3. Biology experiment: Balance
Research question:
Why do astronauts experience space (motion) sickness (also known as space adaptation
syndrome)?
Hypothesis:
● For a proper function of the vestibular System we need gravity.
● Because there is less gravity, all the movements happen slower. The influence of
inertia will also be bigger.
Materials: just someone able to spin around several times.
4. Operation of the experiment
For the experiment we had to follow these procedures:
1. a) Head straight, eyes open, spin around seven times at the most, try to stand up straight
(with your eyes open)
b) Head straight, eyes closed, spin around seven times at the most, try to stand up
straigh (with your eyes open)
2. a) Head straight, eyes open, spin around seven times at the most, try to walk on a line
(with your eyes open)
b) Head straight, eyes closed, spin around seven times at the most, try to walk on a line
(with your eyes open)
c) Head tilted, eyes closed, spin around seven times at the most, try to walk on a line
(with your eyes open)
5. Results / Observations and conclusion
Belgium
Experiment 1
● a) It is difficult to stand straight but not impossible.
● b) It is more difficult than a.
Experiment 2
● a) It is possible.
● b) It is harder.
● c) It is difficult.
Conclusion
There’s less gravity, all the movements happen slower. The influence of the inertia will also
be bigger.
6. Results / Observations and conclusion
Italy
Experiment 1
● a) There’s no evident change
● b) Mattia after spinning stumbled a little bit
Experiment 2
● a) Mattia after spinning walked almost straight
● b) Mattia, after spinning with his eyes closed stumbled but when he opened his eyes he
managed to walk on a line
● c) Mattia, after spinning with his head tilted and his eyes closed, stumbled and felt a
little bit nausea. At the end he wasn’t headed towards the right direction
Conclusion:
Astronauts experience space sickness because of the difference between what eyes see and
what balance system feels. In conclusion, we can say that the body searches a solution in
order to improve his condition by, sometimes, throwing up or feeling sick.
7. Italy comparison
We noticed that we have the same answers. When you spin around fastly, there is a
difference between what the eyes see and what your system feels. That is the reason why it’s
so difficult to walk straight in the beginning.
8. Reflection
We didn’t expect this answer because we didn’t know that
astronauts experience space sickness in order to adapt their body
to the “new” situation.
