Jerks on my spacestation? November 7, 2013 7:37 AM   Subscribe

A while back, I asked my fellow mefites Do astronauts suffer from hypnic jerks? There didn't seem to be any definite answer, but last night I went to a book signing by astronaut Chris Hadfield (previously), and was able to ask him. He said that they do indeed have them while in space. Mystery solved! Science!
posted by borkencode to MetaFilter-Related at 7:37 AM (64 comments total) 33 users marked this as a favorite

SCIENCE! Yay!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:48 AM on November 7, 2013


It's no good unless he's a registered user and you can mark his as 'best answer'. Sorry, the question is still unsolved.
posted by Think_Long at 7:48 AM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


Hey, maybe I'm secretly a spaceman, then. Cool!
posted by wenestvedt at 7:53 AM on November 7, 2013


Anecdote is not evidence. You need to go back and get him to pull strings for a proper experimental study. Otherwise we are going to have to come up with a cute acryonm for the situation:D
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 7:59 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Heresay! According to Metafilter rules, you can't use a personal anecdote as your reference. DENIED.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:06 AM on November 7, 2013


I'm still going to class this anecdata as AWESOME!
posted by arcticseal at 8:08 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


Did you ask him about sex in space?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:11 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I thought hypnic jerks was a sex maneuver.
posted by Think_Long at 8:15 AM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


Indie rock hyphy fusion supergroup

Is it a coincidence that "jerk" is the changing of acceleration? I like jerky and jerky chicken tacos.
posted by lordaych at 8:28 AM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


My father-in-law insists that 'jerk' (in the food sense) and 'jerky' are the same things. Every time I make some jerky, he asks me what the meat is. "Beef, of course", I reply. "You can have Jerk Chicken and Jerk Pork too" he says. We have this little conversation about once a month.

One of these days I'm going to make him some chicken jerky. Probably from a chicken that's been left somewhere warm overnight.
posted by pipeski at 8:43 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Yeah Mr. borkencode! YEAH SCIENCE!
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:51 AM on November 7, 2013


I once made jerk beef jerky. It was really, really good.
posted by griphus at 8:57 AM on November 7, 2013


I once made jerk beef jerky. It was really, really good.

Did Xzibit like it?
posted by Etrigan at 9:44 AM on November 7, 2013 [13 favorites]


blue_beetle: "Heresay! According to Metafilter rules, you can't use a personal anecdote as your reference. DENIED."

This is MeFi, not Wikipedia. Such a rule would have blocked learning what the Roadrunner really said. Overruled.
posted by Lexica at 9:51 AM on November 7, 2013 [6 favorites]


If anyone ever asks me why I spend so much time reading that all-text website, I'm just going to send them this link.
posted by nicodine at 10:16 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I asked a honey badger if he gave a shit and he ripped off my arms. SQUEE SCIENSE!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:17 AM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


Rereading that it makes me sound like I was insulting the OP, frankly I just wanted to reference this and make fun of people yelling SCIENCE!. Anywho. Astronauts are pretty cool.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:19 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Every time a hypnic jerk has happened to me since the question was asked I have wondered about this question.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:34 AM on November 7, 2013


I thought hypnic jerks was a sex maneuver.

Hypnic jerks may spice things up, but you can't really perform them unless things start out really, really boring.
posted by a snickering nuthatch at 10:41 AM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


Rereading that it makes me sound like I was insulting the OP...

I'm just impressed at the typing prowess with your honey-badger-detached arm-stumps!
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:45 AM on November 7, 2013 [5 favorites]


I learn so much here on the 'Filters! I was under the false impression hypnic jerks were those kids begging for charities on the street corners.
posted by trinity8-director at 11:07 AM on November 7, 2013


Is there anything Chris Hadfield can't do?
posted by Kabanos at 12:49 PM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


I'm just impressed at the typing prowess with your honey-badger-detached arm-stumps!

Truth.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:13 PM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


I thought hypnic jerks was a sex maneuver.

Maybe if you're too close to the edge of the bed and you think you're going to fall off but then you get off instead?
posted by maryr at 2:14 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]

There were two in the bed and the little one said,
Roll over. Roll over.
So both rolled over and one got off.
posted by maryr at 2:15 PM on November 7, 2013 [3 favorites]


If I were an astronaut and you had asked me this I would have said, "Not gladly."
posted by Wolfdog at 2:25 PM on November 7, 2013 [2 favorites]


And I would have insisted quite firmly that you didn't say "from".
posted by Wolfdog at 2:26 PM on November 7, 2013


I'm just impressed at the typing prowess with your honey-badger-detached arm-stumps!

I'm guessing the answer to that is along the same lines as the following joke:

Q: Hey you. Do you use your dictophone?
A: No, I use my finger like everyone else.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 3:02 PM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


How do you think I rang the bell typed this comment?

Is there anything Chris Hadfield can't do?

Impress a pug.
posted by griphus at 3:25 PM on November 7, 2013 [7 favorites]


Chris Hadfield's mustache could beat up Chuck Norris. But doesn't, because it's got better things to do, like hang out with Chris Hadfield.
posted by Sequence at 3:38 PM on November 7, 2013 [4 favorites]


Assume you've all seen this.
posted by leslies at 4:48 PM on November 7, 2013 [1 favorite]


I thought hypnic jerks was a sex maneuver.

Hypnic Jerks would be a great name for a really crappy garage band.

That's not even true.

Sex Maneuver — now that would be a great name for a really crappy garage band.

posted by Now there are two. There are two _______. at 5:50 PM on November 7, 2013


Thank you for teaching me the phrase "hypnic jerks". That's way easier to use than trying to explain that damn sensation.
posted by NoraReed at 1:27 AM on November 8, 2013


I thought hypnic jerks was a sex maneuver.

The answer is "ants." No, wait, those are picnic jerks. Sorry, continue with the astronauts.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:44 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


"Anecdote is not evidence. You need to go back and get him to pull strings for a proper experimental study."

I know this is commonly repeated, and not intended seriously, but anecdotes are indeed a very important form of evidence. The lack of controls significantly broaden the number of models of phenomena anecdotes can be evidence for, particularly trivial ones, but depending on context they can provide quite powerful explanations.
posted by Blasdelb at 6:01 AM on November 8, 2013


Do Astronauts Suffer from Hypnic Jerks?

In the director's cut of this question, they cut out the voice-over and leave it ambiguous whether Hadfield really is an Astronaut or not, which makes it a totally different question than the theatrical release.
posted by gauche at 6:18 AM on November 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


SCIENCE! ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE! Yay!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 6:39 AM on November 8, 2013


Why wouldn't they? As the muscles in your body lose their tone in preparation for you not throttling yourself or running out a window during sleep, occasionally they rebound and jerk. Why would gravity have an effect on this? Muscles relax/tense up in zero g (ok, microgravity), too.
posted by Eideteker at 6:44 AM on November 8, 2013


Astronauts are cool. I applaud your scientific effort.
posted by theora55 at 6:59 AM on November 8, 2013


Any word on nocturnal thruster emissions?
posted by Kabanos at 7:22 AM on November 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


Any word on nocturnal thruster emissions?

Isn't that what caused the Apollo 13 crisis?
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 7:49 AM on November 8, 2013


Didn't they solve that with a sock?
posted by maryr at 8:21 AM on November 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE! Yay!

This is not a survey. If the question is "Does a thing happen in space?" and somebody who has been in space responds with "I have experienced or witnessed it happening," then the answer is "Yes it does."

Also, this isn't a peer reviewed journal. This sort of behavior is as obnoxious as spellchecking another users comments.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:28 AM on November 8, 2013 [9 favorites]


I fear that some astronauts have other problems than nocturnal thruster emissions. Just listen to the sounds Chewbacca makes at random times.
posted by Namlit at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2013


This sort of behavior is as obnoxious as spellchecking another users comments.

But slightly less than beanplating someone's sarcastic one-off.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:30 AM on November 8, 2013


This sort of behavior is as obnoxious as spellchecking another users comments.

IS THIS SOME SORT OF TEST
posted by griphus at 8:31 AM on November 8, 2013 [14 favorites]


Yes, you failed. Or passed. I'm not sure.
posted by maryr at 8:34 AM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Isn't' it users-comments?
posted by Namlit at 8:36 AM on November 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


But slightly less than beanplating someone's sarcastic one-off.

It's the third identical one-off in this thread, and feels threadshitty to me, when the original poster actually offered something cool.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 8:38 AM on November 8, 2013 [3 favorites]


Chris Hadfield's mustache could beat up Chuck Norris. But doesn't, because it's got better things to do, like hang out with Chris Hadfield.

Hadfield's son had something to say about this on twitter:
Jesse Oshanek ‏@JehCOh13 23 Jan
I hereby vote 4 all Chuck Norris sayings become @Cmdr_Hadfield ie. Chuck Norris wears Chris Hadfield pyjamas. C.H does crosswords w/ a pen.

Evan Hadfield ‏@Evan_Hadfield 23 Jan
@jehcoh13 He does actually do crosswords with a pen…
posted by Kabanos at 9:13 AM on November 8, 2013 [6 favorites]


But slightly less than beanplating someone's sarcastic one-off.

To be fair, "beanplating someone's sarcastic one-off" also sounds like a sex move.
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:35 AM on November 8, 2013 [4 favorites]


Eh, I do crossroads in pen. Doesn't mean I'm particularly skilled, just means I don't like pencils.
posted by maryr at 11:02 AM on November 8, 2013 [2 favorites]


I mostly type my cross words.
posted by pipeski at 11:05 AM on November 8, 2013


To be fair, "beanplating someone's sarcastic one-off" also sounds like a sex move.

Find out at the next meetup!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 11:14 AM on November 8, 2013


You.... go to different sorts of meetups than I do.

Evidently.....
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:39 AM on November 8, 2013


Do you leave early?

Oh no, I've said too much.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:41 AM on November 8, 2013 [3 favorites]


Quit jerking on the guy's space station.
posted by Bunny Ultramod at 12:33 PM on November 8, 2013


Look, we keep it above the waist here in Boston.
posted by maryr at 1:05 PM on November 8, 2013


Actually we pretty much keep it between the ears and collarbones.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:06 PM on November 8, 2013 [3 favorites]


Look, we keep it above the waist here in Boston.

Actually we pretty much keep it between the ears and collarbones.


Man, you New Englanders are super freaky! I can't even picture how this is supposed to work!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 1:23 PM on November 8, 2013 [1 favorite]


Orally/aurally.
posted by maryr at 2:35 PM on November 8, 2013


You're talking about intercourse, aren't you?
posted by Segundus at 9:02 AM on November 9, 2013 [1 favorite]


what

never...
posted by Namlit at 9:17 AM on November 9, 2013


Couple of comments removed. Folks, please don't let your conspiracy theories about the faking of the lunar landings spoil every space related thread! Let us have our hypnic jerks at least.
posted by Mngo at 6:51 PM on November 9, 2013


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