"To learn more about out-of-this-world sex, cable TV viewers can tune into a special episode on the issue on the History Channel this Saturday, 20 December, at 3 pm."
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2008/12/history-channel-to-air-special.htmlHistory Channel to air special on 'sex in space'
Given how fraught relationships of any kind can be under normal circumstances, I've always been fascinated by the interpersonal dynamics that can take place in "extreme" environments, like space missions. Future trips to Mars, for example, would probably last more than two years and could be a hotbed for intense crew relationships, some of which might become sexual.
In 2005, a distinguished panel of experts at the US National Academy of Sciences said NASA should study the issue of sex in space, since it could potentially derail long-duration space missions (see Out-of-this-world sex could jeopardise missions).
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But experts say sex in space might also benefit missions by creating a sense of stability and normality and alleviating boredom and anxiety on the long, lonely journeys through space.
To learn more about out-of-this-world sex, cable TV viewers can tune into a special episode on the issue on the History Channel this Saturday, 20 December, at 3 pm. (If nothing else, it will certainly provide a change of pace from the usual holiday fare!)
Maggie McKee, space editor