Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy?
In the future, human beings will surely expand into space. But given its unique risks, will humanity thrive in space environments? For example, when humans begin living and reproducing in space habitats or on other planets in the solar system, are there risks that future generations may suffer from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Society for Reproduction and Development
2024-12-01
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| Series: | The Journal of Reproduction and Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrd/71/1/71_2024-099/_pdf/-char/en |
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| author | Sayaka WAKAYAMA Teruhiko WAKAYAMA |
| author_facet | Sayaka WAKAYAMA Teruhiko WAKAYAMA |
| author_sort | Sayaka WAKAYAMA |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the future, human beings will surely expand into space. But given its unique risks, will humanity thrive in space environments? For example, when humans begin living and reproducing in space habitats or on other planets in the solar system, are there risks that future generations may suffer from adverse mutations induced by space radiation, or that embryos and fetuses will develop abnormally in gravitational environments that differ from that of Earth? Moreover, human expansion to other stellar systems requires that for each breed of animal, thousands of individuals must be transported to destination planets to prevent populations from experiencing inbreeding-related degeneration. In even more distant future, when humans have spread throughout the galaxy, all genetic resources on Earth, the planet where humans originated, must be permanently and safely stored— but is this even possible? Such issues with future space colonization may not be an urgent research priority, but research and technological development accompanying advancements in spaceflight will excite many people and contribute to technological improvements that can improve living standards in the present day (e.g., more effective treatments for infertility, etc.). This review will therefore focus primarily on issues related to mammalian reproduction in space environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2e2d08c04ebf48719e354bbf2f3b16fa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0916-8818 1348-4400 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | The Society for Reproduction and Development |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal of Reproduction and Development |
| spelling | doaj-art-2e2d08c04ebf48719e354bbf2f3b16fa2025-02-04T23:41:34ZengThe Society for Reproduction and DevelopmentThe Journal of Reproduction and Development0916-88181348-44002024-12-01711101610.1262/jrd.2024-099jrdCan Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy?Sayaka WAKAYAMA0Teruhiko WAKAYAMA1Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, JapanAdvanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi 400-8510, JapanIn the future, human beings will surely expand into space. But given its unique risks, will humanity thrive in space environments? For example, when humans begin living and reproducing in space habitats or on other planets in the solar system, are there risks that future generations may suffer from adverse mutations induced by space radiation, or that embryos and fetuses will develop abnormally in gravitational environments that differ from that of Earth? Moreover, human expansion to other stellar systems requires that for each breed of animal, thousands of individuals must be transported to destination planets to prevent populations from experiencing inbreeding-related degeneration. In even more distant future, when humans have spread throughout the galaxy, all genetic resources on Earth, the planet where humans originated, must be permanently and safely stored— but is this even possible? Such issues with future space colonization may not be an urgent research priority, but research and technological development accompanying advancements in spaceflight will excite many people and contribute to technological improvements that can improve living standards in the present day (e.g., more effective treatments for infertility, etc.). This review will therefore focus primarily on issues related to mammalian reproduction in space environments.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrd/71/1/71_2024-099/_pdf/-char/enfreeze-drygalaxygenetic resourcesinternational space stationpreservation |
| spellingShingle | Sayaka WAKAYAMA Teruhiko WAKAYAMA Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? The Journal of Reproduction and Development freeze-dry galaxy genetic resources international space station preservation |
| title | Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? |
| title_full | Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? |
| title_fullStr | Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? |
| title_short | Can Humanity Thrive Beyond the Galaxy? |
| title_sort | can humanity thrive beyond the galaxy |
| topic | freeze-dry galaxy genetic resources international space station preservation |
| url | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrd/71/1/71_2024-099/_pdf/-char/en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sayakawakayama canhumanitythrivebeyondthegalaxy AT teruhikowakayama canhumanitythrivebeyondthegalaxy |