Hibernating bears could hold the key to long-distance space travel

[mr blur]

This has nothing to do with atheism, per se, but it's such a fantastic headline.

And, hey, Science, eh? Gotta love it.

Astronauts could protect themselves against bone wastage by harnessing a unique biological process that allows black bears to maintain their skeletons during hibernation.

A study has revealed that bears protect their bones from degrading, despite hardly moving for up to six months, by suppressing the usual constant release of calcium from the bones into the blood. Such a lengthy period of inactivity in humans would lead to a severely weakened bone structure.

“This could be the basis for a new therapy for astronauts, or people with a bone-related chronic illness,” said Meghan McGee-Lawrence, assistant professor in cellular biology and anatomy at Georgia Regents University in Augusta, and an author of the study.

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http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/09/hibernating-bears-could-hold-the-key-to-long-distance-space-travel