“Growth without gravity?”
I write science fiction, so this question is from left field. I can't find any published results on it, so what goes in my manuscript will be speculation. I'm just hoping to get someone way more informed than I am to speculate about it, and avoid writing something that will sound stupid to anyone who actually has knowledge in the field.
It seems that every science fiction writer that's considered the question at all, assumes that people who spend the vast majority of their growing years in microgravity would be disproportionately tall and slender. But is that actually likely?
Assuming our spaceborne descendants can overcome other problems with living in zero-gravity... does human development and growth even work in a way we have good reasons to think gravity would affect? And if it does, do we have good reasons to suspect what the effect of it would be?
Second, growing up in microgravity would deprive someone of the muscle tone to stand in normal gravity, along with the usual early opportunity to learn to walk. Even if bones could be developed in zero-g with normal calcification...could sufficient strength to walk be achieved as an adult, given the relatively atrophied condition of tendons, circulation, and muscles? Could the physical skill of walking be acquired as an adult by training, or would we expect it to be like language, keyed to be acquired by specialized brain structure in early development or never fluently acquired at all?
It seems that every science fiction writer that's considered the question at all, assumes that people who spend the vast majority of their growing years in microgravity would be disproportionately tall and slender. But is that actually likely?
Assuming our spaceborne descendants can overcome other problems with living in zero-gravity... does human development and growth even work in a way we have good reasons to think gravity would affect? And if it does, do we have good reasons to suspect what the effect of it would be?
Second, growing up in microgravity would deprive someone of the muscle tone to stand in normal gravity, along with the usual early opportunity to learn to walk. Even if bones could be developed in zero-g with normal calcification...could sufficient strength to walk be achieved as an adult, given the relatively atrophied condition of tendons, circulation, and muscles? Could the physical skill of walking be acquired as an adult by training, or would we expect it to be like language, keyed to be acquired by specialized brain structure in early development or never fluently acquired at all?
Conditions: Hypothetical Question
1 Answer
I can give you some hypothetical counter points to ponder. With 0-G or microgravity one could make the argument that spherical would be the body habitus that beings would morph into. As there are no gravitational forces to oppose, there is no need for antigravity muscle groups. Bone/joint structures would be significantly different that beings in gravity. Gravity is a good thing and one could postulate that "artificial" gravity" fields would be developed to accommodate beings evolved in deep space travel.
If the beings have opposing muscle groups in the extremities (assuming they have them) learning how to walk would not be much different than humans learning how to swim, ski, or play tennis. All are not a normal extrapolation of the typical hunter/gatherer skills that humans are born with. Good luck with your science fiction books.
If the beings have opposing muscle groups in the extremities (assuming they have them) learning how to walk would not be much different than humans learning how to swim, ski, or play tennis. All are not a normal extrapolation of the typical hunter/gatherer skills that humans are born with. Good luck with your science fiction books.
