A Galactic Battle … Against Salmonella
EmailABC News’ Brian Hartman and Cullen Dirner report: The war against salmonella is also being waged in outer space. While Earth-bound government workers struggle to regulate deadly illnesses out of the food system, NASA’s high-flying astronauts are running experiments on salmonella aboard the International Space Station. This morning, President Obama called astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery, currently linked with the space station, and handed the phone to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "We’ve had some salmonella problems here on Earth," the senator informed the astronauts. "What do you think you will be able to learn from the environment in space that maybe you couldn’t learn here on Earth?" The shuttle crew had no idea. "My job as an astronaut was basically to turn the crank and activate the experiment," one of the astronauts said. "And then after about four or five days, I’ll turn the crank again and deactivate it. I’m not exactly sure what the scientists are gonna do with the data back at home or with these samples." In fact, in several years of testing NASA scientists have learned that space travel triggers changes in salmonella cells that may one day eliminate outbreaks like the recent peanut scare. In an announcement about the experiments, Julie Robinson, program scientist for the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said the studies could change the food safety landscape. "This research opens up new areas for investigations that may improve food treatment, develop new therapies and vaccines to combat food poisoning in humans here on Earth, and protect astronauts on orbit from infectious disease."
Space Station Flies Over Eastern U.S. at Night 
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Wow, so incredibly enlightening. Changes are triggered? Better not let that crucial information out.
Posted by: Mark | March 24, 2009, 4:50 pm 4:50 pm
First!!!
Posted by: Benjalamelami | March 24, 2009, 4:53 pm 4:53 pm
I thought that simple hand washing, equipment cleanliness, and simple common sense ended samonela outbreaks! Do we really have to go into outerspace to learn how to clean and be clean?
Posted by: tmblweedtx | March 24, 2009, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
We blew $500 million on this launch. I’d like something tangible from these missions.
Posted by: Jim Bob | March 24, 2009, 5:26 pm 5:26 pm
Mostly, NASA is just trying to tell us all that their research and all the expensive machinery and costs ultimately have some practical value to all of us. Given our current economic problems, one could easily imagine why NASA might be looking for any way to appear “relevant”.
The truth is that NASA is EXTREMELY relevant, and that money spent on launches and space station maintenance can have huge payback over time. Remember, for example, that the technology in your computer, your cell phone, Blackberry, iPod, HDTV, GPS, Satellite and HD radio, wristwatch, microwave oven and myriad other devices all stems from NASA-related research. Add to this C-T, MRI and PET scanners, much genetic-related technology, a number of drugs, and internal “prostheses” such as heart valves and artificial joints. All of these have either sprung directly from or benefited tremendously by NASA projects and research.
But NASA clearly fears that We the People will think all their work is unnecessary extra expense at this point, and they are looking for ways to remind us that what they are doing can have huge paybacks.
Posted by: Jordan | March 24, 2009, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm
Jim Bob…
The computer you used to post your silly message is due in part to the investments made to the space program….so aside from an overall review of the contracting process (kinda like should have been done for the insane wars that we’re fighting)…money spent on the space program in general is money well spent..better spent than the dough we lost thanks to the tax cuts given to the rich which allowed an ex-boss of mine to get a free Hummer…and since over the last 8 years, we also stopped regulating the food industry…any help these experiments could provide to reduce the chances of food chain issues would be welcome as well…that way….your next PB&Jelly samiich might not kill you.
Posted by: Phil | March 24, 2009, 7:19 pm 7:19 pm
almost forgot…at least here the “trickle down effect” seems to work..unlike we’ve seen on economic matters…the technology developed for the space program does in fact trickle down…unlike tax cuts for the rich and famous…which were supposed to enrich my life…
Posted by: Phil | March 24, 2009, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
Phil, and the rest, trickle down does work. My job and millions more are evidence of that. Tax the rich less, they’ll create jobs. Tax them more, they’ll stop creating jobs, and possibly start cutting jobs. Tax them even more, they’ll move overseas. With that explaination, how does trickle up work? Take from the rich and give to the poor? The money will just end up back in the rich’s acounts. Why? Poor people are generally poor because of a few things. They don’t manage money very well, would rather spend than save, and are not easy to take risks with money. Trickle up won’t work.
Now, as for the Galactic Battle. Are lasers involved? And is Darth Vader responsible? Got any info on that Ned?
Posted by: Lawrence | March 25, 2009, 8:56 am 8:56 am
Lawrence,
Trickle down doesn’t always work because of corporate greed. You assume that the business isn’t always out to make the easiest buck, which they are.
Bottom-up economics can work because the consumers (and overspenders) spend more money on services they actually *want* to spend money. Resulting in the market adjusting to the demands on consumers rather than what businesses choose to offer.
I’m not disagreeing that overtaxing to a severe degree will work, but I find your reasons for saying bottom-up economics don’t work is flawed.
And we saw what happens when business takes risks with large sums of money ;), having lots of people with more money (some may overspend, etc, and remain low on money) but I’d rather have that than 1 company or individual with a lot of money to lose.
Posted by: Something | March 25, 2009, 2:43 pm 2:43 pm