[ExI] Will cosmic rays stop human space travel?

[BillK]

Long-term galactic cosmic ray exposure leads to dementia-like cognitive
impairments

<http://phys.org/news/2015-05-long-term-galactic-cosmic-ray-exposure.html>
Quote:
What happens to an astronaut's brain during a mission to Mars? Nothing
good. It's besieged by destructive particles that can forever impair
cognition, according to a UC Irvine radiation oncology study appearing in
the May 1 edition of Science Advances.

While cognitive deficits in astronauts would take months to manifest,
Limoli said, the time required for a mission to Mars is sufficient for such
deficits to develop. People working for extended periods on the
International Space Station do not face the same level of bombardment with
galactic cosmic rays, as they are still within the protective magnetosphere
of the Earth.
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Shielding solutions are still speculative. Much faster rockets would reduce
exposure time.

Not a problem for intelligences without a soft tissue brain of course.

BillK
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