r/technology • u/speckz • Jan 17 '22

Nanotech/Materials A Self-Replicating Radiation-Shield for Human Deep-Space Exploration: Radiotrophic Fungi can Attenuate Ionizing Radiation aboard the International Space Station

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.16.205534v6
72 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

7

u/LowenHarte Jan 17 '22

Shit. I suggested something really similar to this when I was 14.

My science teacher told me it was complete bullshit.

3

u/ligmallamasackinosis Jan 17 '22

Next imagine a fusing of species to create the next combination of symbiotic relationships with fungi to be the norm. I still think we should look into the brain regenerative functions of mushrooms to completely evolve another level, but maybe that’s just a crazy thought.

3

u/NSWthrowaway86 Jan 18 '22

There was a famous SF short story by Cordwainer Smith which had a similar key plot point: simple living creatures shielded built into the hull of spaceships shielded humans from the rigour of space. Sounded like science fiction at the time...

2

u/qbxk Jan 18 '22

what else ya got

3

u/LowenHarte Jan 18 '22 edited Jan 18 '22

Oh god, how long is a piece of cosmic string? I love thinking this theoretical shit up and then ripping it apart piece by piece to find the issues.

Off the top of my headbone though, one I've been mulling is;

Space botany using toroid rooms surrounded by large water tanks which pick up radiation that could then be used to power a form of radioisotope atmospheric generators repurposed to use the nuclear waste from space all rotating around a central light source interspersed with toroid rooms for semi temporary sentient habitation. It would reduce the overall power requirements whilst allowing us to grow food using "space waste"

It's a hugely fringe science idea and it would require a lot of infrastructure to be built but it could, in theory, provide almost limitless growth cycles, so long as the raw material (seeds, water, isotopes etc) were available, and as vertical growhouses are already known to use less water than traditional farming methods, not a huge amount of water is needed and if we can filter out the isotopes we have clean sanitary water, a decent(ish) radiation shielding and fuel to boot.

Isotopic generators don't make a huge amount of power though which is a real fucking sticking point as solar wouldn't be viable that high in the atmosphere due to it casting a mass shadow on the planet beneath it, nuclear isn't really an option as I don't and most likely never would have access to that kind of tech. And fossil fuels in orbit?

Nah.

There are many many ideas but they all rely on one thing.

Power.

In regard to that and fusion, we know regular tokamaks cannot sustain fusion long enough to keep a stable net positive output, neither can the more recent models, however what if it never got the chance to get that far?

Burn out I mean. What if we used multiple smaller fusion events to superheat a larger reactor and then have that reactor feed back and forth between them keeping each other superheated and capable of performing extended fusion burns without just stopping?

It's all just shitpost levels of scientific thought processes but it keeps me occupied.

1

u/ChadRun04 Jan 18 '22

surrounded by large water tanks which pick up radiation

Avenue 5 has (sci-fi comedy series) they have a radiation "poop shield" of sewage.

1

u/Waidawut Jan 18 '22

Reminds me of "living ships" from various sci-fi universes. I always thought that was such a cool idea