Rick B. (bup) -
Helpful Score: 3
A better title for this book might have been "Gross Stuff in Zero Gravity."
I love Mary Roach's approach to friendly science subjects - it's blunt, humorous, and in-your-face while somehow avoiding prurient appeal. Learning about corpses and sex with Ms. Roach was just great.
But this book was all about the scatological. What did I learn about going to Mars? People throw up in zero gravity. Going to the bathroom is problematic in zero gravity. Then a chapter ostensibly on food became a chapter on what sort of fecal matter that food produces. Then the possibility of recycling urine into drinking water.
Sure, these are real issues that will have to be understood and addressed, but so is, you know, having enough oxygen on the spacecraft, or growing crops on Mars or whether engineers will want to get astronauts to the moon first, collect supplies and stuff there, and then launch that to Mars, or just launch straight from earth, or send humanless rockets first that have robots to set up some sort of chamber that collects oxygen, or...
Anyway, the point is, besides talking about the space programs in the 60's and the continuing problems of human waste in space, there's a lot more that could be talked about. And wasn't.
Still, 4 stars. How can you go lower with Mary Roach?
I love Mary Roach's approach to friendly science subjects - it's blunt, humorous, and in-your-face while somehow avoiding prurient appeal. Learning about corpses and sex with Ms. Roach was just great.
But this book was all about the scatological. What did I learn about going to Mars? People throw up in zero gravity. Going to the bathroom is problematic in zero gravity. Then a chapter ostensibly on food became a chapter on what sort of fecal matter that food produces. Then the possibility of recycling urine into drinking water.
Sure, these are real issues that will have to be understood and addressed, but so is, you know, having enough oxygen on the spacecraft, or growing crops on Mars or whether engineers will want to get astronauts to the moon first, collect supplies and stuff there, and then launch that to Mars, or just launch straight from earth, or send humanless rockets first that have robots to set up some sort of chamber that collects oxygen, or...
Anyway, the point is, besides talking about the space programs in the 60's and the continuing problems of human waste in space, there's a lot more that could be talked about. And wasn't.
Still, 4 stars. How can you go lower with Mary Roach?
Nancy A. (Chocoholic) reviewed Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void on + 291 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is another great book from Mary Roach, author of "Stiff". In this outing, Mary takes on NASA and the space industry and explores all of the issues involved in getting people into space. No issue is too minor to tackle; from eating, drinking, urinating, defecating, having sex, and the problems encountered with all of them. She addresses each issue in depth and takes the time to explain the scientific problems of all of them to us laypeople who may have no idea of the complexities involved in a witty manner. I heartily recommend!
Lowell B. -
not what I thought it was going to be vwery disappointing
Rebecca B. reviewed Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void on + 13 more book reviews
This book was OK but there was not a lot in it about Mars. See the other reviews listed here. I still might check out other books by her because she has an entertaining style.
John O. (buzzby) -
Pretty funny book, it's one of those books that you can just turn to any page and start reading. The part that 10 year old boys would find interesting doesn't start until page 93, the part that 15 year old boys find interesting doesn't start to about 227 (actually, they would find it all interesting).
John O. (buzzby) -
Should be required reading for anyone planning on going to Mars (well, other than it's basic, it probably IS required reading for anyone training for Mars.)
W. R. (NYbooks) reviewed Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void on + 100 more book reviews
* * * ½*. Science/Humor. Who knew the goings-on behind the curtains at NASA. The author's weel researched book delves into the complex variables NASA and other national Space Agencies had to consider before sending men out into unchartered territory. Why is eating vegetables bad in space?
Informative and hilarious.
Informative and hilarious.
Susan V. (nrlymrtl) reviewed Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void on + 297 more book reviews
I learned and I laughed. I read another chapter, quirked my eyebrow once again, and laughed some more. Packing for Mars is my third Mary Roach book and it is just as intriguing and entertaining as the other two, Stiff and Bonk. This book is about space what weve pondered, what weve done, trials and tribulations of doing it, and what we hope to do next. Ive never really paid much attention to the space program. I mean it currently isnt much like Star Trek or Battle Star Galactica. So you all probably already know some of these facts.
About 90% of an International Space Station (ISS) mission is spent on repairing, assembling, or maintaining the station. Space stations have by and large dispensed with seats as there is no need due to zero gravity.
The early days of cross-cultural missions lead to some misunderstandings. One dude would occasionally light a bit of trimmed hair on fire. He was use to Spanish haircuts where the barber singes the ends of the hair. It made him feel at home while at the same time nauseating his colleagues. I have to wonder if he was making up the Spanish barber part.
I learned that such a thing as Earth-sickness exists for some returning astronauts. A lot of study has gone into motion-sickness to benefit the space program. Unless you have a specially malformed inner ear, you get motion sickness to some degree when you go into space. Those little stones that roll around in you inner ear and sit on tiny hairs allowing you to sense if you are lying on your side or standing upright they float in space, same as everything else. Theres a great chapter is this book that talks about what havoc human vomit can wreak in a space suit, shuttle, or station. Regurgitation is nearly always inconvenient, but even more so with zero gravity. Oddly, guinea pigs and rabbits appear to be immune to motion sickness.
The Antarctic Research Stations have acted as impromptu astronaut training grounds and recruitment pool. For years, women were not allowed at the Antarctic Research Stations mirroring Space. This despite the fact that women in general are smaller, more compact, and consume less food and water (based on studies and not just my snotty opinion). There is also some crater in northern Canada where extraterrestrial ATVs are tested out along with moon/Mars treading suits. We take the harshest environments Earth has to offer and try to pretend were on the moon or Mars, or the ISS. Except for that gravity bit. Oh, and lunar dust. Since there is no wind or water to take the edge off the dust particles of the moon, they remain sharp. With no gravity, the dust tends to coat everything.
There was a time when we didnt know what zero gravity would do to a human Madness? Would your eyes boil? Would internal organs fail? A series of tests were done over the years starting with animals in rockets. Eventually, we moved on to parabolic flights. This is basically like a roller coaster up and down and up and down again. At the crest, we achieve about 20 seconds of zero Gs. Each flight usually consists of multiple crests. Parabolic tests continue on today mostly for equipment, like new toilet designs. So if you sign up to test out equipment for space, you might end up in a special seat on a parabolic flight.
Approximately 50% of humans have the gut flora to produce methane in their flatulence. Hence, some people can light their toots on fire and some cant. I bet you can guess which is preferable in an astronaut. Only body fluids exposed directly to a vacuum boil. So if you stick your arm out in space, your blood, as long as it remains on the inside, will not boil. I am not saying its good for you to wave your arm out in a vacuum. Im just saying boiling body fluids wont be one of your concerns. Still, dont be a dumb ass.
In space, your organs float giving you a most desirable waist line. Blood also tends to pool in the upper half of the body, sending erroneous signals to the brain that you have too much blood. So two things happen: 1) you drop like 10+% of your water and 2) your body cuts back on blood production. If you stay in space long enough, when you come back you have to contend with the need to build your blood supply back up. Additionally, most astronauts suffer considerable bone loss. Most of this bone loss can be rebuilt over time.
Ill leave this tidbit as a close male dolphins have prehensile penises. Yeah go ponder why that was in Packing for Mars.
What I Liked: Everything!; some of the most entertaining non-fiction I have read; so informative and laugh-worthy at the same time; now I have extra trivia to liven up the next boring office party!
What I Disliked: Nothing this was a great book!
About 90% of an International Space Station (ISS) mission is spent on repairing, assembling, or maintaining the station. Space stations have by and large dispensed with seats as there is no need due to zero gravity.
The early days of cross-cultural missions lead to some misunderstandings. One dude would occasionally light a bit of trimmed hair on fire. He was use to Spanish haircuts where the barber singes the ends of the hair. It made him feel at home while at the same time nauseating his colleagues. I have to wonder if he was making up the Spanish barber part.
I learned that such a thing as Earth-sickness exists for some returning astronauts. A lot of study has gone into motion-sickness to benefit the space program. Unless you have a specially malformed inner ear, you get motion sickness to some degree when you go into space. Those little stones that roll around in you inner ear and sit on tiny hairs allowing you to sense if you are lying on your side or standing upright they float in space, same as everything else. Theres a great chapter is this book that talks about what havoc human vomit can wreak in a space suit, shuttle, or station. Regurgitation is nearly always inconvenient, but even more so with zero gravity. Oddly, guinea pigs and rabbits appear to be immune to motion sickness.
The Antarctic Research Stations have acted as impromptu astronaut training grounds and recruitment pool. For years, women were not allowed at the Antarctic Research Stations mirroring Space. This despite the fact that women in general are smaller, more compact, and consume less food and water (based on studies and not just my snotty opinion). There is also some crater in northern Canada where extraterrestrial ATVs are tested out along with moon/Mars treading suits. We take the harshest environments Earth has to offer and try to pretend were on the moon or Mars, or the ISS. Except for that gravity bit. Oh, and lunar dust. Since there is no wind or water to take the edge off the dust particles of the moon, they remain sharp. With no gravity, the dust tends to coat everything.
There was a time when we didnt know what zero gravity would do to a human Madness? Would your eyes boil? Would internal organs fail? A series of tests were done over the years starting with animals in rockets. Eventually, we moved on to parabolic flights. This is basically like a roller coaster up and down and up and down again. At the crest, we achieve about 20 seconds of zero Gs. Each flight usually consists of multiple crests. Parabolic tests continue on today mostly for equipment, like new toilet designs. So if you sign up to test out equipment for space, you might end up in a special seat on a parabolic flight.
Approximately 50% of humans have the gut flora to produce methane in their flatulence. Hence, some people can light their toots on fire and some cant. I bet you can guess which is preferable in an astronaut. Only body fluids exposed directly to a vacuum boil. So if you stick your arm out in space, your blood, as long as it remains on the inside, will not boil. I am not saying its good for you to wave your arm out in a vacuum. Im just saying boiling body fluids wont be one of your concerns. Still, dont be a dumb ass.
In space, your organs float giving you a most desirable waist line. Blood also tends to pool in the upper half of the body, sending erroneous signals to the brain that you have too much blood. So two things happen: 1) you drop like 10+% of your water and 2) your body cuts back on blood production. If you stay in space long enough, when you come back you have to contend with the need to build your blood supply back up. Additionally, most astronauts suffer considerable bone loss. Most of this bone loss can be rebuilt over time.
Ill leave this tidbit as a close male dolphins have prehensile penises. Yeah go ponder why that was in Packing for Mars.
What I Liked: Everything!; some of the most entertaining non-fiction I have read; so informative and laugh-worthy at the same time; now I have extra trivia to liven up the next boring office party!
What I Disliked: Nothing this was a great book!
John O. (buzzby) -
Lots of bathroom humor, #s 1, 2, and 3.
Elizabeth R. (esjro) -
Packing for Mars is fascinating and covers a wide variety of topics including psychology, physics, and biology. It had my laughing out loud in several places. The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is because of the frequent footnotes. All the author's books seem to have them, but they still drive me nuts.
Tiffany K. (tiffanyak) -
In her book, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, Mary Roach explores much of the fascinating everyday science that plays a role in space travel. In sixteen chapters, the book covers such diverse subjects as the psychology behind choosing astronauts for space missions, the multitude of physical and psychological effects of space travel and tight confinement on humans, sex, food, motion sickness, and even the seemingly basic task of using the bathroom. All of these elements take on a new meaning and level of importance when we, as a species, seek to launch ourselves into the zero-gravity environment of space. Interspersing her scientific investigation and interviews with a multitude of anecdotes, humorous commentary, and an often nausea-inducing level of detail; Roach culminates her work with an unexpected plea for support for a $500 billion mission to Mars. While the desire to bring humanity forward to the next great frontier of space is commendable, the way in which the desire is ultimately brought forward, with no prior mention and little direct support or evidence of the benefits or feasibility of such a mission, ultimately ends the book on a rather disappointing note. Still, Roach has plenty to offer to all the science and space nerds, Star Wars and Star Trek geeks, and the casually curious readers, as long as they all have a somewhat strong stomach and a real desire to learn something about the less visible and recognized side of what is involved in space travel.
When one considers the reality of space travel, as well as the dangers and complications inherent in launching largely fragile lifeforms such as humans into the void of space, with the specific survival needs and limitations that we face as a species, it is really no wonder that Roach is able to offer up a wide range of challenges and risks involved not just with the history of successful space travel but with every subsequent mission as well. Roach does have a tendency to launch into sometimes disturbing tangents that are not truly pressing for a reader. She spends four full pages detailing her investigation regarding a pornographic film that purported to involve a sex scene filmed in zero-gravity, explores the truth behind various rumors regarding space chimp masturbation, and spends a sizable portion of her chapter on the history of toilet use in space travel detailing the exact usage and difficulties of various technologies to that effect. Despite these tangents, overall the narrative of the book creates a sense of true intrigue and interest. After all, even if the reader is unfamiliar with the animals that preceded humans into space, the various human experiments and investigations that play critical roles within the space program, or the details behind the human bodys ability to withstand various forces, they are without a doubt compelling subjects of exploration behind the central subject matter.
While these tangents can sometimes be truly disturbing, the humor that is inserted within some of the more illness-inducing moments salvages things, such as when Roach explores the results of long-term lack of bathing on the human body, only for the reader to hear that Jim Lovell himself remarks that youre investigating a rather unusual aspect of space flight. This effectively breaks up what would otherwise be a non-stop thrill-ride of bacteria, body odor, and the recounting of results from several experiments done on the subject. Indeed, Roachs personality, inserted via several choice points of commentary and selective rendering of outside information, is by far the most enjoyable aspect of the book, as is the way she so frequently makes use of humor without directly referring to herself. On the other hand, when Roach details such information as the risks involved in an astronaut regurgitating inside their helmet, thus risking exposing the eyes to stomach acids, the imagery is not necessarily needed, and is certainly never appreciated. While the fact a reader needs a strong stomach in order to read this book has already been alluded to, it might be more accurate to say that the reader need not be a visual thinker if they wish to be able to appreciate the science without being subject to disturbing mental images of the books content. Though, even in this, it is ultimately worth it, as Roach reveals countless dynamics no reader uninvolved in spaceflight is likely to have ever considered.
Using her casual narrative style, in which Roach blends a series of interviews and factual investigations into a cohesive whole, Roachs tone creates a compelling and easily understood read for even the most casual and widespread audience. While the key argument of the book, regarding the hope of a manned mission to Mars, is not brought forward and argued until the last pages of the text, this stands out as the one true weakness of an otherwise fascinating text. This is particularly true in light of the fact that the majority of the book up to that point is spent going into great detail regarding the difficulties, challenges, and risks involved in even the smallest and most everyday aspects of space travel. Just as mankind has always looked to the stars and dreamed of travelling among them, driven by a curiosity too powerful to restrain, so too have those not fortunate enough to make the journey remained intrigued about what awaits us there, and what it takes to go safely.
When one considers the reality of space travel, as well as the dangers and complications inherent in launching largely fragile lifeforms such as humans into the void of space, with the specific survival needs and limitations that we face as a species, it is really no wonder that Roach is able to offer up a wide range of challenges and risks involved not just with the history of successful space travel but with every subsequent mission as well. Roach does have a tendency to launch into sometimes disturbing tangents that are not truly pressing for a reader. She spends four full pages detailing her investigation regarding a pornographic film that purported to involve a sex scene filmed in zero-gravity, explores the truth behind various rumors regarding space chimp masturbation, and spends a sizable portion of her chapter on the history of toilet use in space travel detailing the exact usage and difficulties of various technologies to that effect. Despite these tangents, overall the narrative of the book creates a sense of true intrigue and interest. After all, even if the reader is unfamiliar with the animals that preceded humans into space, the various human experiments and investigations that play critical roles within the space program, or the details behind the human bodys ability to withstand various forces, they are without a doubt compelling subjects of exploration behind the central subject matter.
While these tangents can sometimes be truly disturbing, the humor that is inserted within some of the more illness-inducing moments salvages things, such as when Roach explores the results of long-term lack of bathing on the human body, only for the reader to hear that Jim Lovell himself remarks that youre investigating a rather unusual aspect of space flight. This effectively breaks up what would otherwise be a non-stop thrill-ride of bacteria, body odor, and the recounting of results from several experiments done on the subject. Indeed, Roachs personality, inserted via several choice points of commentary and selective rendering of outside information, is by far the most enjoyable aspect of the book, as is the way she so frequently makes use of humor without directly referring to herself. On the other hand, when Roach details such information as the risks involved in an astronaut regurgitating inside their helmet, thus risking exposing the eyes to stomach acids, the imagery is not necessarily needed, and is certainly never appreciated. While the fact a reader needs a strong stomach in order to read this book has already been alluded to, it might be more accurate to say that the reader need not be a visual thinker if they wish to be able to appreciate the science without being subject to disturbing mental images of the books content. Though, even in this, it is ultimately worth it, as Roach reveals countless dynamics no reader uninvolved in spaceflight is likely to have ever considered.
Using her casual narrative style, in which Roach blends a series of interviews and factual investigations into a cohesive whole, Roachs tone creates a compelling and easily understood read for even the most casual and widespread audience. While the key argument of the book, regarding the hope of a manned mission to Mars, is not brought forward and argued until the last pages of the text, this stands out as the one true weakness of an otherwise fascinating text. This is particularly true in light of the fact that the majority of the book up to that point is spent going into great detail regarding the difficulties, challenges, and risks involved in even the smallest and most everyday aspects of space travel. Just as mankind has always looked to the stars and dreamed of travelling among them, driven by a curiosity too powerful to restrain, so too have those not fortunate enough to make the journey remained intrigued about what awaits us there, and what it takes to go safely.
