During NEEMO 12, veteran astronaut, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, is shown with a Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) device. Also visible on the table is a clear bag for daily saliva samples, which are used to measure cortisol, a hormone that provides information about stress levels. NEEMO, or NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, is an underwater laboratory used to study human survival during preparation for future space exploration. (Photo by NASA.)
David Dinges on testing astronaut stress
David Dinges, a scientist working with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), is developing a test to help astronauts gauge their own stress and fatigue levels while in space. The test could aid astronauts in gauging their fitness to perform critical and potentially dangerous tasks, like rendezvous and docking, space walking, or repairs on the International Space Station. The test takes no more than three minutes to complete and quickly assesses fitness.
Sleep Activities: These activities, from the NSBRI educator guide, “Sleep and Daily Rhythms,” help students begin to understand circadian rhythms and how sleep disruption can affect performance negatively.
Students measure each other's reaction times, and then ask their own questions and design experiments to find the answers.
Additional Activities/Extensions
Ask students to create their own performance tests and to administer them to other students at the beginning of the school day, after lunch, and at the end of the day. Have students graph their results. Enforce safety and be sure to approve and supervise all performance tests. Suggestions for possible student-designed tests include reaction time ruler drop, computer keyboard speed and accuracy, cup stacking (“speed stacking”), etc. Click here for more ideas.
Fatigue Symposium Proceedings - National Transportation Safety Board and NASA Ames Research Center, November 1-5, 1995
Papers presented by David T. Dinges, Ph.D.
Performance Effects of Fatigue, pages 41-46
Napping Strategies, pages 47-51
Technology/Scheduling Approaches, pages 52-58
Crew Factors in Flight Operations XII: A Survey of Sleep Quantity and Quality in On-Board Crew Rest Facilities, NASA/TM-2000-209611
National Science Standards
K-4 Standards
Science as Inquiry – Abilities to do scientific inquiry
Plan and conduct a simple investigation.
Life Science – The characteristics of organisms.
Organisms have basic needs.
The behavior of individual organisms is influenced by internal and external cues.
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives – personal health
Individuals have some responsibility for their own health.
5-8 Standards
Science as Inquiry – Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Design and construct a scientific investigation.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions and models using evidence.
Think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations.
Life Science – Regulation and Behavior
All organisms must be able to maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment.
Behavior is one kind of response an organism can make to an internal or environmental stimulus.
9-12 Standards
Science as Inquiry – Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
Design and conduct scientific investigations.
Science as Inquiry – Understandings about Scientific Inquiry
Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed systems function.
Life Science – The behavior of organisms
Organisms have behavioral responses to internal changes and to external stimuli.
Behavioral biology has implication for humans, as it provides links to psychology, sociology, and anthropology.
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