Effect of spaceflight on the human body Effect of spaceflight on the human body Venturing into the environment of space can have negative effects on the human body. Significant adverse effects of long-term weightlessness include muscle atrophy and deterioration of the skeleton (spaceflight osteopenia). Other significant effects include a slowing of cardiovascular system functions, decreased production of red blood cells, balance disorders, eyesight disorders and a weakening of the immune system. Additional symptoms include fluid redistribution (causing the "moon-face" appearance typical in pictures of astronauts experiencing weightlessness), loss of body mass, nasal congestion, sleep disturbance, and excess flatulence. The engineering problems associated with leaving Earth and developing
Scientific study of religion Scientific study of religion The Scientific study of religion represents the systematic effort by scholars and researchers to investigate religious phenomena, as well as the sociology of church participation. The Society for the Scientific Study of Religion was founded in 1949 by scholars in religion and social science, and it publishes the "Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion", a quarterly which "offers perspectives on national and international issues such as brainwashing and cults, religious persecution, and right wing authoritarianism". The Center for the Scientific Study of Religion (CSSR) at the University of Texas at Austin is a leading center