the matrix for space tavel

[mr d]

hello

 

looking at the movie the matrix, was wondering if developement of such a system would be useful in prolonged space flight.

a 8-12 month flight stuck in a conpartment the size of your average bathroom would be quite taxing on most people. but if there was a computer simulation running of normal life, or a nice vacation to a tropical island, where your mind could live while your body functions were slowed and itself stored.

would that make mental stress easier to deal with. for you as the astronaut would merely remember going into the spaceship, than entering this computer world, only to wake up from it when you arrived at your destintion.

 

strange thoughts

 

mr d

[insane_alien]

somehow i think it would be simpler just to freeze someone and revive them at the destination.

[mr d]

hello

 

thought about that, but such would include taking down brain function. for if the brain still remained active, what would be the state of the individual's mind after a year of being alone with it's own thoughts.

can't say i've seen alot of studies of reawaken comatose people who could recall what was occuring to them while in the coma. not awareness of surroundings, but where their mind was and what it thought and saw.

and most who do recover suffer damage to mental and motor skills. so if the mind could be kept active, and skills put to use in the simulation it would mean a better chance of having a cognisant person when awaking.

 

mr d

[Sisyphus]

Yeah, but you age while asleep, and you don't while frozen.

[insane_alien]

well, we froze those two dogs and woke them up afterwards. when was the last time we hijacked all I/O functions of the nervous system?

[mr d]

hello

 

agreed about aging. but what is happening inside the mind of the individual, unknown. persons confined to sensory depravation tanks quickly being having auditory and visual dillusions. so if your mind is active even though your body is frozen what becomes of your mind.

also if this supposed space flight was occuring at near the speed of light, persons on the flight would already being aging at a much slower rate so would there be a need to freeze them. slower speeds perhaps. but we still don't know what is going on neuroloically with people, and still the problem of people in prolonged unconsciousness loosing function.

this way, matrix program, there minds could be kept active and maintain what might be considered a normal existence for the duration.

 

mr d

[padren]

If you needed the crew to be activend respond to new information during the mission, it would make sense I guess. The only problem is muscle atrophy and possibly bone degration, being both prone and weightless. Astronaughts have to exercise a lot to keep from loosing muscle and bone mass.

 

As for freezing, I don't think there would be much trouble with the mind. People are mentally conscious in deprivation tanks, and all the hallucinations are tied to the active brain. If you are frozen - you die, for a while at least. Then later revived. You may have dreams and memories of the freezing/reviving process, but it would likely be the same nature whether you were frozen for a day or a century.