4 days ago
- Science
- National Geographic
Cosmic radiation gave the Fantastic Four superpowers. Here's what would happen in real life.
When we gaze up at the night sky, we often marvel at the twinkling stars, distant planets, and expansive galaxies. Yet, beyond the visible spectrum lies a more mysterious aspect of the cosmos—cosmic radiation.
These are high energy particles that stream through the universe at nearly the speed of light, according to Dimitra Atri of the Mars Research Group at New York University Abu Dhabi's Center for Astrophysics and Space Science. They originate from events like supernova explosions and solar flares and travel through space, constantly bombarding Earth in all directions and entering its atmosphere.
(How cosmic rays helped find a tunnel in Egypt's Great Pyramid.)
In Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four: First Steps, now playing only in theaters, the Fantastic 4 receive their powers after being exposed to cosmic radiation that alters their DNA on a fundamental level. While these high-speed particles unfortunately won't give you superpowers in real life, they can permeate the human body.
At high doses, cosmic rays can tear through DNA molecules and damage biological tissue. Prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation can increase the risk of cancer, cataracts, and reproductive problems. It can also hinder neurogenesis, the process of generating new cells in the brain.
But just how much the human body is exposed to this type of radiation and how it'll influence our health will vary depending on altitude and what measures are taken to protect us from them. Here's what you should know. How cosmic radiation affects you if you stay on Earth
Here on Earth, we have a natural defense system against cosmic radiation that safeguards life on the planet: Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field. The atmosphere absorbs most of the energy from cosmic radiation, letting only a small fraction reach the Earth's surface. Our planet's magnetic field, produced by electric currents in the Earth's core, shields the planet from most harmful space radiation. Cosmic rays that reach the Earth's surface have been recorded by the vapor trails they leave in bubble chambers, such as the above recording from Bubble Chamber-924 in July 1960. Photograph by Science Source/Science Photo Library When the Apollo crews returned from the moon, small dents were found in their helmets caused by impacts from cosmic rays. The above is a magnified view of a silicone test helmet replica. Photograph by NYPL/Science Source/Science Photo Library
On average, people on Earth's surface are exposed to around three millisieverts of radiation per year. (Sieverts, frequently expressed in millisieverts, are a unit used to measure the dose of radiation that affects the human body.) However, elevation matters. 'As you move up, the thickness of the atmosphere lessens and you're exposed to more radiation,' Atri says.
The higher a person is in altitude, the less atmospheric protection they will receive from cosmic particles. People in high-altitude locations, such as Denver—known as "The Mile High City"—experience slightly elevated cosmic radiation levels than those who are at sea level in places like Miami. How cosmic radiation affects you when you fly
When air travel takes us to higher altitudes, it also brings us closer to the highly energetic particles emanating from outer space.
While a plane passenger is exposed to elevated levels of cosmic radiation, the radiation they receive in one flight is insignificant. For example, a coast-to-coast round-trip flight is about equal to the radiation dose of a single chest X-ray.
Pilots, flight attendants, and frequent flyers, however, face increased exposure to cosmic radiation because of how often they're in the sky.
One Harvard University study concluded that radiation exposure contributed to occupational health issues within flight crews and job-related cancer risks. Other research found that aircrew typically receive more radiation exposure than workers at nuclear facilities.
'Still, it is not enough to cause that much damage because you are still within the magnetic field of the Earth, and there is still an atmosphere,' Atri adds. How cosmic radiation affects you when you leave the planet
After venturing beyond Earth's protective atmosphere, spacefaring humans face significant radiation exposure levels. The human body in space would be constantly pelted with high-energy particles.
(What toll does spaceflight take on astronauts? Here's what we know.)
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits the Earth at an altitude of 400 kilometers, or 260 miles, are exposed to much higher levels of radiation than those on Earth's surface. In just one week aboard the ISS, astronauts are exposed to the same cosmic radiation the average human would receive at sea level on Earth in a year.
Astronauts traveling to farther reaches of the cosmos—on missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond—would be exposed to even more cosmic rays during transit and arrival to their destination. Because of this, many space agencies have proposed career-long radiation dose limits on how much radiation spacefaring astronauts can be exposed to.
An instrument aboard the Curiosity Mars rover during its 253-day trek to Mars revealed that the radiation dose received by an astronaut on a trip there and back alone would be about 0.66 sieverts—the equivalent of 660 chest X-rays. And while Earth's atmosphere protects it from most of the cosmos' barrage of radiation, Mars' slight atmosphere—about 100 times thinner than Earth's—allows a lot of that radiation in.
Using the Curiosity rover's measurements, researchers estimate a 500-day mission on the Red Planet's surface would bring the total exposure to around one sieverts; that's about 10 times the radiation dose an astronaut receives during a six-month mission on the ISS.
Researchers have proposed a number of spacecraft designs with shields made of water, hydrogen-rich materials, or planetary material that can offer a potentially safer trip through the cosmos by absorbing radiation. Phantom Torsos, such as the one seen above, are anatomical models built with hundreds of radiation monitoring devices that allow researchers to calculate the amount of radiation that penetrates internal organs during space travel. While space suits offer some protection from cosmic rays, timing extravehicular activities during periods of low solar activity is the best means of protection.
There is also ongoing research surrounding shelter designs that, once astronauts have reached their destination, can be buried or shielded to reduce radiation exposure. 'When you're on the surface, you can use Mars' soil to build habitats,' Atri says. 'You can build somethingunderground that gives you natural shielding. That should be sufficient to basically get rid of the most extreme component of damaging radiation.'
Cosmic radiation is a major challenge for interplanetary travel, prompting medical experts to also consider medications that can lessen its impact on the human body. 'It's a very interdisciplinary field,' Atri says. 'We have medical professionals, physicists, engineers, psychologists—everyone has to be on board.'
Despite our growing knowledge of these mysterious charged particles, Atri says we need more data to fully understand how to protect humans from exposure if we want to explore the far reaches of the cosmos.
Unless you have any space travel planned in the near future, you can rest assured you won't be feeling many negative health effects—or experiencing superpowers—from cosmic radiation. Marvel Studios' "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" is now playing only in theaters.
