Comments on: Best of BBtv in 2008: Xeni Flies in Zero Gravity http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 18 May 2013 13:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: OM http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-364811 OM Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-364811 ...Xeni.The only person ever to experience Zero-G besides Storey Musgrave and not have her hair get out of place :-) :-) …Xeni.The only person ever to experience Zero-G besides Storey Musgrave and not have her hair get out of place :-) :-)

]]> By: HeatherLeson http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-364587 HeatherLeson Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-364587 Xeni and BoingBoing crew, Thanks so much for this. I just watched it with my nieces and nephew. Now they are walking around saying: "Science rocks". H Xeni and BoingBoing crew,

Thanks so much for this. I just watched it with my nieces and nephew. Now they are walking around saying: “Science rocks”.

H

]]> By: JDavid http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-364086 JDavid Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-364086 @Xeni- Thanks for the info. I've long been afraid of flying, but am considering skydiving as of late. Yeah. I'll puke. But I'll take your advice and give the focus thing a shot. @Xeni-
Thanks for the info. I’ve long been afraid of flying, but am considering skydiving as of late.

Yeah. I’ll puke. But I’ll take your advice and give the focus thing a shot.

]]> By: lava http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-363872 lava Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-363872 Funny that a little gravity is all that stands between us and LOL! Funny that a little gravity is all that stands between us and LOL!

]]> By: Xeni Jardin http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-363875 Xeni Jardin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-363875 seriously. It's like that. Not ROFLMAO, but FOTCLMAO (floating on the ceiling laughing my ass off.) seriously. It’s like that. Not ROFLMAO, but FOTCLMAO (floating on the ceiling laughing my ass off.)

]]> By: JDavid http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-363880 JDavid Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-363880 Xeni-did that make you sick? I always had the impression it'd be like going over a really steep hill and "losing my stomach", like in a car...but times a million. Xeni-did that make you sick? I always had the impression it’d be like going over a really steep hill and “losing my stomach”, like in a car…but times a million.

]]> By: Takuan http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-363886 Takuan Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-363886 you must have had flying dreams before going. I've always assumed we get the proprioceptic neural memory sense for "flying" from floating in water. Now, with "real", "flying" sense memory, have you dreams changed in quality? you must have had flying dreams before going. I’ve always assumed we get the proprioceptic neural memory sense for “flying” from floating in water.
Now, with “real”, “flying” sense memory, have you dreams changed in quality?

]]> By: Xeni Jardin http://boingboing.net/2008/12/23/best-of-bbtv-in-2008.html#comment-363971 Xeni Jardin Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-363971 @JDAVID, it's a little like that. The astronauts and former space station captains and stuff who were on the flights I've taken gave me (and others) advice on how to avoid the sickness, which is basically your inner ear and brain freaking out over conflicting data input. The biological story is basically your primordial, ancestral lizard-brain going, "WHOAH, everything's moving in ways it shouldn't be, i must have eaten a bad mushroom, I better barf it up fast!" The trick to avoid the physical sickness is to reduce the confusing input *during the heavy gravity parts*. It's not the zero g that makes you sick, its' what happens during the heavy-g pullups. And you do that by sitting still, or lying on your back staring at the roof of the plane, not moving your head or your eyes at all. @Takuan, I sure did have some wild dreams, before and after. Particularly the first time. It was a life-changing experience. But it was not unfamiliar. If you've dreamed of flying, you know what it feels like to float in zero gravity. That to me was the most amazing thing -- the fact that it did not feel foreign, but that I was the first in my biological lineage to ever have experienced this physical sensation in real life. That totally blew my mind. @JDAVID, it’s a little like that. The astronauts and former space station captains and stuff who were on the flights I’ve taken gave me (and others) advice on how to avoid the sickness, which is basically your inner ear and brain freaking out over conflicting data input. The biological story is basically your primordial, ancestral lizard-brain going, “WHOAH, everything’s moving in ways it shouldn’t be, i must have eaten a bad mushroom, I better barf it up fast!”

The trick to avoid the physical sickness is to reduce the confusing input *during the heavy gravity parts*. It’s not the zero g that makes you sick, its’ what happens during the heavy-g pullups.

And you do that by sitting still, or lying on your back staring at the roof of the plane, not moving your head or your eyes at all.

@Takuan, I sure did have some wild dreams, before and after. Particularly the first time. It was a life-changing experience. But it was not unfamiliar. If you’ve dreamed of flying, you know what it feels like to float in zero gravity. That to me was the most amazing thing — the fact that it did not feel foreign, but that I was the first in my biological lineage to ever have experienced this physical sensation in real life.

That totally blew my mind.

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