According to the BBC, the Russian space agency has sent ten gerbils on a twelve-day space mission to test the effects a flight to Mars may have on humans. Wait, it gets cuter. The gerbils are being kept in little cages with a steady supply of nuts and cereals. And upon their return, several of them will be dissected. Okay, the cute factor kind of hits a wall there, but this is exciting. These kinds of gerbils can live for more than a month without using liquids, so scientists will be able to test salt exchange mechanisms in a zero gravity environment. Science can be so adorable.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Gerbils in Space
