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[ MUSIC ]

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>> HELLO, I'M AKI HOSHIDE.

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>> AND I'M MEGAN MCARTHUR.

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>> WE'RE ASTRONAUTS,

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LIVING AND WORKING ABOARD

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THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION.

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HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED

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HOW ASTRONAUTS ORIENT THEMSELVES

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IN SPACE WHEN THERE IS

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NO FEELING UP OR DOWN?

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IN THIS EPISODE, WE'LL DISCUSS

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THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM,

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AND THE EFFECTS OF FREE FALL

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ON OUR SENSE OF DIRECTION

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UP HERE ON SPACE STATION.

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LET'S GO TRY OUT

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SOME EXPERIMENTS WITH, UH,

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SPATIAL ORIENTATION.

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THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM IS

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THE SENSOR SYSTEM OUR BRAINS

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USE TO PROCESS MOVEMENT

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USING THE PERCEIVED PULL

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OF GRAVITY, STRUCTURES IN

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OUR INNER EARS, AND THROUGH

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PROCESSING VISUAL CUES

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FROM OUR EYES.

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THIS INFORMATION IS NECESSARY

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FOR BALANCE, MOTION,

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AND SPATIAL ORIENTATION.

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THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM IS

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MADE UP OF SEVERAL PARTS,

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PRIMARILY LOCATED

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IN THE INNER EARS,

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IN A SERIES OF

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INTERCONNECTED CHAMBERS

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CALLED THE "LABYRINTH."

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THE LABYRINTH HAS

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THREE SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS,

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EACH ORIENTED

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IN A DIFFERENT PLANE

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TO DETECT DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS.

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>> IN THE MICRO-G ENVIRONMENT

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HERE ON THE SPACE STATION,

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THE PULL OF GRAVITY OUR BODY

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IS ACCUSTOMED TO IS DIFFERENT,

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AND THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM

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RECEIVES MIXED MESSAGES.

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THE SEMI-CIRCULAR CANALS

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SENSE HEAD ROTATION IN SPACE,

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JUST AS THEY DO ON EARTH.

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BECAUSE THE OTOLITH ORGANS RELY

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ON GRAVITY TO DETECT LINEAR MOTION,

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THEY DON'T FUNCTION THE SAME WAY

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IN MICRO-G AS THEY DO ON EARTH.

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>> YOU'VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED

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SIMILAR MIXED MESSAGE ON EARTH.

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SOME PEOPLE FEEL DIZZY

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WHEN THEY READ A BOOK

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IN A MOVING CAR.

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THE STRUCTURES IN YOUR EAR

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PICK UP ON THE MOTION

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OF THE CAR, BUT YOUR EYES ARE

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FIXED ON THE MOTIONLESS BOOK.

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THESE MIXED MESSAGES CAN

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CAUSE DIZZINESS AS YOUR BRAIN

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TRIES TO DETERMINE IF YOU'RE

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AT REST OR IN MOTION.

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WE CALL THAT DIZZY FEELING

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"MOTION SICKNESS".

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>> DOCKING SEQUENCE IS COMPLETE,

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WELCOME TO THE INTERNATIONAL

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SPACE STATION.

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>> [ INDISTINCT ].

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DOCKING COMPLETE, AND HAPPY

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TO BE HERE AT THE ISS.

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>> THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE WAY

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MANY FIRST-TIME ASTRONAUTS

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FEEL WHEN THEY ARRIVE

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ON THE SPACE STATION.

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UP HERE, WE CALL THAT

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SPACE ADAPTATION SYNDROME,

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OR SPACE MOTION SICKNESS.

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THIS IS A PERIOD WHERE

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OUR BODIES ARE ADJUSTING

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AND ORIENTING TO

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THE NEW FREE FALL ENVIRONMENT.

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ONE WAY WE FIGHT OFF

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SPACE MOTION SICKNESS

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IS BY REDUCING

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OUR BODY MOVEMENTS

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UNTIL WE ARE ACCLIMATED.

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WE ALSO USE LABELS, SIGNS,

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AND THE DESIGN OF THE STATION

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TO HELP ORIENT OURSELVES.

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LIGHTS ARE POSITIONED UP ALONG

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WHAT WE CALL THE OVERHEAD,

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AND AIR INTAKES

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ARE POSITIONED DOWN TOWARDS

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WHAT WE CALL THE DECK.

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WHEN WE RETURN TO EARTH,

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OUR BODIES, ONCE AGAIN,

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MUST ADAPT TO PERCEIVED CHANGE

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IN GRAVITY.

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>> CLOSE YOUR EYES AND THINK

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ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.

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CAN YOU DETERMINE WHICH WAY

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IS UP WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED.

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WHAT ABOUT DOWN?

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NOW, OPEN YOUR EYES

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AND THINK ABOUT WHAT SIGNALS

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YOU RECEIVE TO HELP YOU

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DETERMINE DIRECTION.

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ON EARTH, WE PERCEIVE UP

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OR DOWN RELATIVE TO GRAVITY,

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WHILE IN ORBIT ON STATION,

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WE'RE ESSENTIALLY IN FREE FALL.

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THERE ISN'T A TRUE UP.

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UP COULD BE ANYWHERE.

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>> WELCOME TO "WHICH WAY

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ARE YOU POINTING?"

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WHERE OUR ASTRONAUTS TRY

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TO FIGURE OUT THEIR ORIENTATION

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WHILE THEY'RE IN MICRO-G.

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THEY'LL HAVE EYEMASKS ON

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AND EARPLUGS IN TO REMOVE

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THOSE SENSES.

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ON THE SPACE STATION,

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GRAVITY HAS MOSTLY BEEN REMOVED,

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AS WELL.

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THEY'LL PICK AN OBJECT

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AND SEE IF THEY CAN POINT TO IT

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AFTER BEING SPUN AROUND.

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FIRST, SOME TERMS

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YOU SHOULD KNOW.

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PITCH IS SHOWN AS

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AN EXAGGERATED NOD.

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ROLL IS SHOWN AS YOU MOVE

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YOUR HEAD FROM SHOULDER

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TO SHOULDER.

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AND YAW IS SHOWN AS IF YOU WERE

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SHAKING YOUR HEAD NO.

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LET'S PLAY.

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>> TARGET: ESA FLAG.

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ROTATION: PITCH.

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[ MUSIC ]

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>> OH, SORRY, MARK.

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LET'S TRY AGAIN.

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>> TARGET: ESA FLAG.

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ROTATION: ROLL.

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[ MUSIC ]

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>> WRONG AGAIN, MARK.

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OKAY, SHANE,

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LET'S SEE HOW YOU DO.

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>> TARGET: LAPTOP.

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ROTATION: ROLL.

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[ MUSIC ]

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>> THERE ARE JUST

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TOO MANY MISSING PIECES

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OF THEIR VESTIBULAR SYSTEMS

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TO ACCURATELY ORIENT THEMSELVES.

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>> I ENCOURAGE YOU

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TO THINK ABOUT THE WAY

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YOUR VESTIBULAR SYSTEM

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HELPS YOU RESPOND TO INFORMATION

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FROM YOUR ENVIRONMENT,

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AND TAKE NOTE OF WHAT'S

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HAPPENING NEXT TIME YOU FEEL

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A LITTLE OFF-BALANCE.

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THANKS FOR EXPLORING

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THE EFFECTS OF MICRO-G

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ON THE VESTIBULAR SYSTEM

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WITH US TODAY.

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SEE YOU NEXT TIME.