# Space Radiation Dooms Elon’s Mission to Mars but May Hack the Brain and Fix Depression

## TL;DR

Space radiation can harm brain function, threatening Mars missions, but it might also be used to treat brain disorders like depression on Earth.

## Contribution

The paper highlights the dual impact of space radiation on brain function and its potential therapeutic applications.

## Key findings

- Ionizing radiation alters mammalian brain circuits, affecting brain function during space travel.
- Space radiation could be harnessed to treat brain disorders such as depression and addiction on Earth.

## Abstract

Sorry, Elon, space travel ain’t going to be that simple! There is a growing body of scientific research that indisputably demonstrates the capacity of ionizing radiation to alter the activity of mammalian brain circuits. Unfortunately for the mission to Mars that you are planning, the ubiquitous radiation present throughout interplanetary space is destined to mess with human brain function, and by virtue of such, defeat even the best-engineered rockets and spaceships. Before you make too many more plans for a trip to Mars, it might be a good time to go back to the drawing board and solve this critical human biological reality? Yet still there is reason to celebrate this biological phenomenon; when harnessed correctly, space-like radiation will soon be used here on Earth to treat many common brain disorders, such as depression and addiction, which have plagued us humans through the ages.