Deaf Astronauts - The Gallaudet Eleven

Deaf astronauts are known to history as the 'Gallaudet Eleven' helped NASA to study how spaceflight might affect astronauts.

WASHINGTON DC -- Before NASA could send humans to space, the agency needed to better understand the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the human body. So, in the late 1950s, NASA and the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine established a joint research program to study these effects and recruited 11 Deaf men aged 25-48 from Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University). Today, these men are known to history as the “Gallaudet Eleven."

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All but one had become Deaf early in their lives due to spinal meningitis, which damaged the vestibular systems of their inner ear in a way that made them "immune" to motion sickness. Throughout a decade of various experiments, researchers measured the volunteers' non-reaction to motion sickness on both a physiological and psychological level, relying on the 11 men to report in detail their sensations and changes in perception. These experiments help to improve understanding of how the body’s sensory systems work when the usual gravitational cues from the inner ear aren't available (as is the case of these young men and in spaceflight). "We were different in a way they needed," said Harry Larson, one of the volunteer test subjects.

Read More: 'Gallaudet Eleven' Helped NASA Leave Earth

The experiments tested the subjects' balance and physiological adaptations in a diverse range of environments. One test saw four subjects spend 12 straight days inside a 20-foot slow rotation room, which remained in a constant motion of ten revolutions per minute. In another scenario, subjects participated in a series of zero-g flights in the notorious “Vomit Comet” aircraft to understand connections between body orientation and gravitational cues. Another experiment, conducted in a ferry off the coast of Nova Scotia, tested the subjects’ reactions to the choppy seas. While the test subjects played cards and enjoyed one another's company, the researchers themselves were so overcome with sea sickness that the experiment had to be canceled. The Gallaudet test subjects reported no adverse physical effects and, in fact, enjoyed the experience. Test participant Barron Gulak later remarked about such experiments: “In retrospect, yes, it was scary…but at the same time we were young and adventurous.”

Based on their findings from a decade’s worth of experimentation, researchers gained insight into the body’s sensory systems and their responses to foreign gravitational environments. Through their endurance and dedication, the work of the Gallaudet Eleven made substantial contributions to the understanding of motion sickness and adaptation to spaceflight.

Deaf Difference + Space Survival is currently on display at Gallaudet University's Jordan Student Academic Center, open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. For more information, visit: https://www.gallaudet.edu/museum/exhibits/deaf-difference--space-survival-exhibit.

SOURCE - NASA

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'Gallaudet Eleven' Helped NASA Leave Earth

NASA turned to 11 Deaf men ultimately played a significant role in getting the first astronauts off the ground.

WASHINGTON -- In the late 1950s when NASA was a brand new agency, the list of spaceflight unknowns was significantly larger than any list of knowns. And addressing that list called for some real creativity. When it came to dealing with space sickness, NASA turned to 11 Deaf men for a baseline, and these men ultimately played a significant role in getting the first astronauts off the ground.

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This specific run of tests was done in the 1960s as a cooperative venture between NASA test was a partnership between NASA and the U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine. The subjects were 11 Deaf men between 25 and 48 years old -- Harold Domich, Robert Greenmun, Barron Gulak, Raymond Harper, Jerald Jordan, Harry Larson, David Myers, Donald Peterson, Raymond Piper, Alvin Steele, John Zakutney -- from Gallaudet College (now Gallaudet University) that specializes in educational opportunities for the hearing impaired. And their selection was far from an arbitrary choice.

Read More: Deaf Astronauts - The Gallaudet Eleven

The key here was in how each of these men lost their hearing. All but one was deaf after a childhood bout with spinal meningitis. Spinal meningitis can, among other effects, cause lasting damage to the vestibular system of the inner ear by killing nerve and hair cells, the structures that are vital to giving our brains information about motion, balance, and even spatial orientation. This is also the system that plays a huge part in for motion sickness. There are still some conflicting explanations over where motion sickness comes from, but the traditional explanation is known as the “sensory conflict theory.” This is basically a conflict to what your eyes see and what your vestibular system feels. If you’re reading in a car you won’t see any movement but your body will feel it. The result is feeling like you want to vomit. And sometimes just outright vomiting.

When it comes to space, this system stops getting gravitational cues that distinguish up and down, but your eyes still see things normally. It’s another set of conflicting information that can lead to a space sickness akin to seasickness. Which leads to nausea.

Fun fact, “nausea” and “nautical” have the same Greek root -- “naut.” That’s not a coincidence. This has clearly been a sea-faring condition for a while now.

Sensory conflict theory explains why a functioning vestibular system is necessary for motion sickness, and also why NASA was interested in testing Deaf individuals with a damaged vestibular system to study motion sickness in spaceflight. These men are virtually immune to motion sickness, so they could be put through the ringer on all the machines that would train astronauts for spaceflight, report any physical sensations, and give researchers a baseline without having to stop because of nausea.

And the tests were insane! One test had four men spend 12 straight days inside a 20-foot slow rotation room that kept spinning at ten revolutions per minute the whole time. The disorientation would make anyone sick, but these men weren’t bothered by it. Another test had them go through zero-g flights in the so-called “Vomit Comet” before scientists looked for the presence of stress hormones in their urine as an indication of stress on the body during the testing. Men who could hear had increased levels of certain catechols and steroids in their urine while the deaf participants didn’t.

In another test in a ferry off the coast of Nova Scotia, researchers wanted to see what would happen to the men on a boat in choppy waters. The goal was to see if the deaf participants could be made seasick to understand and determine the comparative effects in unaffected subjects, aka men who could hear. The Deaf subjects played cards and hung out while 15 of the 20 hearing participants got violently ill. The Deaf men only reported physical discomfort from the test as well as fear. The rough waters were so scary many feared shipwreck, but even the panic they felt wasn’t strong enough to induce nausea. Researchers measured their blood pressure, eye movement, digestion, and other physiological effects for a good baseline until the tests were stopped… because the researchers were too sick to continue.

Ultimately, these 11 Deaf men known as the Gallaudet Eleven did a lot to help scientists understand the challenges facing humans in spaceflight.

SOURCE - Vintage Space

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Guinness Pint Helps To Prevent Hearing Loss

The study found that the high levels of iron in the Irish drink can do wonders for our sense of hearing.

DUBLIN, Ireland -- A pint of Guinness a day can help prevent people from going Deaf, scientists believe.

The Black Stuff contains high levels of iron, which experts believe helps to ward off hearing loss.

Leafy green vegetables, brown rice and some types of meat are also thought to be of benefit, according to a major new study.

An examination of more than 300,000 people found a link between iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) and hearing loss.

Pennsylvania State University researchers found a lack of the mineral can cause sensorinerual hearing loss, or damage to the cochlea or nerve pathways.

Study author Kathleen Schieffer said: “An association exists between IDA in adults and hearing loss.

“The next steps are to better understand this correlation and whether promptly diagnosing and treating IDA may positively affect the overall health status of adults with hearing loss.”

A further analysis confirmed the increased odds of both forms of hearing loss among patients with IDA, the study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery found.

Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells.

It is believed to be very common, especially among women.

Guinness was famously marketed as a healthy pint in the 1920s under the slogan, ‘Guinness is good for you’.

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In England, post operative patients used to be given a pint because of its high iron content.

In addition, it may also work as a low dose of aspirin to prevent heart attacks.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin made the discovery earlier this year.

The Wisconsin scientists gave Guinness to dogs who had narrowed arteries.

They found the Guinness worked as well as aspirin in preventing clots forming.

The researchers told a convention of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that a pint of Guinness taken at meal time had the best impact.

It is believed antioxidant compounds in the drink, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

SOURCE - The Irish Sun

Mysterious Ancient 'Pyramid' Found In Antarctica

Google Earth images of Antarctica have revealed what look like pyramids, lost civilisations to aliens?

Heavy com share an article: Tonight, Ancient Aliens’ premiere episode for the new season is scheduled to be about “Pyramids of Antarctica.” But are there really any pyramids in this snowy, icy world? Unfortunately, rumors that circulated several years ago were later debunked. Will Ancient Aliens add any new information to the mix?

Here’s what you need to know.

Several years ago, the Internet was filled with stories about explorers who found pyramids in Antarctica. The most frequently repeated story was tracked down as originating from a website called Voice of Russia, later renamed Sputnik News. You can read one of the first stories, from 2013, here.

According to the rumors, a team of European and American scientists had found three ancient pyramids, two which were 16 kilometers inland and one near the coast. But the details in the stories were always very sparse. Websites included pictures, such as this article, and a link to an article on ScienceRay, which purportedly included photos, was often posted (which no longer works.) The story traveled across the Internet, but it wasn’t verifiable. The names of the explorers weren’t shared and more details were never available.

Back in 2012, a discussion about the articles appeared on a Google message board here, where one poster noticed something interesting. He said the story had circulated for a very long time, but someone had recently “republished” the story with three images. He noted that the sources of the images, which appeared with the story, were not of pyramids in Antarctica. One photo was from International Mountain Guides and one was from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. The third, according to another submitter, may have been of the Schatz Ridge near Sentinel Range.

Some theorize that the photos used are likely of “glacial horns,” such as the Matterhorn which is on the border between Switzerland and Italy in Europe.

Is An Ancient City hidden under Antarctica? - Could Antarctica have actually been home to an ancient civilization?

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Those who want to believe in the pyramid theory point to the idea that Antarctica may not have always been covered in ice. They sometimes mention the ancient Piri Reis map and the theory that it shows the coastline without ice. The Piri Reis map is a world map made in 1513 based on military intelligence from the Ottoman admiral Piri Reis. About 1/3 of the map still survives. Some claim that it shows prehistoric exploration of Antarctica, along with notes that the climate was warm. But other experts dispute this claim and say that it either depicts a South American coast in that region or is just a guess and not based on genuine knowledge. Bad Archaeology addressed the idea of ancient civilizations in Antarctica back in 2007.

Most scientists disagree with the idea that Antarctica has pyramids or lost civilizations. But you’ll likely still find romantics who point to the Piri Reis map and other findings and insist that what is deemed impossible might not be.

SOURCE - Heavy

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Hearing People Go Deaf When They Are Reading

WATCH [CC] - Hearing people can't focus on more than one thing at a time.

Why focusing on a visual task will make us Deaf to our surroundings. "Examination of hearing people's ability to detect sounds during the visual demanding task also showed a higher rate of failures to detect sounds, even though the sounds were clearly audible and hearing people did detect them when the visual task was easy."

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Concentrating attention on a visual task can render you momentarily 'Deaf' to sounds at normal levels, reports a new UCL study funded by the Wellcome Trust... Read The Full Story.

Visual perceptual load induces inattentional deafness. "A wealth of research has suggested that the extent to which focused attention on a task results in reduced perception of irrelevant information depends on the level of perceptual load in the task." Read The Full Story.

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Sign Language Telephone - Documentary Film

Bell Labs project for the Deaf to communicate over telephone lines using American Sign Language.

This 1979 film examines a Bell Laboratory research project conducted by Kenneth Knowlton and Vivien Tartter. The team devised a way of using 27 points of light placed on an individual’s hands and face to allow the hearing impaired to use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate remotely.

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The goal was to find a way to take images of the points of light at each end of a conversation so the images “could be coded to the capacity of one telephone line.” Thus ASL, the primary language for most Deaf people, could be used to conduct conversations over standard telephone lines, without requiring any greater capacity than a regular phone call.

Knowlton was a prominent figure at Bell Labs for many years and is well represented in other videos on the AT&T Archive Channel. At the time this film was made Tartter was a linguist at Rutgers University and continues today as a professor at City College in New York.

In 1981, two years after this video, Tartter and Knowlton published a paper in the scientific journal Nature detailing their work and findings at Bell Labs. The article, “Perception of Sign-Language from an Array of 27 Moving Spots.” details the methods and results of the project, including a transcript of a sign language conversation conducted via television using their method. The paper concludes that the “demonstration suggests the possibility of developing a sign language telephone.” A New York Times article about the published piece soon followed and the subject drew attention in newspapers across the country.

While the system the team conceived was never developed into a final, usable technology, it is a fascinating step in the long procession of efforts to find ways for the Deaf to use the telephone for communicating, as in 2009 when AT&T received the TDI James C. Masters Promotion Award “for providing innovative products and services that address the needs of people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.“

SOURCE

Meteorite Hits Russian Urals Video Compilation

Watch the raw footages of meteorite explosion that stirred panic in Urals region, fireball explosion wreaks havoc, up to 1,200 injured.

CHELYABINSK, Russia -- Meteorite explosions in the skies of Russia's Urals region has sparked panic in three major cities. Witnesses said that houses shuddered, windows were blown out and cellphones stopped working.

Russia’s Urals region has been rocked by a meteorite explosion in the stratosphere. The impact wave damaged several buildings, and blew out thousands of windows amid frigid winter weather. Hundreds have sought medical attention for minor injuries.

Around 1200 people have sought medical attention in Chelyabinsk alone because of the disaster, the region's governor Mikhail Yurevich told RIA Novosti. Over 110 of them have been hospitalized and two of them are in heavy condition. Full story and pictures: http://on.rt.com/qn2v57

Among the injured there are 159 children, Emergency ministry reported. A 52-year-old woman who suffered spinal fracture will be transported to Moscow for treatment... Read The Full Story.

Report of the First Channel of Chelyabinsk Meteorite of video is a Hoax:

Watch fakery video meteorite hits Russia: https://youtu.be/ZLqD-zDWbE8

The report of the Chelyabinsk meteorite Channel named place of a meteorite crater known gas "Darwaza", located in Turkmenistan: http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

Доклад Первого канала Челябинск метеорита видео, является мистификацией.

В репортаже про Челябинский метеорит Первый канал назвал местом падения метеорита известный газовый кратер "Дарваза", расположенный в Туркменистане. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki

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Medical Research: Dual Adaptation In Deaf Brains

The brains of people who cannot hear adapt to process vision-based language, in addition to brain changes associated with the loss of auditory input.

The brains of Deaf people reorganize not only to compensate for the loss of hearing, but also to process language from visual stimuli sign language, according to a study published today (February 12) in Nature Communications. Despite this reorganization for interpreting visual language, however, language processing is still completed in the same brain region.

“The new paper really dissected the difference between hand movements being a visual stimulus, and cognitive components of language,” said Alex Meredith, a neurobiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University, who was not involved in the study.

The brain devotes different areas to interpreting various sensory stimuli, such as visual or auditory. When one sense is lost, the brain compensates by adapting to other stimuli, explained study author Velia Cardin of University College London and Linköping University in Sweden. In Deaf people, for example, “the part of the brain that before was doing audition adapts to be doing something else, which is vision and somatosensation,” she said. However, Deaf humans “don’t just have sensory deprivation,” she added they also have to learn to process a visual, rather than oral, language.

To untangle brain changes due to loss of auditory input from adaptations prompted by vision-based language, the researchers used functional MRI to look at brain activation in three groups of people: Deaf people who communicate through sign language, Deaf people who read lips but don’t understand sign language, and hearing people with no sign language experience.

The researchers showed the three groups videos of sign language and videos that held no linguistic content. The signing videos were designed to allow Cardin’s team to pinpoint which areas had reorganized to process vision-based language, as these areas would only activate in Deaf signers. In contrast, the language-free videos would allow the researchers to identify areas in Deaf brains that had adapted to the loss of auditory input, as these brain areas would activate in both Deaf groups, but not in the brains of hearing volunteers... Read The Full Story.

Deaf Gerbils 'Hear Again' After Stem Cell Cure

Deaf gerbils 'hear again' after stem cell cure, Health and science reporter.

LONDON -- United Kingdom researchers say they have taken a huge step forward in treating deafness after stem cells were used to restore hearing in animals for the first time.

Hearing partially improved when nerves in the ear, which pass sounds into the brain, were rebuilt in gerbils - a UK study in the journal Nature reports.

Getting the same improvement in people would be a shift from being unable to hear traffic to hearing a conversation. However, treating humans is still a distant prospect. Fergus Walsh reports.

However, in about one in 10 people with profound hearing loss, nerve cells which should pick up the signal are damaged. It is like dropping the baton after the first leg of a relay race... Read More at BBC News.

Watch the original BBC video - https://bbc.co.uk/news/health.

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