The first-ever astronaut with a physical disability has been cleared for a mission onboard the International Space Station, the European Space Agency announced on Friday.
You jest, but it’s been suggested in the past. A true space-faring human society whose members spend most of their lives in zero or reduced gravity might benefit from not dragging along bits and pieces that are only useful in a high-gravity environment. There’s a good chance that evolution itself would evolve humans without those bits that are useless in space over time.
In other words, the disabled on Earth could well be the ones most advantaged in space.
There is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold ‘Falling Free’ about a population of genetically engineered ‘quaddies’ and their situation once artificial gravity technology becomes available.
I guess you could leave his leg on earth so there would be weight savings
You jest, but it’s been suggested in the past. A true space-faring human society whose members spend most of their lives in zero or reduced gravity might benefit from not dragging along bits and pieces that are only useful in a high-gravity environment. There’s a good chance that evolution itself would evolve humans without those bits that are useless in space over time.
In other words, the disabled on Earth could well be the ones most advantaged in space.
There is a science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold ‘Falling Free’ about a population of genetically engineered ‘quaddies’ and their situation once artificial gravity technology becomes available.