siwa had a rough few months in 2024 over some problematic comments and behavior.

But 2025 is looking brighter as the public rallies to her defense.

Keep ReadingShow less
Barack and Michelle Obama
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Michelle Obama Expertly Shuts Down Baseless Rumors That She And Barack Are Divorcing

Speaking on Sophia Bush's Work in Progress podcast, former First Lady Michelle Obama addressed rumors that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, were getting a divorce.

Obama addressed the recent divorce rumors for the first time, while also reflecting on the personal choices she’s made since departing the White House in 2017.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Kristi Noem Ripped Over Her Lack Of Gun-Handling Skills While Cosplaying As ICE Agent

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized after she had an ICE officer seemingly dodging her aim after she pointed a gun towards his head while filming a video.

In a 20-second video posted to X on Tuesday, Kristi Noem stands flanked by two Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, brandishing a gun. Wearing a vest marked "ICE," along with dark cargo pants and a cap, Noem addresses the camera while the two agents remain silent beside her—though some X users expressed concern for the safety of one of them.

Keep ReadingShow less