Those of us here on Earth are protected from deadly radiation by magnetic fields known as the "Van Allen Belts." Once we leave that protective field, however, we are exposed to their full effects. This has serious implications for future space missions, if recent lab experiments are any indication.

It hasn't been much of a problem so far, because astronauts  have never been that far from the Earth for more than a week at a time. However, when it comes to Moon colonization or the proposed journey to Mars, we're talking about several months. In fact, a Mars mission could take as long as three years. Meanwhile, heavy-particle radiation that is found in the void between planets appears to have detrimental effects on cognitive processes.

Bernard Rabin of the University of Maryland has been performing experiments on rats indicating that when exposed to heavy particle radiation perform find it more difficult to navigate mazes and learning to press a button to get a food pellet. They also are more easily distracted deal and are more prone to stress. Astronauts could suffer similar effects, according to Rabin. Specific brain functions that were affected were those controlling spatial reasoning and anxiety levels.

"If you've got to locate an object in space and you can't, that presents some problems," Rabin said, adding  "If there's an increase in the level of anxiety, for example, the astronauts are not going to be willing to explore as much. Or if there's a decrease in anxiety, they might be taking chances that aren't wise."

The effects of the radiation is similar to those suffered during the aging process. Heavy particle radiation appear to create highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules in the body, similar to cell-destroying "free radicals." The One solution may lie in the use of compounds found in foods rich in anti-oxidants, such as blueberries and strawberries.