Sex technologies can address astronauts’ needs in space

Philip K. Dick’s 1968 science fiction novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the source material for the Blade Runner movies) is a commentary on human-robot relations where the robots are designed as replacements for living creatures—in one storyline an android falls in love with and seduces the protagonist.

On February 6, 2020, astronaut Christina Koch returned from a 328-day-long mission; this was the longest a female astronaut had ever spent in space. Her record-setting mission will reveal information about what happens to the human body in space.

Public and private institutions like SpaceX and NASA are announcing plans for several future missions to the moon and Mars, and lengthy spaceflights will soon become more common. But what about sex and the desire for intimacy in space?

Today in The Conversation Canada, researchers Simon Dubé and Dave Anctil suggest that maybe sex technologies like erobots, remotely controlled sex toys and virtual reality could be a practical solution. But first, we’ll need to shed our taboos and recognize the role that intimacy and sexuality play in our well-being.

Also today:

 

Nehal El-Hadi

Science + Technology Editor

Today's Featured Articles

As plans for space exploration expand, how will sex and desire be addressed in these larger, longer missions? (Shutterstock)

Sex in space: Could technology meet astronauts’ intimate needs?

Simon Dubé, Concordia University; Dave Anctil, Université Laval

Sex technologies and 'erobots' could help address issues related to human desire, and physical and emotional needs of astronauts in space.

Supporters of the Wet'suwet'en block a CN Rail line just west of Edmonton on Feb. 19, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Wet'suwet'en blockades: No more business as usual in Canada

D.T. Cochrane, York University, Canada

Governments and corporations seem to understand that the landscape of Indigenous resistance has shifted.

Dolly Parton is having a pop culture moment. The ‘Dolly Parton’s America’ podcast explores belonging and ‘home.’ Here she performs with Joel Smallbone, left, and Luke Smallbone, right at the 53rd Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, Tenn. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Dolly Parton’s broad appeal: She understands alienation, home and the need to belong

Travis Salway, Simon Fraser University

Why does Dolly Parton have such broad appeal, across lines of race, nationality, gender identity and sexual orientation?

La Conversation Canada

Grâce aux techniques d'hypertrucage, Loto-Québec a réussi à transformer un comédien en Bernard Derome des années 70 pour une publicité. Loto-Québec

L'hypertrucage: une grave menace pour notre sécurité et la démocratie

Nadia Naffi, Université Laval

La capacité de détecter et d'analyser des vidéos truquées est de la plus haute urgence. Les contrefaçons constituent une grave menace pour la sécurité des personnes et nos institutions démocratiques.

Consommer trop de protéines animales accroit les risques de développer un large éventail de maladies chroniques en raison des acides aminés contenus dans la viande, révèle une étude. Shutterstock

Viande et maladies chroniques : les acides aminés responsables, révèle une étude

Laura Brown, Teesside University; Kelly Rose, Teesside University

Consommer trop de protéines animales accroit les risques de développer un large éventail de maladies chroniques en raison des acides aminés contenus dans la viande, révèle une étude.

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