ysabetwordsmith: (Fly Free)
[personal profile] ysabetwordsmith
This is today's freebie, inspired by discussions with [personal profile] justanorthernlight. It also fills the "Go Exploring" square in my 2-1-22 card for the Valentines Bingo Fest.


"The Unstable Polarity of Disability"


On Earth, most people
wake and sleep on
a 24-hour cycle.

Those sleeping on
a different cycle have
non-24-hour disorder,
a serious disability.

On Mars, a day is
just over half an hour
longer than on Earth.

People locked into
Earth's 24-hour cycle
are suddenly miserable
on Mars, as advantage
unexpectedly flips
into disadvantage.

The unstable polarity
of disability catches
everyone off guard.

Bowing to the inevitable,
NASA prints colorful posters
to recruit colonists whose
non-24-hour disorder will
match the pattern of Mars.

Below a rocket blasting off,
the recruitment posters read,
Immigrate to Mars! Leave
your disability behind on Earth.

It is everything that they
ever dreamed of and more.

Suddenly they're no longer
sleepy in the middle of the day
or restless late into the night.

They watch the small pink sun
rise and set over the Martian horizon,
like clockwork, perfectly matching
the clock inside their bodies.

They're Martians now --
but then, in a way,

they always were.

* * *

Notes:

Compare the features of Earth and Mars. Earth has a day of 23 hours 56 minutes, while Mars has a day of 24 hours 37 minutes.

Non-24-hour disorder is one of several names for a condition in which a person's circadian rhythm does not match Earth's day/night cycle. A difference of roughly half an hour longer is quite common, so many people with this condition would match Mars quite comfortably. In many cases, the condition only functions as a disability if people try to force their body into an unsuitable sleep cycle to match social context; if they follow their body clock, they sleep fine. Lifestyle changes, like a job with fluid hours and having a combination of early bird and night owl friends, can also help. However, a different version of the disorder occurs when the separate aspects of a person's body clock disagree with each other, and that leaves them uncomfortable no matter what they do.

My own sleep cycle is whimsical, but leans toward roughly a second-shift pattern. It tends to creep later, but if I pay attention, I can keep it mostly in a second-shift range and mostly functional. So I work from home because freelance writing/editing is a job I can do whenever my body feels like being awake. Having friends around the globe means that somebody's usually awake and online when I am.

People's exact wake/sleep cycle can vary somewhat from 24 hours without causing too much trouble, and some people have more flexibility than others, so there's some chance of colonists adapting to Mars.  But anyone who's firmly locked into a 24-hour cycle is likely to be unhappy there.

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-02 03:46 am (UTC)
kengr: (Default)
From: [personal profile] kengr
Earth's mean solar day is 24 hours. It's the *sidereal* day that's 23:56. (actually 23 hours 56 minutes and 4.1 seconds :-)

That's how long it takes between a star crossing the meridian and the next time it crosses the meridian.

Mars's solar day is 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35 seconds.

Mars's sidereal day is 24 hours, 37 minutes and 22 seconds

The difference between solar and sidereal day is due to the motion of the planet along its orbit. It has to rotate a bit farther to get the sun to cross the meridian.

That's also why the difference between the two on Mars is smaller, because if moves more slowly in its orbit.

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-02 05:55 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Was doing some reading the other day that said many people with non-24 are blind. Does this 'verse have blind astronauts/emigrants?

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-02 06:01 am (UTC)
From: [personal profile] acelightning73
I'm basically noturnal here on Earth. I was always happiest working the night shift. During lockdown, I tend to sleep all day and do internet stuff at night. Maybe this qualifies me for the Mars mission?

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-02 11:40 am (UTC)
siberian_skys: (Default)
From: [personal profile] siberian_skys
I hadn't thought about the length of the day on Mars vs the one on Earth. That has me wondering what NASA has planned to prepare their Astronauts for living on Mars.

I remember you mentioning your sleep patterns before. Mine are getting stranger and stranger lately. I just go with the flow anymore. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I know everything that I've read says I should have a sleeping schedule and I used to, but lately that's just not working.

Resources

Date: 2022-02-03 02:55 am (UTC)
ng_moonmoth: The Moon-Moth (Default)
From: [personal profile] ng_moonmoth
A friend of mine was one of the developers who worked on the software for the Mars rovers. The first six months after landing, they were down at JPL keeping Mars time. They fell into it fairly quickly, and all too often collided with Terran cultural expectations of what food might be available vs. what time of Mars day it was for them.

So NASA Ames and JPL probably have a respectable bit of experience in that regard, and data on how people react to it.

Re: Resources

Date: 2022-02-03 11:57 am (UTC)
siberian_skys: (Default)
From: [personal profile] siberian_skys
That is so cool. I've loved space since I was a kid. I'm hoping to still be breathing when we get humans on the moon and again as well as Mars. It seems to be taking more time than it should, especially the moon. It's not like we haven't done that one before and a long time ago.

Re: Resources

Date: 2022-02-06 11:13 pm (UTC)
zeeth_kyrah: A glowing white and blue anthropomorphic horse stands before a pink and blue sky. (Default)
From: [personal profile] zeeth_kyrah
I'd love to see a permanent international base on Luna. Mars I have lower hopes for right now, but we'll see how that goes.

Re: Resources

Date: 2022-02-07 01:46 am (UTC)
siberian_skys: (Default)
From: [personal profile] siberian_skys
You would think that we'd have already started on Luna if not had already finished.I used to think that I'd live to see us at least land humans on Mars, but I'm having my doubts about that.

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-02 04:26 pm (UTC)
erulisse: (Default)
From: [personal profile] erulisse
One of the big reliefs of getting into private practice has been the flexibility to more or less set my own hours. I also tend to gravitate toward a second shift type schedule and having work that accommodates that is extremely handy.

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-03 05:31 am (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
Not sure what profession you're in, but 'open late' could be very convenient for people who can't make appointments during the usual 9-5 workday.

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-03 02:14 pm (UTC)
erulisse: (Default)
From: [personal profile] erulisse
I'm a therapist and yes, I have a number of people who take advantage of my evening appointments. I also work Sunday through Thursday in order to have some weekend availability (I also find that having Friday off is useful to me so I can use it for my own appointments and errands).

(no subject)

Date: 2022-02-05 11:58 am (UTC)
justanorthernlight: jolly roger pirate flag (Default)
From: [personal profile] justanorthernlight
>>It is everything that they / ever dreamed of and more.

Indeed it is...

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