REAL LIFE NEWS: ASTRONAUTS EXPLAIN THAT PLANTS ON THE ISS CHEER THEM UP
by Hazed
Having plants around puts people in a better mood – whether it’s in a garden, a walk into the woods, or a pot plant on your desk. Now astronauts have said that when they are on the International Space Station, their conditions are greatly improved by the presence of plants.
A recent paper records anecdotes from astronauts, collected by Charles Guy, professor of plant physiology and biochemistry, and Raymond Odeh a masters student from the University of Florida. It reveals that nature provides benefits, both behavioural and cognitive.
For example, Peggy Whitson, the longest serving American astronaut and oldest woman to go to space, wrote in an email that “it was surprising to me how great six soybean plants looked. I guess seeing something green for the first time in a month and a half had a real effect. From a psychological perspective, I think it’s interesting that the reaction was as dramatic as it was. Guess if we go to Mars, we need a garden!”
So plants don’t just provide improvements to their O2 levels, or fresh fruit and veg for a healthy diet – they make life on the ISS more bearable too.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/21/plants_in_spaaaaaaace_are_good_for_you/