(2019 Archived) - Argument XIV : The Circadian Rhythm on Venus vs. The Circadian Rhythm on Mars.

Having written this in 2019, and originally published in 2021.. when I was 15 and 17, there would be inaccuracies that I would correct here. Having removed it, I'm publishing  again, for sake of completion so that the efforts wouldn't have gone to vain: THIS ARGUMENT IS NOT GOOD, NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, ADDED FOR SAKE OF COMPLETING THE ARCHIVE - INVALID ARGUMENT.

We humans do not sleep or wake-up at our own will – It is rather governed by a biological clock engineered into us by millions of years of evolution, which tells us when to sleep and when to wake-up. It’s called the Circadian rhythm. It was engineered explicitly to work with the Earth’s day of ~24 hours. But, it is for the very Circadian rhythm that the Martian colonists would have problems with their sleep, because a sol (a Martian day) lasts 24 hours, 39 minutes and 35.244 seconds, which is ~39 minutes longer than our day. Developing a new Circadian takes a very long time, and until then; those 39 extra-minutes in a sol would exponentially accumulate. This accumulation and messed-up Circadian rhythm, could lead to sleep disorders ^[12].The Venusian cloud-cities, on the other hand, will circumnavigate Venus every four days, due to the super-rotation of the Venusian atmosphere ^[8]. This day-night cycle will be challenging, but it is subtly systematic. That roughly translates to two sleep-cycles each, in the Venusian day-side and night-side. But, the colonists who live nearer to the Venusian poles might have to deal with a five-month day-night cycle.

Although the day-night cycle on Venus is on the longer side, it is consistent and adaptable – which is why Venus offers a better sleep-cycle with a dampened chance of Sleep Deprivation. 

12.        Dunbar, B. (2018, June 11). The Human body in space. Retrieved from (https://www.nasa.gov/nrp/body_in_space). 

8.        Walker, R. (2014, January 12). Will we build colonies that float over Venus like Buckminster Fuller’s “Cloud Nine?”  Retrieved from (https://www.science20.com/robert_inventor/will_we_build_colonies_that_float_over_venus_like_ buckminster_fullers_cloud_nine-127573).

Achinthya Nanayakkara (31.03.2025)

Originally written - 2019