“NASA studies why some astronauts suffer vision problems during spaceflights” http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/nasa-studies-why-some-astronauts-suffer-vision-problems-during-spaceflights/2011/09/20/gIQAn9E1zK_story.html
This study will have a profound effect on the future of space expeditions. Rich Williams, NASA’s chief health and medical officer, has said that they are certainly treating this with a great deal of respect because if NASA is ever to send astronauts to Mars, it first must solve a problem that has nothing to do with rockets or radiation. As soon as NASA learns of a way to help prevent this eye condition, NASA will be able to send astronauts on longer mission that will benefit our society. These missions will benefit our society by allowing astronauts to spend more time searching for other potential forms of life.
Overall, this article was too broad. The article did not provide enough information about NASA’s efforts to solve this eye condition. One element that improved this article was the number of quotations that were provided from various sources. The author also did a great job at keeping the readers attention but without more data I was left with many questions.
John's summary of this article was very interested and left me with a lot of questions. Obviously, the loss of eyesight is connected to space travel. This could be a huge problem for NASA and needs to be fixed. I also found it interesting that this study had just started in 2005, and, since NASA has been around since the early 1960's, I find it strange that they had just noticed this problem. However, NASA seems to be handling it but they still do not know what is causing the problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John; this article could have talked about any leads that NASA had about the blurred vision relating to space travel. The article basically stated that astronauts had blurred vision but that's basically all it said. The article was too vague and left me with many questions.
I never knew that NASA's astronauts had lost vision due to space travel but that's pretty much all I learned from reading this article. If NASA ever figures out the problem that causes blurred vision, I would definitely find that interesting to look into.
The article “NASA studies why some astronauts suffer vision problems during spaceflights” was fascinating and James did an excellent job reviewing it. There were a few things he did exceptionally well. Firstly, he picked a very interesting and much discussed topic. Any high schooler would really enjoy reading this article to learn from it. Moreover, James did a terrific job explaining the article in a concise manner. James clearly stated the problem of which the article addressed and he used a quote to highlight an important aspect. This allowed the reader to really take away the important points from the article. Lastly, James did a great job of explaining the importance to the NASA studies. I agree with him that it is of utmost importance to perfect space travel to further benefit our civilization.
ReplyDeleteEven though James did some great things with his review of the article, there are a few things he could have done to make it better. First off, I wish he had talked about how the scientists realized this eye problem was problematic. How did NASA realize these people’s vision was impaired by space and not just old age? Moreover, James could have elaborated a little bit more on how these tests will affect the future on science and how it relates to the world. He did state that it will help us find new life but he does not say how that would be a good thing. Lastly, I believe James should have included more quotes, citing the scientists who said them. This would add a lot of credibility to his review and his point of view of the subject.
Before reading James’ review, I had no idea space made people’s vision worse. After hearing his argument, it does make sense that this would happen. I would be very interested in reading a follow up article on NASA’s study on the topic.
James’ review of the article, “NASA studies why some astronauts suffer vision problems during spaceflights,” was very well done. First, he did a good job of pointing out the original article’s problems. He explained how the writer did not go into nearly enough detail about what NASA was going to do to solve the problems astronauts are having with their vision. James also pointed out how necessary it is for NASA to find the real causes to the impairing of many astronauts’ vision, and that without finding an answer to these problems, there won’t be any chance of long term space travel. Also, he stated some of the recent statistics found by NASA on the amount of astronauts who are experiencing these problems with their vision, saying that of 300 astronauts surveyed, 60 percent had experienced problems with their eyesight. One thing James could have done better would be to go into more depth on how NASA had first discovered this problem across their many astronauts. He also could have elaborate more on how this study will benefit society as a whole, simply stating that it will help astronauts in their search for life on Mars. Overall, I had no idea that astronauts were at risk of losing their eyesight when they went on shuttle trips into the upper atmosphere and I find it quite surprising that these problems have occurred.
ReplyDeleteJames did a great job in this review of presenting a pretty wild concept and explaining the ramifications and efforts to correct it. First off I think James did very well with the use of facts to give us a clearer picture of the topic at hand. They really allowed the reader to understand the severity of the issue. Furthermore James discussed a possible solution when he mentioned the glasses that had been placed on the space ships in order to help astronauts who begin to feel some of these vision issues while in orbit. Finally James helped us truly grasp the concept by showing us in detail an example of one astronaut who could barely see the earth when he was re-entering the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI think James could have made his review stronger in a few ways. I think his explanation of the eye issues and what they stem from was a little vague. This may have been the fault of the author of the original article though. In addition James could have given us some names of the astronauts affected because this would have made the story more realistic and factual, instead of just a rough summary.
I thought this article was very interesting and informative. James did a great job of presenting us with a story that seems unfathomable and dangerous. With all the testing that astronauts have to go through before flight one would think this problem was impossible. But this testing proves that it is something in space and not on earth that is causing this issue.
John utilizes interesting and unexpected vocabulary, such as the word eroded, in this article and it keeps the reader engaged more. He also does a good job in establishing what he expects from a science article and explaining how this particular one did and did not live up to his expectations. I also commend the daring behind reviewing an article about a study that has not yet been fully conducted. Such an article, being devoid of results, is a difficult thing to subjectively review. It was also, I found, a fascinating topic. I never knew about the problems not connected to technology surrounding the space missions, but now that I’ve learned I expect NASA should publicize more the health aspects of space travel.
ReplyDeleteTwo cosmetic things he could have done to better this article is provide a proper MLA citation and keep the font a uniform size, as the sudden change from large to small is slightly disconcerting.