High-Level Project Summary
Our proposal is a decision-making game that can have multiple futures depending on the personality of the user. Ruled by the butterfly effect, the story comprises a tutorial and five chapters that will teach students the five hazards of space travel. Students will learn about the challenges of space travel and the science behind the solutions. From the composition of beams to protect astronauts from radiation to the nutrition that follows, many scientific concepts will be taught through the interactive story that each player will create. This will motivate the next generations of astronauts that will make us multi-planetary and make awareness about the global issues that threaten our future.
Link to Project "Demo"
Link to Final Project
Detailed Project Description
Narrative of the Game
It's the year 2070, the Earth is about to collapse due to global warming and extreme environmental conditions. Most of humanity is against spatial missions and sabotaged many spaceships. However, the space agencies of the world put their differences aside and launched the last mission "Exodus I" where they will have to save cells (human eggs and sperm) from Earth and be able to take them to Mars. The mission was not strictly prepared for a long time since the catastrophic effects passed very quickly. For that reason, the world's space agencies prepared "Exodus I", a mission against the clock. As an example, the leader of the mission was another and he had a terminal illness and then you enter as the leader of the mission. Although this spaceship is not in its perfect condition due to the public’s sabotage, the spaceship takes off on July 20th, 1970. Along the course, they will encounter challenges that threaten their lives.
What exactly does it do?
This is a first-person game that provides the experience of being a real astronaut during a trip to Mars, and with it, the player will face the five most dangerous hazards of space travel.
Chapter 1: Radiation
Chapter 2: Insolation/Confinement
Chapter 3: Distance from Earth
Chapter 4: Altered gravity fields
Chapter 5: Hostile/Close environments
How does it work?
This game works with the take of decisions and the very well-known "butterfly effect", this will determine one of the multiple ends. The game also works with some minigames that are based on the real work in space like repair some oxygen conducts, the exterior of the spaceship, and even identify bacteria.
What benefits does it have?
The players will learn about the hazards of being an astronaut in a didactic way and how to face against them; the game also encourages the spirit of knowledge in the youth.
What do you hope to achieve?
We hope to motivate the next generations in the field of science and make awareness of the global climatic changes in the world.
What tools, coding languages, hardware, or software did you use to develop your project?
We have developed a web page with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, but we are planning to develop the game in 3D, using the game engine “Unreal Engine”.
Space Agency Data
Our project is divided into five chapters. In each, we teach the science behind these problems and solutions. To be more specific the outline for the story was this one.
Introduction:
Chapter 1: Close/Hostile Environments
Chapter 2: Distance from Earth
Chapter 3: Isolation/Confinement
Chapter 4: Altered Gravity Fields
Chapter 5: Radiation
1.- Brain (Problems and solutions from this research will be mostly used in Chapter 4)
The sensitivity of the mammalian central nervous system to gravitational influences involves both direct and indirect factors. Gradual loss of cerebral circulation with increasing acceleration beyond 5 G has been shown to evoke changes in patterns of brain electrical activity, with epileptiform discharges triggered primarily in the hippocampal system of the temporal lobe, and spreading into other brain systems. The relationship of these structures to judgment and discriminative functions is discussed. Complete loss of cerebral circulation is associated with electrical silence in the brain. The possible effects of weightlessness on intracranial fluid distribution are reviewed. Tests of vibrational stimuli in the monkey have disclosed "driving" of electrical brain rhythms at the shaking frequency, particularly in the range from 11 to 15 cycles per second. These effects are unrelated to photic stimulation and are abolished by anesthesia or death. Tests of discriminative capability at frequencies producing maximum driving have shown increased response latencies and increased errors. The neurophysiological basis for adaptive phenomena in recurrent vestibular stimulation has been found to reside partly in the vestibular nuclei of the medulla, and not to require integrity of connections with higher vestibular centers. The potentiation of responsiveness to vestibular stimulation in the weightless state has been shown to have a basis in the exaggerated responsiveness of medullary vestibular centers following the loss of proprioceptive influxes from the spinal cord. The possible contribution of weightlessness to anomalous psychophysiological functions is reviewed. This area presents a major challenge in experimental design and may require evaluation of such phenomena as a distortion of the body image, modified sleep patterns, and changes in optimal sleep-work cycles.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11881646/
2.- Immune System (Problems and solutions from this research will be mostly used in Chapter 4)
We investigated the dynamics of immediate and initial gene expression response to different gravitational environments in human Jurkat T lymphocytic cells and compared expression profiles to identify potential gravity-regulated genes and adaptation processes. We used the Affymetrix GeneChip® Human Transcriptome Array 2.0 containing 44,699 protein coding genes and 22,829 non-protein-coding genes and performed the experiments during a parabolic flight and a suborbital ballistic rocket mission to cross-validate gravity-regulated gene expression through independent research platforms and different sets of control experiments to exclude other factors than alteration of gravity. We found that gene expression in human T cells rapidly responded to altered gravity in the time frame of 20 s and 5 min. The initial response to microgravity involved mostly regulatory RNAs. We identified three gravity-regulated genes which could be cross-validated in both completely independent experiment missions: ATP6V1A/D, a vacuolar H + -ATPase (V-ATPase) responsible for acidification during bone resorption, IGHD3-3/IGHD3-10, diversity genes of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain locus participating in V(D)J recombination, and LINC00837, a long intergenic non-protein coding RNA. Due to the extensive and rapid alteration of gene expression associated with regulatory RNAs, we conclude that human cells are equipped with a robust and efficient adaptation potential when challenged with altered gravitational environments.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05580-x
Dynamic gene expression response to altered gravity in human T cells
Cora S. Thiel, Swantje Hauschild, […]Oliver Ullrich
Scientific Reports volume 7, Article number: 5204 (2017)
3.- Bone
A summary of the results of investigations by the author and a brief review of some literature data on human bone tissue deprived of mechanical loading (spaceflight, hypokinesia) is given. The direction and markedness of changes in bone mass--the bone mineral density and the bone mineral content--in different skeletal segments depend on their position relative to the gravity vector. A theoretically expected bone mass reduction was revealed in the trabecular structures of the bones of the lower part of the skeleton (local osteopenia). In the upper part of the skeleton, an increase in the bone mineral content is observed, which is considered as a secondary response and is due to redistribution of body fluids cephalad. The main cause of osteopenia is mechanical unloading. Arguments are presented that osteocyte osteolysis, delayed osteoblast histogenesis, and osteoclast resorption are provoked by rearrangement in the hierarchy of the systems of fluid volume and ion regulation, and the endocrine control of calcium homeostasis are the main mechanisms of osteopenia.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16237819/
Modern analysis of bone loss mechanisms in microgravity
V S Oganov. J Gravit Physiol. 2004 Jul.
4.- Heart
Experiments during spaceflight and its ground base analog, bedrest, provide consistent data which demonstrate that numerous changes in cardiovascular function occur as part of the physiological adaptation process to the microgravity environment. These include elevated heart rate and venous compliance, lowered blood volume, central venous pressure and stroke volume, and attenuated autonomic reflex functions. Although most of these adaptations are not functionally apparent during microgravity exposure, they manifest themselves during the return to the gravitational challenge of the earth's terrestrial environment as orthostatic hypotension and instability, a condition that could compromise safety, health, and productivity. Development and application of effective and efficient countermeasures such as saline "loading," intermittent venous pooling, pharmacological treatments, and exercise have become primary emphases of the space life sciences research effort with only limited success. Successful development of countermeasures will require knowledge of the physiological mechanisms underlying cardiovascular adaptation to microgravity which can be obtained only through controlled, parallel ground-based research to complement carefully designed flight experiments. Continued research will provide benefits for both space and clinical applications as well as enhance the basic understanding of cardiovascular homeostasis in humans.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1402772/
5.- Muscular
Muscular atrophy, defined as the loss of muscle tissue is a serious issue for immobilized patients on Earth and in human spaceflight, where microgravity prevents normal muscle loading. A major factor in muscular atrophy is oxidative stress, which is amplified not only by muscle disuse but also by the increased levels of ionizing radiation in spaceflight. Additionally, elevated radiation exposure can damage DNA, increasing cancer risk. To model oxidative stress and DNA damage generated by conditions on the International Space Station, murine C2C12 myoblasts were cultured in a rotary cell culture system irradiated by cesium-137. Changes due to the spaceflight models were characterized with fluorescent imaging, amino acid analysis, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for heme oxygenase 1. Fluorescent imaging was performed to assess viability, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage. Minor DNA damage was observed in cells exposed to 20 µCi cesium-137 for 15 days.
No significant differences in viability or lipid peroxidation were noted. Exposure to radiation decreased intracellular heme oxygenase 1 and extracellular alanine but did not affect branch chain amino acids. Investigation of stronger radiation sources and extended culture time is ongoing. We anticipate that radiation will exacerbate the atrophic effects of microgravity on muscle cells. Simulation of microgravity and spaceflight radiation will provide a valuable platform for drug discovery and an understanding of the progression from normal to disease state.
Source: 2016 Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium
Also, NASA's GLDS-326 complements the previous research with a study on mice and how the loss of quadriceps muscle is vital to put in the story.
The role of all this research is to be the foundation of the narrative for each of the chapters where the characters will be faced with the hazard and must use scientific methods and tools to save the mission. Since it is an interactive game, the possibility of dying or not curing another astronaut is possible in the decision-making system. For example, there will be a situation where the decision to choose the right medication will force the avatar to inform about the consequences of each one in the body. This type of situation and minigames inspired us to develop a narrative that will be scientifically valid and entertaining for children.
Hackathon Journey
This is the first time each one of us participates in this hackathon. Through this experience, we deeply learned about the hazards from spaceflight missions and the science behind the solutions. NASA's resources and research papers were really helpful to develop the narrative of our game. For example, NASA's study on the effect of weightlessness on mice inspired us to make the 4th chapter (Altered Gravity Fields) on which the character will suffer from musculoskeletal problems. Furthermore, we became aware of the power a game can have to teach young people about space. This project is a game from Earth to Mars but we even thought of a potential sequel on the continued story in Red Planet on how humans start living on Mars and make a colony with the box described.
Our team was diverse. We were four teenagers, a neurosurgeon, and a neurologist. The teenagers' experience with games and the expertise of the adults in the human body led us to choose "The Trail to Mars". Inspired by games like Until Dawn, the teenagers developed the fictional story and the presentations. Helped by their experience in hospitals, the doctors researched the science part where NASA's resources and research papers were used to confirm the validity of our story scientifically. Our approach was the decision-making strategy: The Butterfly effect from the chaos theory. We loved games that have a lot of futures and this was a perfect tool to engage the young audiences in the plot. Since this plot is divided into five chapters respective to the five hazards, the main goal was to teach the science behind the problems and solutions such as epigenetics, radiation, ultrasound, musculoskeletal therapy, etc.
Our main challenges were the lack of expertise in coding. Although one of us has experience making websites, no one had any idea about game coding. That is why we resolved it by designing a website that deeply explains our project in a commercial way. On that website, we added a trailer directed to a potential client of the game. This experience made us learn that there is always another way to solve a problem creatively.
References
- https://www.nasa.gov/hrp/hazards
- https://three.jsc.nasa.gov/
- https://genelab-data.ndc.nasa.gov/genelab/accession/GLDS-326/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlHD5HfFJlE&list=PL37Yhb2zout05pUjr7OoRFpTNroq_wd9f&index=2
- https://www.nasa.gov/feature/twelve-biology-of-spaceflight-papers-represent-groundbreaking-work/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11881646/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05580-x
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16237819/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1402772/
- 2016 Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium
Tags
#videogame #spaceflight #spaceship #mars #story #decision-making
Global Judging
This project has been submitted for consideration during the Judging process.