S1E23 - Vienna Tran - Space Wants To Kill You

We met with space medicine expert Vienna Tran to learn about the health challenges of manned exploration of space.  This may seem like an esoteric subject for those who feel like we have more challenges facing us on earth than we can deal with, but Vienna makes a compelling case that conquering the extremes of off-earth existence equips us to better deal with our terrestrial challenges.  “A dollar invested in space is worth more than a dollar invested on earth.” Not only is off-world colonization a hedging strategy against an extinction event here on earth, space exploration (including medicine) brings us myriad advancements for terrestrial life.  What are the risks? What are the rewards?  Join us to gain a glimpse of this brave new frontier.

Biography

Space Medicine | Growing up in suburban Australia, Vienna became fascinated with the light-polluted sky that she could see from her backyard. Vienna now works as a medical doctor in South Australia with a dream to pursue a road less traveled: space medicine. She is also a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner and has worked for the Australian Space Agency. She has published research on the use of artificial gravity to maintain the muscle health of astronauts, a study that was supported by NASA and the European Space Agency. Vienna has undertaken postings with the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). She is an alumnus of the International Space University. When Vienna is not on the wards, you will find her running on the trails, recording music for her band (The Remotes), giving her students lessons over Zoom or writing another article about space.

Conversation recorded on January 13, 2023.