Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site mordor.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!mordor!@S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC.ARPA:mcgeer%ucbkim@Berkeley From: @S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC.ARPA:mcgeer%ucbkim@Berkeley Newsgroups: net.space Subject: RE: Space Whoopee Message-ID: <2641@mordor.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 20:55:19 EDT Article-I.D.: mordor.2641 Posted: Fri Jul 12 20:55:19 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Jul-85 21:16:50 EDT Sender: daemon@mordor.UUCP Organization: S-1 Project, LLNL Lines: 17 From: Rick McGeer (on an aaa-60-s)Quite aside from the sniggering in this matter, there's a serious question here. Can humans conceive and reproduce in free fall? Maybe it will never matter (the O'Neill colony will have artificial gravity) but we still should find out. The effects of free fall on a fetus can't be measured until the space station goes up, and for that matter the effects on a human fetus shouldn't be explored at all until there has been at least one animal (preferably primate) pregnancy and birth in space. However, we can test the ability to conceive right now: send a pair of rabbits up, with the female due to go in heat while in orbit. This test wouldn't prove the negative result conclusively if the rabbits refused to Do It, but that (knowing rabbits) is fairly unlikely.... Rick.