Source: black bear in the wildWhat if the future of space travel starts with a very old trick from nature: sleeping? Imagine astronauts traveling to Mars not awake the entire journey, but tucked safely into a science-fiction-style “deep sleep.” A human version of hibernation, called synthetic torpor, could help protect astronauts from some of the biggest challenges of deep space: radiation, muscle and bone loss, stress, and the huge amount of food and supplies needed for years-long missions. Scientists are also investigating whether synthetic torpor could become a medical superpower on Earth:🧬 Cancer: Slowing the body’s activity may help slow tumor growth, make cancer treatments more effective, and reduce damage to healthy cells. The dream: one day, humans may borrow nature’s ultimate survival mode to travel farther into space and fight disease in new ways.