Статті в журналах з теми "Astronaut psychology"

This article uses a philosophical hermeneutic perspective to present a reading of selected astronaut space selfies by drawing on ideas of Michel Serres, Paul Virilio, Hannah Arendt, Bonnie Mann, Joanna Zylinska, Nicholas Mirzoeff, and W. J. T. Mitchell. The image of the astronaut is unpacked as a visual apocalyptic trope that embodies collective dreams of going beyond Earth in post-Earth projections. Michel Serres distinguished between two regimes of pollution, namely “hard pollution” and “soft pollution.” The author uses Serres's distinction between hard and soft pollution to investigate the image of the astronaut as an agent of post-Earth dreams. The essay asks: Are space selfies potential soft pollution in Michel Serres's terms? The conclusion drawn after considering evidence of space travel on human physiology and psychology is that although astronauts may be “marvelous messengers,” their images mostly act as soft pollution that positions viewers in a particular way toward Earth.

Regarding studies that prepare astronauts for space missions, psychologists have assessed candidates’ qualifications. The following proposal is to collect astronaut diaries and look for trends in management skills for future astronauts in psychologically draining and risky situations. In the long term, approaches can be made and/or applied to prepare them for future space missions. This includes acknowledging the relationships individuals have to uncertainty, including productivity and sustaining cognitive aloneness (intended as a cognitive skill capable of limiting the interference of external thoughts and psychologies). Points of the proposed methodology include multilogical thinking skills, first principles thinking, trained attentiveness, and critical thinking as it pertains to communication, organization, self-regulation, and allowing people the time and silence needed to properly respond. Lastly, individuals should separate the interference of thoughts as a result of psychological conditioning (including biases) from applied critical thinking.

Suggested causes of space-motion sickness are inferred from the experiences of a group of astronaut candidates and from the vomit pH values of nonastronauts. Both groups experienced simulated weightlessness in an airplane.

In its ambition to become a “transdisciplinary” field of study, heroism science should leverage the expertise of the “heroism humanities.” This article uses humanistic knowledge to address one of the thorniest issues in the field: Who counts as a hero? After summarizing the “subjective” versus “objective” approach to defining heroism, I suggest the problem exists because we conflate two distinct conceptual categories: “Heroes,” or the ascription of heroic status to persons and “heroism,” or the ascription of heroic status to behavior. “Hero,” with deep roots in classical antiquity, generates a far more diverse web of associations than “heroism,” a modern construction. Using four examples from a recent news cycle of persons deemed “heroes” (a dictator, an astronaut, a victim of abuse, and an athlete), I demonstrate that a deeper appreciation of the Greek heroic tradition reveals that contemporary ascription of “hero” status is often a continuation, rather than a “diminution” of the word’s historic meanings. Finally, I suggest that heroism science shift its focus from the study of heroic actors as natural objects to the study of how heroes function, discursively and symbolically, within their communities.

Donald Colflesh's sterling silver and ebony “Circa 70” line, designed in 1958 for the Gorham Manufacturing Company, was conceived and produced during the height of the space race. It was one of the first luxury, Space Age–styled lines for the home to hit the market. Many Space Age products mirrored the styling of satellites, spacecraft, orbit patterns, or astronaut helmets, but none as gracefully as these. This article places the “Circa 70” line, principally its anchor tea and coffee service, in historical context and discusses the psychology of futurism and Space Age utopia that developed after war time and the “look” that grew out of the fervor for the future—a “look” that extended from candy and toys to housewares, luxury goods, and architecture.

IntroductionResearches of the human factor in dangerous professions are actual because it raise reliability of professional activity in extra-risk conditions.ObjectivesWe consider that image of the professional is an important part of each profession, its formation should be carried out by science means.AimsDuring the period when aviation was as a show (1909–1912) image of the pilots with pathological characteristics: 1) a genetic pathology: «people-birds»; 2) a psychic pathology: «people-suicides» dominated.MethodsDuring investigation we applied an archival method, a biographic method, a method of the analysis of the prose, poetry devoted to Russian aviation.ResultsWith the beginning of the organization of professional selection and vocational training based on aviation medicine, aviation psychology and aviation pedagogy image of the pilot has got characteristics of adequacy to norms of a flyinq profession. By the 1930s process of formation of scientifically well-founded image of the pilot has come to the end. It is necessary to notice that the image of the astronaut at once constructed on a scientific basis, has been deprived of pathological signs.ConclusionsHence, the medicine, psychology, pedagogy are good image-makers of the professional and profession. These sciences should be developed and should be constructed on a common philosophical basis.

BEMER therapy uses electromagnetic energy to treat a myriad of conditions including, but not limited to, pain, spasm, and cases of irregular blood flow. The major influence of BEMER on the body is an astonishing increase in microcirculation of blood in the capillaries. The BEMER as a therapeutic medical device, comes from Europe, and has been utilized in other regions of the world for almost 20 years. Aside from treating athletes and weekend warriors for improving cardiac function, physical fitness and a sense of well-being, BEMER is being used by NASA. The BEMER material has been built into spacesuits for astronauts. Because of the lack of gravity in space, astronaut’s muscles atrophy. It has been found that astronauts who wear the BEMER experience less muscle atrophy, and less bone-density loss than those who don’t use the BEMER in space. There are a myriad of benefits to individuals who use BEMER including, decreased inflammation, swelling and pain. Increased mental focus, quality of sleep, energy, speed of healing, bone healing and blood flow via microcirculation.

Abstract Fulfillment of space exploration mission is key, but much more important are the lives of the explorers. Keeping the astronauts alive, jolly and healthy for long term manned mission has recently being a major and important research area. A major contribution seems to be the food they eat. For short term space manned missions, astronauts food could be taken along with them from Earth, but for manned missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus which are the current research destinations for long term space missions, they must find a means for their nutrition such as growing plants and finding any other alternatives for their survival. As most of these proposed missions have being designed to be one-way missions whereby the astronauts will not come back to the Earth. Good food and nutrition for astronauts help to keep their psychology and physiology in good shape. In this paper, solutions will be made on the various alternatives for feeding astronauts in the long term missions to various celestial bodies: Moon, Mars and Venus, where the atmosphere, gravity, soil, radiation and other conditions vary from one to the other and may not support germination, growth and development of plants. Therefore, review will be done on the following: having fore knowledge of how plants will grow on these celestial bodies by simulating their soils; using mathematical/theoretical models to get the growth rate of plants in relation to the gravity available on these celestial bodies using available data from terrestrial growth (1 g growth) and microgravity/microgravity simulations facilities; getting to know how the plants will be grown such as using greenhouse method as a result of the atmosphere and radiation in these celestial bodies; and other various alternatives for growing plants and having the astronauts well-nourished such as using aeroponics and hydroponics methods. A brief discussion will also be done on food choice for astronauts considering psychosocial and cultural factors.

Despite the development and great progress in the field of space biology, the astronauts are still facing many challenges in space. The space environment in which astronauts stay includes microgravity, noise, circadian rhythms disorder, and confinement, which has deep effect both on the physiology and psychology of astronauts. It was reported that long-term flight could cause the astronauts’ anxiety and depression. However, the underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, the rat tail suspension model with noise, circadian rhythms, and confinement was employed to simulate complex space environment. We found that the rats exhibited the depressive-like behavior by the sucrose preference, forced swimming, and open-field tests. The membrane proteome of the rat hippocampus was investigated by “SWATH quantitation” technology both in control and simulated complex space environment (SCSE) groups. Out of 4520 quantified proteins, 244 differentially expressed membrane proteins were obtained between the SCSE and control rats, which were functionally enriched in a series of biological processes, such as translation, protein phosphorylation, brain development, endocytosis, nervous system development, axonogenesis, and vesicle-mediated transport. We found a reduction level of neurexin-2, the light, medium, heavy polypeptide of neurofilament, rab 18, synaptogyrin 1, and syntaxin-1A and an increase level of neuroligin-1, munc18, snapin, synaptotagmin XII, complexin-1, etc., which may play a key part in the development of depression. Furthermore, GSK-3β protein was upregulated in mass spectrometry, which was further validated by western blotting. The results of the study do the favor in designing the effective countermeasures for the astronauts in the future long-term spaceflight.

The article deals with intergenerational conflicts within the family during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author reveals the topic of small groups isolation in the professional sphere: sailors, cosmonauts, polar explorers, members of long research expeditions. The topic of isolation is not new to psychology, since scientists in the middle of the last century faced this problem when they began to send expeditions to the poles, astronauts into space, etc. It analyses articles on the subject of isolation during the pandemic and reveals a mixed view of how families behave during this difficult time for society.

Apollo-11 was the first manned space mission to successfully bring astronauts to the moon. More than + 400 mission specialists/support team members were involved whose voice communications were captured using the SoundScriber multi-channel analog system. To ensure mission success, it was necessary for teams to engage, communicate, learn, address and solve problems in a timely manner. Hence, in order to identify each speaker’s role during Apollo missions and analyze group communication, we need to automatically tag and track speakers individually since manual annotation is costly and time consuming on a massive audio corpus. In this study, we focus on a subset of 100 h derived from the 10 000 h of the Fearless Steps Apollo-11 audio data. We use the concept of “Where’s Waldo” to identify all instances of our speakers-of-interest: (i) Three Astronauts; (ii) Flight Director; and (iii) Capsule Communicator. Analyzing the handful of speakers present in the small audio dataset of 100 h can be extended to the complete Apollo mission. This analysis provides an opportunity to recognize team communications, group dynamics, and human engagement/psychology. Identifying these personnel can help pay tribute to the hundreds of notable engineers and scientists who made this scientific accomplishment possible. Sponsored by NSF #2016725

During space missions, astronauts live in a confined technological environment, completely isolated and deprived of the variety and variation found in the environment on Earth. This circumstance has a strong impact on the psycho-physiological states of the crew. Particularly in light of the plans for long-duration missions, new research needs to be carried out. The goal of this study, conducted at Xiangtan Central Hospital in China, was to test whether multicolour lighting can improve people’s psychological state in an isolated and confined environment over a period of seven days. Twenty participants (10 male and 10 female) were randomly divided into two groups: one group that was exposed to multicolour lighting and a control group, which was exposed to a static, monotonous white interior. The participants’ psychological state was recorded on the first day, the fourth day, and the seventh day. The results of the control group showed that the participants’ negative emotions and anxiety continued to increase over time, whereas the group randomly exposed to multicolour lighting that changed every three hours did not show any significant increase in negative emotions and anxiety. Moreover, the random change of light colour in the isolated environment appeared to help the participants increase their sense of surprise, thereby counteracting monotony. Finally, during this experiment, it was observed that when people who are accustomed to being connected to social networks were deprived of this, they experienced insomnia and unaccustomed reactions, in particular on the first days of deprivation. This article contributes to future space exploration and to social and psychological support of life in isolated and confined environments.

Psychological and physiological stress experienced by astronauts can pose risks to mission success. In clinical settings, gradually increasing stressors help patients develop resilience. It is unclear whether graduated stress exposure can affect responses to acute stressors during spaceflight. This study evaluated psychophysiological responses to potentially catastrophic spaceflight operation, with and without graduated stress exposure, using a virtual reality environment. Twenty healthy participants were tasked with locating a fire on a virtual International Space Station (VR-ISS). After orientation, the treatment group ( n = 10) practiced searching for a fire while exposed to a low-level stressor (light smoke), while the control group ( n = 10) practiced without smoke. In the testing session, both groups responded to a fire while the VR-ISS unexpectedly filled with heavy smoke. Heart rate variability and blood pressure were measured continuously. Subjective workload was evaluated with the NASA Task Load Index, stress with the Short Stress State Questionnaire, and stress exposure with time-to-complete. During the heavy smoke condition, the control group showed parasympathetic withdrawal, indicating a mild stress response. The treatment group retained parasympathetic control. Thus, graduated stress exposure may enhance allostasis and relaxation behavior when confronted with a subsequent stressful condition.

Objectives Spacesuits are designed to be reliable personal spacecraft that preserve the life and well-being of the astronaut from the extremes of space. However, materials, operating pressures, and suit design requirements often result in a risk of musculoskeletal discomfort and injury to various areas of the body. In particular, this investigation looked at fingernails and their risk of developing onycholysis. Methods An onycholysis literature review was followed by a retrospective analysis of injury characteristics, astronaut suited training and spaceflight events, hand anthropometry, glove sizing, and astronaut demographics. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of onycholysis occurrence by testing potential risk variables against the dataset compiled from the retrospective data mining. Results The duration of event exposure, type of glove used, distance (delta) between the fingertip and the tip of the glove, sex, and age were found to be significantly related to occurrence of onycholysis (whether protective or injurious). Conclusion An initial risk formula (model) for onycholysis was developed as a result of this investigation. In addition to validation through a future study, further improvement to this onycholysis equation and spacesuit discomfort and injury in general can be aided by future investigations that lead to better definition of the threshold between safe and risky exposure for each type of risk factor. Application This work described a potential method that can be used for EVA spacesuit glove onycholysis injury risk analysis for either iterative glove design or between glove comparisons, such as during a product downselect process.

The prolonged Work From Home (WFH) policy causes boredom, saturation and stress to arise so that it can interfere with one's psychology. Therefore, one has to do a lot of activities that aim to entertain oneself so as not to get bored and relieve excessive stress, one of which is by playing online games. Online game is a game that can be accessed by several players who are connected to one internet network. One of the most popular games among the public to entertain themselves is an adventure genre game. Adventure games are one of the most popular genres among the public because the gameplay of adventure games has its own charm and can be used as a learning medium. Indirectly an adventure genre game educates players/users with the aim of learning. Education can be defined as a learning process that aims at developing self-potential to realize a better learning process. In the learning process, one must increase interest in learning, one of which is by making learning methods more interesting and not boring. Then made a 2D adventure game called "Astronaut Go" based on mobile. It is hoped that with the making of the Astronaut Go game, it will help reduce boredom and stress a little and can also educate players/users who have difficulty learning in the field of the solar system.

Astronauts during interplanetary missions will be exposed to galactic cosmic radiation, including charged particles like 56Fe. Most preclinical studies with mature, “astronaut-aged” rodents suggest space radiation diminishes performance in classical hippocampal- and prefrontal cortex-dependent tasks. However, a rodent cognitive touchscreen battery unexpectedly revealed 56Fe radiation improves the performance of C57BL/6J male mice in a hippocampal-dependent task (discrimination learning) without changing performance in a striatal-dependent task (rule-based learning). As there are conflicting results on whether the female rodent brain is preferentially injured by or resistant to charged particle exposure, and as the proportion of female vs. male astronauts is increasing, further study on how charged particles influence the touchscreen cognitive performance of female mice is warranted. We hypothesized that, similar to mature male mice, mature female C57BL/6J mice exposed to fractionated whole-body 56Fe irradiation (3 × 6.7cGy 56Fe over 5 days, 600 MeV/n) would improve performance vs. Sham conditions in touchscreen tasks relevant to hippocampal and prefrontal cortical function [e.g., location discrimination reversal (LDR) and extinction, respectively]. In LDR, 56Fe female mice more accurately discriminated two discrete conditioned stimuli relative to Sham mice, suggesting improved hippocampal function. However, 56Fe and Sham female mice acquired a new simple stimulus-response behavior and extinguished this acquired behavior at similar rates, suggesting similar prefrontal cortical function. Based on prior work on multiple memory systems, we next tested whether improved hippocampal-dependent function (discrimination learning) came at the expense of striatal stimulus-response rule-based habit learning (visuomotor conditional learning). Interestingly, 56Fe female mice took more days to reach criteria in this striatal-dependent rule-based test relative to Sham mice. Together, our data support the idea of competition between memory systems, as an 56Fe-induced decrease in striatal-based learning is associated with enhanced hippocampal-based learning. These data emphasize the power of using a touchscreen-based battery to advance our understanding of the effects of space radiation on mission critical cognitive function in females, and underscore the importance of preclinical space radiation risk studies measuring multiple cognitive processes, thereby preventing NASA’s risk assessments from being based on a single cognitive domain.

AbstractInquiry-based science education has become one of the most effective methodologies to learn science; however, proposals in preschool are scarce. Different factors are responsible for this situation, such as the low self-confidence of teachers to teach science and the belief that young children are unable to develop certain reasoning skills. This study reports the implementation of an inquiry-based science project in a preschool setting, in the context of a preservice teacher’s school placement. The project aimed to promote the development of basic and integrated scientific skills, enhance acquisition of conceptual knowledge and make the students enjoy while learning science. The intervention is described thoroughly and illustrated with examples from the real implementation of the theoretical IBSE sequence. At the beginning of the proposal, the students received a hypothetical letter from the astronaut Pedro Duque, in which they were asked for help to plan his trip to living on Mars, a cold planet, with only frozen and saltwater. After some introductory POE (predict, observe, and explain) experiences on the perception of temperature and activities with fresh and saline water, the students performed a piece of research: growing lettuce in four different conditions, combining two variables: temperature and the salinity of water. As the project developed, the students progressively gave better descriptions and justifications, and also showed great interest in performing more “research experiments”. For the preservice teacher, the project provided an excellent opportunity to implement academic knowledge in school practice.

Objective We define and demonstrate the use of OPM-TA—a model-based task analysis (TA) framework that uses object-process methodology (OPM) ISO 19450 as a viable alternative to traditional TA techniques. Background A variety of different TA methods exist in human factors engineering, and several of them are often applied successively for a broad task representation, making it difficult to follow. Method Using OPM-TA, we modeled how an International Space Station (ISS) astronaut would support extravehicular activities using the existing robotic arm workstation with a new control panel and an electronic procedure system. The modeling employed traditional TA methods and the new OPM-TA approach, enabling a comparison between them. Results While the initial stages of modeling with OPM-TA follow those of traditional TA, OPM-TA modeling yields an executable and logically verifiable model of the entire human–robot system. Both OPM’s hierarchical set of diagrams and the equivalent, automatically generated statements in a subset of natural language text specify how objects and processes relate to each other at increasingly detailed levels. The graphic and textual OPM modalities specify the system’s architecture, which enables its function and benefits its users. To verify the model logical correctness model, we executed it using OPM’s simulation capability. Conclusion OPM-TA was able to unify traditional TA methods and expand their capabilities. The formal yet intuitive OPM-TA approach fuses and extends traditional TA methods, which are not amenable to simulation. It therefore can potentially become a widely used means for TA and human–machine procedure development and testing.

In this article, I explore sensemaking processes associated with the overview effect—a cognitive shift experienced by astronauts who see Earth from space. Analysis of publicly available interviews ( n = 51) with astronauts revealed a common sequence of sensemaking: First, astronauts reported experiencing speechlessness triggered by beauty and awe (a phenomenon I label, awe-mute). Second, during and after missions, most reported attempting to make sense of the experience with others, often resulting in a deepening of their previously-existing worldviews, a process I term sensedeepening. Third, sensedeepening often resulted in astronauts’ (a) admissions of inadequacy to give sense to their experience for others, and despite this, (b) development of messages to communicate their experiences, and (c) engagement in social activism. These patterns were corroborated by additional interviews with astronauts ( n = 5) and an interview with a prolific interviewer of astronauts. Implications for sensemaking theory and organizational change conclude the article.

The International Space Station (ISS) has around 3–5 crew members on-board at all times, and they normally stay on the ISS for about 5–7months in duration. Since March 2020, 170 long-duration space missions have occurred on the ISS. Thus, long-duration space missions are an integral part of space exploration and will only continue to expand in duration as missions to the Moon and Mars are on the horizon. However, long-duration space missions present several challenges to human crew members. Most of these challenges have been associated with physiological adaptation to microgravity, including motion sickness, muscle atrophy, and cardiovascular deconditioning. While not as well-studied, another major factor to consider when planning long-duration space missions is the psychological impact of the environment on the astronauts. Astronauts living in space will be unable to access natural landscapes and other environments found to have restorative effects on psychological stress and overall well-being. On top of being unable to access these restorative natural environments, astronauts will also be exposed to the stressful, unfamiliar environment of space. The purpose of this mini-review is to first summarize the literature related to stressors associated with space. Next, an overview of the large breadth of literature on the biophilia hypothesis and restorative environments will be provided, as these may serve as relatively simple and cost-effective solutions to mitigate the stress faced during long-duration space missions. Lastly, considerations related to the design of such environments in a space capsule as well as future directions will be presented.

In this interdisciplinary article, we investigate the relationship between creativity and the immune system; the creative features of the immune system and how the immune system and its role in regulating homeostasis might be related to creative cognition. We argue that within a multivariate approach of creativity, the immune system is a contributing factor. New directions for research are also discussed. When astronauts and cosmonauts venture into the new and extreme environment of outer space, their immune system needs to instantly adapt and find new answers to survive biologically and psychologically. Many astronauts report interest in creative activities and therefore represent an interesting group to investigate creativity in relation with the immune system. Little is known regarding (1) how the immune system interacts with and supports creative cognition and behavior, (2) if an individual’s immune system, interacting with cognition, adapts more originally to a new environment compared to another’s; in other words, if there is creativity in the domain of the immune system, and (3) the creative properties and functions of the immune system itself.

Abstract Exploring space is one of the most attractive goals that humanity ever set, notwithstanding, there are some psychological and psychopathological risks that should be considered. Several studies identified some possible hazards of space travels and related physical and psychological consequences on astronauts. If some psychological reactions are obviously inherent to the characteristics of the spaceships (habitability, confinement, psychological, and interpersonal relationships), other (disturbances of sleep-wake cycle, personality changes, depression, anxiety, apathy, psychosomatic symptoms, neurovestibular problems, alterations in cognitive function, and sensory perception) represent a clear warning of possible central nervous system (CNS) alterations, possibly due to microgravity and cosmic radiation. Such conditions and eventual CNS changes might compromise the success of missions and the ability to cope with unexpected events and may lead to individual and long-term impairments. Therefore, further studies are needed, perhaps, requiring the birth of a novel branch of psychology/psychiatry that should not only consider the risks related to space exploration, but the implementation of targeted strategies to prevent them.

Objective Investigate the effects of scheduling task complexity on human performance for novice schedulers creating spaceflight timelines. Background Future astronauts will be expected to self-schedule, yet will not be experts in creating timelines that meet the complex constraints inherent to spaceflight operations. Method Conducted a within-subjects experiment to evaluate scheduling task performance in terms of scheduling efficiency, effectiveness, workload, and situation awareness while manipulating scheduling task complexity according to the number of constraints and type of constraints. Results Each participant ( n = 15) completed a set of scheduling problems. Results showed main effects of the number of constraints and type of constraint on efficiency, effectiveness, and workload. Significant interactions were observed in situation awareness and workload for certain types of constraints. Results also suggest that a lower number of constraints may be manageable by novice schedulers when compared to scheduling activities without constraints. Conclusion Results suggest that novice schedulers' performance decreases with a high number of constraints, and future scheduling aids may need to target a specific type of constraint. Application Knowledge on the effect of scheduling task complexity will help design scheduling systems that will enable self-scheduling for future astronauts. It will also inform other domains that conduct complex scheduling, such as nursing and manufacturing.

Background Postflight orthostatic challenge (OC), resulting from blood pooling in lower extremities, is a major health concern among astronauts that fly long-duration missions. Additionally, astronauts undergo physical demanding tasks resulting in acute fatigue, which can affect performance. However, the effects of concurrent OC and acute physical fatigue on performance have not been adequately investigated. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between acute physical fatigue and cognitive function during OC. Methods Sixteen healthy participants performed the mental arithmetic task and psychomotor tracking tasks in the absence and presence of a prior 1-hour physically fatiguing exercise, on separate days under OC (induced via lower body negative pressure). We recorded task performances on the cognitive tests and prefrontal cortex oxygenation using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, along with physiological and subjective responses. Results The introduction of the cognitive tasks during OC increased cerebral oxygenation; however, oxygenation decreased significantly with the cognitive tasks under the acute fatigue conditions, particularly during the tracking task and in males. These differences were accompanied by comparable task performances. Discussion The findings suggest that mental arithmetic is a more effective countermeasure than psychomotor tracking under acute physical fatigue during OC. Whereas females did not show a significant difference in cerebral oxygenation due to task, males did, suggesting that it may be important to consider gender differences when developing countermeasures against OC.

Mental imagery can be used for recreating an extreme environment experience. Here we assessed whether microgravity effects over cognition, that typically occur during a space mission, may be reproduced via mental imagery. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions in which they were guided to imagine to be (1) in outer space or (2) in a nature scenario and subsequently estimate the weight of common objects. We found that only for those who engaged in a space scenario imagery, there was a decrease in object weight estimation compared with a prior rating. This finding is the first to indicate that the effects of weightlessness on cognition can be simulated via an imagery-based technique and add to the ongoing debate about the importance of trying to disentangle the effect of microgravity alone on human performance. Moreover, our findings ultimately suggest that imagery can be used as a less expensive simulated scenario for studying the impact of extreme environmental conditions over astronauts’ cognition and behavior.

As humanity prepares for deep space exploration, understanding the impact of spaceflight on bodily physiology is critical. While the effects of non-terrestrial gravity on the body are well established, little is known about its impact on human behaviour and cognition. Astronauts often describe dramatic alterations in sensorimotor functioning, including orientation, postural control and balance. Changes in cognitive functioning as well as in socio-affective processing have also been observed. Here we have reviewed the key literature and explored the impact of non-terrestrial gravity across three key functional domains: sensorimotor, cognition, and socio-affective processing. We have proposed a neuroanatomical model to account for the effects of non-terrestrial gravity in these domains. Understanding the impact of non-terrestrial gravity on human behaviour has never been more timely and it will help mitigate against risks in both commercial and non-commercial spaceflight.

Objective Assess the effects of long-duration microgravity and gravitational transitions on fine motor skills using a tablet-based test battery of four fine motor tasks: Pointing, Dragging, Shape Tracing, and Pinch-Rotate. Background While there have been some studies on fine motor skills in microgravity, few have measured the fine motor skills that are core components of interaction with computer-based devices, and none have measured performance systematically, to include preflight, inflight, and postflight space mission time periods. Methods Seven astronauts completed the Fine Motor Skills test battery 30–40 times before, during, and up to 30 days after standard duration International Space Station missions, while a matching set of seven ground-based control participants also completed the battery over a comparable period of time. Response time and accuracy were the primary outcome measures. Results Relative to controls, astronauts experienced fine motor skill decrements at gravitational transitions (first week on orbit, and first month post landing). No decrements were found inflight after the first week of adaptation. Conclusion Gravitational transitions appear to negatively impact fine motor skills needed to operate small controls with accuracy, such as those on touchscreen interfaces. This raises concerns for future long-duration crewmembers who will land on a planetary surface and need to perform critical tasks accurately, such as configuring spacesuits, powering up a habitat, or teleoperating rovers. Application Results from this study highlight the need for confirmatory research, and the possible need for countermeasure development. The Fine Motor Skills test battery may have application outside of NASA as a fine motor skills diagnostic screening, rehabilitation, or readiness-to-perform tool.

Objective This study aims to identify the change in anthropometric measurements during spaceflight due to microgravity exposure. Background Comprehensive and accurate anthropometric measurements are crucial to assess body shape and size changes in microgravity. However, only limited anthropometric data have been available from the astronauts in spaceflight. Methods A new photogrammetry-based technique in combination with a tape-measure method was used for anthropometric measurements from nine crewmembers on the International Space Station. Measurements included circumference and height for body segments (chest, waist, bicep, thigh, calf). The time-dependent variations were also assessed across pre-, in-, and postflight conditions. Results Stature showed a biphasic change with up to 3% increase at the early flight phase, followed by a steady phase during the remaining flight. Postflight measurements returned to a similar level of the preflight. Other linear measurements, including acromion height, showed similar trends. The chest, hip, thigh, and calf circumferences show overall decrease during the flight up to 11%, then returned close to the preflight measurement at postflight. Conclusion The measurements from this study provide critical information for the spacesuit and hardware design. The ground-based assessments for spacesuit fit needs to be revalidated and adjusted for in-flight extravehicular activities from this data. Application These data can be useful for space suit design as well as habitat, vehicle, and additional microgravity activities such as exercise, where the body shape changes can affect fit, performance, and human factors of the overall design.

Objective We propose and assess galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) as a novel means to provide information dissociated from self-orientation. Background In modern user interfaces, visual and auditory modalities dominate information transfer so much that these “processing channels” become overloaded with information. Fortunately, the brain is capable of processing separate sensory sources in parallel enabling alternative display modalities to inform operators more effectively and without increasing cognitive strain. To date, the vestibular system, normally responsible for sensing self-orientation and helping with balance, has not been considered as a display modality. Method Bilateral GVS was provided at 0.6 mA for 1-second intervals with moderately high-frequency sinusoidal waveforms, designed to not elicit sensations of self-motion. We assessed subjects’ ability to differentiate between two cues of different frequencies. Results We found subjects were able to reliably distinguish between cues with an average just-noticeable difference threshold of only ±12 Hz (range across subjects: 5.4–19.6 Hz) relative to a pedestal cue of 50 Hz. Further, we found the GVS sensory modality to be robust to various environments: walking, standing, sitting, passive motion, and loud background noise. Finally, the application of the GVS cues did not have significant destabilizing effects when standing or walking. Conclusion These results show that GVS may be an effective alternative display modality, using varying frequency to encode information. It is robust to various operational environments and non-destabilizing. Application A fully functional display can convey information to operators of vehicles and other machinery as well as high-performance operators like astronauts and soldiers.

Objective To better study human motion inside the space suit and suit-related contact, a multifactor statistical model was developed to predict torso body shape changes and lumbar motion during suited movement by using fabric strain sensors that are placed on the body. Background Physical interactions within pressurized space suits can pose an injury risk for astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA). In particular, poor suit fit can result in an injury due to reduced performance capabilities and excessive body contact within the suit during movement. A wearable solution is needed to measure body motion inside the space suit. Methods An array of flexible strain sensors was attached to the body of 12 male study participants. The participants performed specific static lumbar postures while 3D body scans and sensor measurements were collected. A model was created to predict the body shape as a function of sensor signal and the accuracy was evaluated using holdout cross-validation. Results Predictions from the torso shape model had an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.02 cm. Subtle soft tissue deformations such as skin folding and bulges were accurately replicated in the shape prediction. Differences in posture type did not affect the prediction error. Conclusion This method provides a useful tool for suited testing and the information gained will drive the development of injury countermeasures and improve suit fit assessments. Application In addition to space suit design applications, this technique can provide a lightweight and wearable system to perform ergonomic evaluations in field assessments.

Objective The objective is to analytically determine the expected CG and build hardware to measure and verify the suited subject’s CG for lunar extravehicular activity (EVA) training in an underwater environment. Background For lunar EVAs, it is necessary for astronauts to train with a spacesuit in a simulated partial gravity environment. NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) can provide these conditions by producing negative buoyancy for a submerged suited subject. However, it is critical that the center of gravity (CG) for the human-spacesuit system to be accurate for conditions expected during planetary EVAs. Methods An underwater force-transducer system and individualized human-spacesuit model was created to provide real-time measurement of CG, including recommendations for weight placement locations and quantity of weight needed on the spacesuit to achieve a realistic lunar spacesuit CG. This method was tested with four suited subjects. Results Across tested weighout configurations, it was observed that an aft and high CG location will have large postural differences when compared to low and fore CG locations, highlighting the importance of having a proper CG. The system had an accuracy of ±5lbs of the total lunar weight and within ± 15 cm for fore-aft and left-right CG directions of the model predictions. Conclusion The developed method offers analytical verification of the suited subject’s CG and improves simulation quality of lunar EVAs. Future suit design can also benefit by recommending hardware changes to create ideal CG locations that improve balance and mobility. Application The developed methodology can be used to verify a proper CG location in future planetary EVA simulations such as different reduced gravity training analogs (e.g. active cable offloading systems).

As female astronauts participate in space flight more and more frequently, there is a demand for research on how the female body adapts to the microgravity environment. In particular, there is very little research on how the neuromuscular system reacts to gravitational unloading in women. We aimed to estimate changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) in the lower leg muscles in women after 3-day exposure to Dry Immersion (DI), which is one of the most widely used ground models of microgravity. Six healthy female volunteers (mean age 30.17 ± 5.5 years) with a natural menstrual cycle participated in this experiment. MEPs were recorded from the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles twice before DI, on the day of DI completion, and 3 days after DI, during the recovery period. To evoke motor responses, transcranial and trans-spinal magnetic stimulation was applied. We showed that changes in MEP characteristics after DI exposure were different depending on the stimulation site, but were similar for both muscles. For trans-spinal stimulation, MEP thresholds decreased compared to baseline values, and amplitudes, on the contrary, increased, resembling the phenomenon of hypogravitational hyperreflexia. This finding is in line with data observed in other experiments on both male and female participants. MEPs to transcranial stimulation had an opposing dynamic, which may have resulted from the small group size and large inter-subject variability, or from hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle. Central motor conduction time remained unchanged, suggesting that pyramidal tract conductibility was not affected by DI exposure. More research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) is a non-invasive method of electrically stimulating the vestibular system. We investigated whether the application of GVS can alter the learning of new functional mobility and manual control tasks and whether learning can be retained following GVS application. In a between-subjects experiment design, 36 healthy subjects performed repeated trials, capturing the learning of either (a) a functional mobility task, navigating an obstacle course on a compliant surface with degraded visual cues or (b) a manual control task, using a joystick to null self-roll tilt against a pseudo-random disturbance while seated in the dark. In the “learning” phase of trials, bilateral, bipolar GVS was applied continuously. The GVS waveform also differed between subjects in each task group: (1) white noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) at 0.3 mA (2) high-level random GVS at 0.7 mA (selected from pilot testing as destabilizing, but not painful), or (3) with the absence of stimulation (i.e., sham). Following the “learning” trials, all subjects were blindly transitioned to sham GVS, upon which they immediately completed another series of trials to assess any aftereffects. In the functional mobility task, we found nGVS significantly improved task learning (p = 0.03, mean learning metric 171% more than the sham group). Further, improvements in learning the functional mobility task with nGVS were retained, even once the GVS application was stopped. The benefits in learning with nGVS were not observed in the manual control task. High level GVS tended to inhibit learning in both tasks, but not significantly so. Even once the high-level stimulation was stopped, the impaired performance remained. Improvements in learning with nGVS may be due to increased information throughput resulting from stochastic resonance. The benefit of nGVS for functional mobility, but not manual control nulling, may be due to the multisensory (e.g., visual and proprioceptive), strategic, motor coordination, or spatial awareness aspects of the former task. Learning improvements with nGVS have the potential to benefit individuals who perform functional mobility tasks, such as astronauts, firefighters, high performance athletes, and soldiers.

About half way through Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s film Home (2009) the narrator describes the fall of the Rapa Nui, the indigenous people of the Easter Islands. The narrator posits that the Rapa Nui culture collapsed due to extensive environmental degradation brought about by large-scale deforestation. The Rapa Nui cut down their massive native forests to clear spaces for agriculture, to heat their dwellings, to build canoes and, most importantly, to move their enormous rock sculptures—the Moai. The disappearance of their forests led to island-wide soil erosion and the gradual disappearance of arable land. Caught in the vice of overpopulation but with rapidly dwindling basic resources and no trees to build canoes, they were trapped on the island and watched helplessly as their society fell into disarray. The sequence ends with the narrator’s biting remark: “The real mystery of the Easter Islands is not how its strange statues got there, we know now; it's why the Rapa Nui didn't react in time.” In their unrelenting desire for development, the Rapa Nui appear to have overlooked the role the environment plays in maintaining a society. The island’s Moai accompanying the sequence appear as memento mori, a lesson in the mortality of human cultures brought about by their own misguided and short-sighted practices. Arthus-Bertrand’s Home, a film composed almost entirely of aerial photographs, bears witness to present-day environmental degradation and climate change, constructing society as a fragile structure built upon and sustained by the environment. Home is a call to recognise how contemporary practices of post-industrial societies have come to shape the environment and how they may impact the habitability of Earth in the near future. Through reflexivity and a ritualised structure the text invites spectators to look at themselves in a new light and remake their self-image in the wake of global environmental risk by embracing new, alternative core practices based on balance and interconnectedness. Arthus-Bertrand frames climate change not as a burden, but as a moment of profound realisation of the potential for change and humans ability to create a desirable future through hope and our innate capacity for renewal. This article examines how Arthus-Bertrand’s ritualised construction of climate change aims to remake viewers’ perception of present-day environmental degradation and investigates Home’s place in contemporary climate change communication discourse. Climate change, in its capacity to affect us globally, is considered a world risk. The most recent peer-reviewed Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggests that the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases has increased markedly since human industrialisation in the 18th century. Moreover, human activities, such as fossil fuel burning and agricultural practices, are “very likely” responsible for the resulting increase in temperature rise (IPPC 37). The increased global temperatures and the subsequent changing weather patterns have a direct and profound impact on the physical and biological systems of our planet, including shrinking glaciers, melting permafrost, coastal erosion, and changes in species distribution and reproduction patterns (Rosenzweig et al. 353). Studies of global security assert that these physiological changes are expected to increase the likelihood of humanitarian disasters, food and water supply shortages, and competition for resources thus resulting in a destabilisation of global safety (Boston et al. 1–2). Human behaviour and dominant practices of modernity are now on a path to materially impact the future habitability of our home, Earth. In contemporary post-industrial societies, however, climate change remains an elusive, intangible threat. Here, the Arctic-bound species forced to adapt to milder climates or the inhabitants of low-lying Pacific islands seeking refuge in mainland cities are removed from the everyday experience of the controlled and regulated environments of homes, offices, and shopping malls. Diverse research into the mediated and mediatised nature of the environment suggests that rather than from first-hand experiences and observations, the majority of our knowledge concerning the environment now comes from its representation in the mass media (Hamilton 4; Stamm et al. 220; Cox 2). Consequently the threat of climate change is communicated and constructed through the news media, entertainment and lifestyle programming, and various documentaries and fiction films. It is therefore the construction (the representation of the risk in various discourses) that shapes people’s perception and experience of the phenomenon, and ultimately influences behaviour and instigates social response (Beck 213). By drawing on and negotiating society’s dominant discourses, environmental mediation defines spectators’ perceptions of the human-nature relationship and subsequently their roles and responsibilities in the face of environmental risks. Maxwell Boykoff asserts that contemporary modern society’s mediatised representations of environmental degradation and climate change depict the phenomena as external to society’s primary social and economic concerns (449). Julia Corbett argues that this is partly because environmental protection and sustainable behaviour are often at odds with the dominant social paradigms of consumerism, economic growth, and materialism (175). Similarly, Rowan Howard-Williams suggests that most media texts, especially news, do not emphasise the link between social practices, such as consumerist behaviour, and their environmental consequences because they contradict dominant social paradigms (41). The demands contemporary post-industrial societies make on the environment to sustain economic growth, consumer culture, and citizens’ comfortable lives in air-conditioned homes and offices are often left unarticulated. While the media coverage of environmental risks may indeed have contributed to “critical misperceptions, misleading debates, and divergent understandings” (Boykoff 450) climate change possesses innate characteristics that amplify its perception in present-day post-industrial societies as a distant and impersonal threat. Climate change is characterised by temporal and spatial de-localisation. The gradual increase in global temperature and its physical and biological consequences are much less prominent than seasonal changes and hence difficult to observe on human time-scales. Moreover, while research points to the increased probability of extreme climatic events such as droughts, wild fires, and changes in weather patterns (IPCC 48), they take place over a wide range of geographical locations and no single event can be ultimately said to be the result of climate change (Maibach and Roser-Renouf 145). In addition to these observational obstacles, political partisanship, vested interests in the current status quo, and general resistance to profound change all play a part in keeping us one step removed from the phenomenon of climate change. The distant and impersonal nature of climate change coupled with the “uncertainty over consequences, diverse and multiple engaged interests, conflicting knowledge claims, and high stakes” (Lorenzoni et al. 65) often result in repression, rejection, and denial, removing the individual’s responsibility to act. Research suggests that, due to its unique observational obstacles in contemporary post-industrial societies, climate change is considered a psychologically distant event (Pawlik 559), one that is not personally salient due to the “perceived distance and remoteness [...] from one’s everyday experience” (O’Neill and Nicholson-Cole 370). In an examination of the barriers to behaviour change in the face of psychologically distant events, Robert Gifford argues that changing individuals’ perceptions of the issue-domain is one of the challenges of countering environmental inertia—the lack of initiative for environmentally sustainable social action (5). To challenge the status quo a radically different construction of the environment and the human-nature relationship is required to transform our perception of global environmental risks and ultimately result in environmentally consequential social action. Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s Home is a ritualised construction of contemporary environmental degradation and climate change which takes spectators on a rite of passage to a newfound understanding of the human-nature relationship. Transformation through re-imagining individuals’ roles, responsibilities, and practices is an intrinsic quality of rituals. A ritual charts a subjects path from one state of consciousness to the next, resulting in a meaningful change of attitudes (Deflem 8). Through a lifelong study of African rituals British cultural ethnographer Victor Turner refined his concept of rituals in a modern social context. Turner observed that rituals conform to a three-phased processural form (The Ritual Process 13–14). First, in the separation stage, the subjects are selected and removed from their fixed position in the social structure. Second, they enter an in-between and ambiguous liminal stage, characterised by a “partial or complete separation of the subject from everyday existence” (Deflem 8). Finally, imbued with a new perspective of the outside world borne out of the experience of reflexivity, liminality, and a cathartic cleansing, subjects are reintegrated into the social reality in a new, stable state. The three distinct stages make the ritual an emotionally charged, highly personal experience that “demarcates the passage from one phase to another in the individual’s life-cycle” (Turner, “Symbols” 488) and actively shapes human attitudes and behaviour. Adhering to the three-staged processural form of the ritual, Arthus-Bertrand guides spectators towards a newfound understanding of their roles and responsibilities in creating a desirable future. In the first stage—the separation—aerial photography of Home alienates viewers from their anthropocentric perspectives of the outside world. This establishes Earth as a body, and unearths spectators’ guilt and shame in relation to contemporary world risks. Aerial photography strips landscapes of their conventional qualities of horizon, scale, and human reference. As fine art photographer Emmet Gowin observes, “when one really sees an awesome, vast place, our sense of wholeness is reorganised [...] and the body seems always to diminish” (qtd. in Reynolds 4). Confronted with a seemingly infinite sublime landscape from above, the spectator’s “body diminishes” as they witness Earth’s body gradually taking shape. Home’s rushing rivers of Indonesia are akin to blood flowing through the veins and the Siberian permafrost seems like the texture of skin in extreme close-up. Arthus-Bertrand establishes a geocentric embodiment to force spectators to perceive and experience the environmental degradation brought about by the dominant social practices of contemporary post-industrial modernity. The film-maker visualises the maltreatment of the environment through suggested abuse of the Earth’s body. Images of industrial agricultural practices in the United States appear to leave scratches and scars on the landscape, and as a ship crosses the Arctic ice sheets of the Northwest Passage the boat glides like the surgeon’s knife cutting through the uppermost layer of the skin. But the deep blue water that’s revealed in the wake of the craft suggests a flesh and body now devoid of life, a suffering Earth in the wake of global climatic change. Arthus-Bertrand’s images become the sublime evidence of human intervention in the environment and the reflection of present-day industrialisation materially altering the face of Earth. The film-maker exploits spectators’ geocentric perspective and sensibility to prompt reflexivity, provide revelations about the self, and unearth the forgotten shame and guilt in having inadvertently caused excessive environmental degradation. Following the sequences establishing Earth as the body of the text Arthus-Bertrand returns spectators to their everyday “natural” environment—the city. Having witnessed and endured the pain and suffering of Earth, spectators now gaze at the skyscrapers standing bold and tall in the cityscape with disillusionment. The pinnacles of modern urban development become symbols of arrogance and exploitation: structures forced upon the landscape. Moreover, the images of contemporary cityscapes in Home serve as triggers for ritual reflexivity, allowing the spectator to “perceive the self [...] as a distanced ‘other’ and hence achieve a partial ‘self-transcendence’” (Beck, Comments 491). Arthus-Bertrand’s aerial photographs of Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo fold these distinct urban environments into one uniform fusion of glass, metal, and concrete devoid of life. The uniformity of these cultural landscapes prompts spectators to add the missing element: the human. Suddenly, the homes and offices of desolate cityscapes are populated by none other than us, looking at ourselves from a unique vantage point. The geocentric sensibility the film-maker invoked with the images of the suffering Earth now prompt a revelation about the self as spectators see their everyday urban environments in a new light. Their homes and offices become blemishes on the face of the Earth: its inhabitants, including the spectators themselves, complicit in the excessive mistreatment of the planet. The second stage of the ritual allows Arthus-Bertrand to challenge dominant social paradigms of present day post-industrial societies and introduce new, alternative moral directives to govern our habits and attitudes. Following the separation, ritual subjects enter an in-between, threshold stage, one unencumbered by the spatial, temporal, and social boundaries of everyday existence. Turner posits that a subjects passage through this liminal stage is necessary to attain psychic maturation and successful transition to a new, stable state at the end of the ritual (The Ritual Process 97). While this “betwixt and between” (Turner, The Ritual Process 95) state may be a fleeting moment of transition, it makes for a “lived experience [that] transforms human beings cognitively, emotionally, and morally.” (Horvath et al. 3) Through a change of perceptions liminality paves the way toward meaningful social action. Home places spectators in a state of liminality to contrast geocentric and anthropocentric views. Arthus-Bertrand contrasts natural and human-made environments in terms of diversity. The narrator’s description of the “miracle of life” is followed by images of trees seemingly defying gravity, snow-covered summits among mountain ranges, and a whale in the ocean. Grandeur and variety appear to be inherent qualities of biodiversity on Earth, qualities contrasted with images of the endless, uniform rectangular greenhouses of Almeria, Spain. This contrast emphasises the loss of variety in human achievements and the monotony mass-production brings to the landscape. With the image of a fire burning atop a factory chimney, Arthus-Bertrand critiques the change of pace and distortion of time inherent in anthropocentric views, and specifically in contemporary modernity. Here, the flames appear to instantly eat away at resources that have taken millions of years to form, bringing anthropocentric and geocentric temporality into sharp contrast. A sequence showing a night time metropolis underscores this distinction. The glittering cityscape is lit by hundreds of lights in skyscrapers in an effort, it appears, to mimic and surpass daylight and thus upturn the natural rhythm of life. As the narrator remarks, in our present-day environments, “days are now the pale reflections of nights.” Arthus-Bertrand also uses ritual liminality to mark the present as a transitory, threshold moment in human civilisation. The film-maker contrasts the spectre of our past with possible visions of the future to mark the moment of now as a time when humanity is on the threshold of two distinct states of mind. The narrator’s descriptions of contemporary post-industrial society’s reliance on non-renewable resources and lack of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices condemn the past and warn viewers of the consequences of continuing such practices into the future. Exploring the liminal present Arthus-Bertrand proposes distinctive futurescapes for humankind. On the one hand, the narrator’s description of California’s “concentration camp style cattle farming” suggests that humankind will live in a future that feeds from the past, falling back on frames of horrors and past mistakes. On the other hand, the example of Costa Rica, a nation that abolished its military and dedicated the budget to environmental conservation, is recognition of our ability to re-imagine our future in the face of global risk. Home introduces myths to imbue liminality with the alternative dominant social paradigm of ecology. By calling upon deep-seated structures myths “touch the heart of society’s emotional, spiritual and intellectual consciousness” (Killingsworth and Palmer 176) and help us understand and come to terms with complex social, economic, and scientific phenomena. With the capacity to “pattern thought, beliefs and practices,” (Maier 166) myths are ideal tools in communicating ritual liminality and challenging contemporary post-industrial society’s dominant social paradigms. The opening sequence of Home, where the crescent Earth is slowly revealed in the darkness of space, is an allusion to creation: the genesis myth. Accompanied only by a gentle hum our home emerges in brilliant blue, white, and green-brown encompassing most of the screen. It is as if darkness and chaos disintegrated and order, life, and the elements were created right before our eyes. Akin to the Earthrise image taken by the astronauts of Apollo 8, Home’s opening sequence underscores the notion that our home is a unique spot in the blackness of space and is defined and circumscribed by the elements. With the opening sequence Arthus-Bertrand wishes to impart the message of interdependence and reliance on elements—core concepts of ecology. Balance, another key theme in ecology, is introduced with an allusion to the Icarus myth in a sequence depicting Dubai. The story of Icarus’s fall from the sky after flying too close to the sun is a symbolic retelling of hubris—a violent pride and arrogance punishable by nemesis—destruction, which ultimately restores balance by forcing the individual back within the limits transgressed (Littleton 712). In Arthus-Bertrand’s portrayal of Dubai, the camera slowly tilts upwards on the Burj Khalifa tower, the tallest human-made structure ever built. The construction works on the tower explicitly frame humans against the bright blue sky in their attempt to reach ever further, transgressing their limitations much like the ill-fated Icarus. Arthus-Bertrand warns that contemporary modernity does not strive for balance or moderation, and with climate change we may have brought our nemesis upon ourselves. By suggesting new dominant paradigms and providing a critique of current maxims, Home’s retelling of myths ultimately sees spectators through to the final stage of the ritual. The last phase in the rite of passage “celebrates and commemorates transcendent powers,” (Deflem 8) marking subjects’ rebirth to a new status and distinctive perception of the outside world. It is at this stage that Arthus-Bertrand resolves the emotional distress uncovered in the separation phase. The film-maker uses humanity’s innate capacity for creation and renewal as a cathartic cleansing aimed at reconciling spectators’ guilt and shame in having inadvertently exacerbated global environmental degradation. Arthus-Bertrand identifies renewable resources as the key to redeeming technology, human intervention in the landscape, and finally humanity itself. Until now, the film-maker pictured modernity and technology, evidenced in his portrayal of Dubai, as synonymous with excess and disrespect for the interconnectedness and balance of elements on Earth. The final sequence shows a very different face of technology. Here, we see a mechanical sea-snake generating electricity by riding the waves off the coast of Scotland and solar panels turning towards the sun in the Sahara desert. Technology’s redemption is evidenced in its ability to imitate nature—a move towards geocentric consciousness (a lesson learned from the ritual’s liminal stage). Moreover, these human-made structures, unlike the skyscrapers earlier in the film, appear a lot less invasive in the landscape and speak of moderation and union with nature. With the above examples Arthus-Bertrand suggests that humanity can shed the greed that drove it to dig deeper and deeper into the Earth to acquire non-renewable resources such as oil and coal, what the narrator describes as “treasures buried deep.” The incorporation of principles of ecology, such as balance and interconnectedness, into humanity’s behaviour ushers in reconciliation and ritual cleansing in Home. Following the description of the move toward renewable resources, the narrator reveals that “worldwide four children out of five attend school, never has learning been given to so many human beings” marking education, innovation, and creativity as the true inexhaustible resources on Earth. Lastly, the description of Antarctica in Home is the essence of Arthus-Bertrand’s argument for our innate capacity to create, not simply exploit and destroy. Here, the narrator describes the continent as possessing “immense natural resources that no country can claim for itself, a natural reserve devoted to peace and science, a treaty signed by 49 nations has made it a treasure shared by all humanity.” Innovation appears to fuel humankind’s transcendence to a state where it is capable of compassion, unification, sharing, and finally creating treasures. With these examples Arthus-Bertrand suggests that humanity has an innate capacity for creative energy that awaits authentic expression and can turn humankind from destroyer to creator. In recent years various risk communication texts have explicitly addressed climate change, endeavouring to instigate environmentally consequential social action. Home breaks discursive ground among them through its ritualistic construction which seeks to transform spectators’ perception, and in turn roles and responsibilities, in the face of global environmental risks. Unlike recent climate change media texts such as An Inconvenient Truth (2006), The 11th Hour (2007), The Age of Stupid (2009), Carbon Nation (2010) and Earth: The Operator’s Manual (2011), Home eludes simple genre classification. On the threshold of photography and film, documentary and fiction, Arthus-Bertrand’s work is best classified as an advocacy film promoting public debate and engagement with a universal concern—the state of the environment. The film’s website, available in multiple languages, contains educational material, resources to organise public screenings, and a link to GoodPlanet.info: a website dedicated to environmentalism, including legal tools and initiatives to take action. The film-maker’s approach to using Home as a basis for education and raising awareness corresponds to Antonio Lopez’s critique of contemporary mass-media communications of global risks. Lopez rebukes traditional forms of mediatised communication that place emphasis on the imparting of knowledge and instead calls for a participatory, discussion-driven, organic media approach, akin to a communion or a ritual (106). Moreover, while texts often place a great emphasis on the messenger, for instance Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth, Leonardo DiCaprio in The 11th Hour, or geologist Dr. Richard Alley in Earth: The Operator’s Manual, Home’s messenger remains unseen—the narrator is only identified at the very end of the film among the credits. The film-maker’s decision to forego a central human character helps dissociate the message from the personality of the messenger which aids in establishing and maintaining the geocentric sensibility of the text. Finally, the ritual’s invocation and cathartic cleansing of emotional distress enables Home to at once acknowledge our environmentally destructive past habits and point to a hopeful, environmentally sustainable future. While The Age of Stupid mostly focuses on humanity’s present and past failures to respond to an imminent environmental catastrophe, Carbon Nation, with the tagline “A climate change solutions movie that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change,” only explores the potential future business opportunities in turning towards renewable resources and environmentally sustainable practices. The three-phased processural form of the ritual allows for a balance of backward and forward-looking, establishing the possibility of change and renewal in the face of world risk. The ritual is a transformative experience. As Turner states, rituals “interrupt the flow of social life and force a group to take cognizance of its behaviour in relation to its own values, and even question at times the value of those values” (“Dramatic Ritual” 82). Home, a ritualised media text, is an invitation to look at our world, its dominant social paradigms, and the key element within that world—ourselves—with new eyes. It makes explicit contemporary post-industrial society’s dependence on the environment, highlights our impact on Earth, and reveals our complicity in bringing about a contemporary world risk. The ritual structure and the self-reflexivity allow Arthus-Bertrand to transform climate change into a personally salient issue. This bestows upon the spectator the responsibility to act and to reconcile the spectre of the past with the vision of the future.Acknowledgments The author would like to thank Dr. Angi Buettner whose support, guidance, and supervision has been invaluable in preparing this article. 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