Page 22 - Flying Physician Magazine Issue 1-2018

tHe sCientiFiC and
aviation sessions w

Highlights e

Christopher C. L
nagle, md, mpH,
ms, a former as- C
tronaut candidate,
outlined the mental o
and physical obsta-
cles that astronauts m
must overcome as
successful space explorers. NASA’s e
astronaut candidate screening process
allows the agency to narrow the body
of candidates from 85,000+ applicants
to the handful selected. Identified is-
sues which might disable an astronaut r
are supplemented with known effects
such as weightlessness, the atrophy of e
muscles, a daily .3% loss of bone den-
sity, and exposure to radiation. Psy- C
chological issues are the most difficult
to predict and to implement effective e
countermeasures.
david schall, md, p
mpH, FaCs, fol-
lowed with a detailed
examination of the t
requirements that
patient/pilots with i
cochlear implants
must meet. Dr. Schall o
noted that deaf pilots face the same re-
strictions found on a driving license. n
During the discussion it was noted
that the various cochlear implants now
available and being developed (Blue
Tooth and IPhones) may soon end
deafness as a handicap.
douglas w. John-
son, md, FaCr,
refreshed everyone’s
memories of Cold
War nuclear threats
and noted that North
Korea’s new deliv-
ery system makes
them a credible threat to the rest of the
world. He discussed the science that
developed post-WWII regarding inju-
ries that victims suffer after exposure

22 The Flying Physician vol. 61 - Issue 1 2018