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Plants in Space - The Psychological Benefits
So great is the positive effect plants have in and around the workplace, researchers are now planning to spread that goodness throughout the universe - literally! Studies were carried out to see if plants could survive the unforgiving conditions subjected to one in space - high levels of radiation, zero gravity and no natural light. ,Researchers were curious to see if life could survive in such harsh conditions of zero-gravity, high radiation levels and a lack of natural light. The hope was that if the plants could flourish in these conditions, astronauts would be able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables whilst also giving the oxygen levels a boost.
The Open Agriculture journals has recently published a paper, Gardening for Therapeutic People-Plant Interactions During Long Duration Space Missions, has stated that 'people-plant interactions are incredibly therapeutic and good for the mind. Professor of plant physiology and biochemistry Charles Guy and Raymond Odeh, a masters student from the University of Florida collection information from astronauts on the International Space Station and were able to reveal that natural elements such as plants provided a host of behavioural and cognitive benefits to human both in space and on Earth.
There are many who feel the same; soviet cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev wrote a diary during his 211 day stint at the ISS. In it, he said, “During a TV broadcast we admitted that we feel sad and uncomfortable without our garden and without our dear plants. It was such a pleasure to take care of them. Man probably has a need to take care of things and without those things feels empty.”
Additionally, Peggy Whitson, the oldest woman in space and longets serving American astronaut wrote an email expressing her surprise at the healthy appearance of the soybeans they had grown in space. “I guess seeing something green for the first time in a month and a half had a real effect. From a psychological perspective, I think it’s interesting that the reaction was as dramatic as it was. Guess if we go to Mars, we need a garden!”In 2016, a first flower bloomed whilst in outer space for the first time.
The first flower to bloom in space
If greenery can have such a huge impact of astronaut in space, imagine what it could do for your office right here on earth! We have a huge range of plants and containers from artificial to live, together we can design an out of this world display for your workplace.
