Sex in space? Sperm struggles to navigate during weightless sex
To simulate microgravity, the researchers used a device called a clinostat machine, which works "by continuously rotating cells or samples in multiple directions, essentially randomising the direction of gravitational pull so rapidly that the cells never get a chance to settle or orient themselves," Nicole McPherson, a researcher who runs the Sperm and Embryo Biology Group at Adelaide University's Robinson Research Institute and the study's senior author, told Live Science via email. "From the cell's perspective, there is no consistent 'up' or 'down', it experiences a kind of continuous free fall, which closely mimics what living cells experience in the weightlessness of space."
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2026-03-30
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