Humans

A spacecraft docked at the International Space Station above Earth

A 50-second delay between the International Space Station and Mission Control raised stress and frustration during a 166-day mission with three astronauts and 18 support staff, showing how a pause can unsettle the partnership that keeps crews and ground teams aligned

Fifty seconds is a small slice of time on Earth. A person can ask a question, glance at a screen, or take two breaths and keep moving. In orbit, during a demanding task, that same pause can feel much larger. A study tied to work aboard the International Space Station found that a 50-second one-way…

A woman swimming in a quiet lake surrounded by green vegetation

Humans Explainer

Researchers compared 1,200 outdoor swims across 19 countries and found wild water produced a stronger wellbeing boost than open-air pools, largely because natural settings supported autonomy and competence

People walking through a busy urban park beside a lake and high-rise skyline

Humans Explainer

Five hundred thirty-two visitors at freshwater sites in one Chinese city reported greater wellbeing where views were cleaner, soundscapes were calmer and access was easier, while smell contributed little on its own

A submarine traveling at the ocean surface with crew members on deck

Humans News

Thirty-four U.S. submariners spent eight weeks aboard a ballistic missile submarine, where changes in diet and gut microbes tracked fatigue, energy and mood even though each sailor’s microbiome retained its own signature

The interior of a spacecraft capsule configured for flight simulation

Humans Explainer

Six people entered Moscow’s SIRIUS-21 spacecraft simulator for 240 days, and after one crew member left for medical reasons, the remaining five showed how isolation gradually rearranged daily alliances without undermining mission performance

A stunning view of Earth with a distant satellite in space

Humans Explainer

Nine volunteers spent 105 days in isolation as trust and energy slowly changed, but an abrupt 8-hour clock shift produced the sharpest jump in depression, aggression, hostility and physical complaints

The volcanic summit landscape of Mauna Kea in Hawaii at sunset

Humans Explainer

Six people spent 8 months inside a mock Mars dome on Mauna Loa and used a virtual psychologist to work through 13 stressors and 9 crew problems, testing private support for missions too distant for real-time help

A woman in a spacesuit operating controls inside a simulated space habitat

Humans Explainer

Sixteen volunteers spent 30 days sealed inside NASA’s HERA habitat, and although cortisol rose as the mission continued, their mood and thinking scores held steady, suggesting the body can register isolation before performance begins to slip

Sixteen volunteers lived for 30 days inside NASA’s HERA habitat while researchers tracked stress hormones, mood, brain activity and thinking skills. The study, published in Experimental Brain Research, found a clear rise in cortisol during isolation. Yet the same mission produced little evidence that mood or cognitive scores collapsed under the pressure. Space agencies watch…

A red Antarctic research station surrounded by ice beside the sea

Humans Explainer

Thirteen men spent 13 months at Antarctica’s Concordia station, where polar night and thin air disrupted sleep and slowed reactions, revealing how people sharing the same Mars-like isolation can reach very different limits

Thirteen men lived through 13 months at Concordia station in Antarctica while researchers checked their sleep, fatigue, sleepiness and reaction speed every six weeks. The study found a broad pattern that Mars planners care about immediately: psychomotor speed dropped, sleep onset often lengthened and breathing during sleep showed strain linked to altitude. At the same…

An aerial view of Wellington, New Zealand and its ocean waterfront at sunset

Humans Explainer

Four hundred forty-two adults in Wellington reported less psychological distress when more ocean was visible from home, and the association remained after income, housing, crime, deprivation and nearby green space were considered

A view of water from a living room window may do more than improve a skyline. In Wellington, New Zealand, researchers found that adults whose homes had wider views of the sea tended to report lower psychological distress than people with less visible water around them. The result came from a Health & Place study…

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