What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The $18,000 “stay in bed” offer was reported as compensation for completing a 70-day NASA bed-rest study in 2013—not a current job listing and not simply a sleep study. The viral version claiming NASA would pay volunteers to smoke cannabis was false. A separate European Space Agency-led study reported in 2023 offered a different protocol and reported compensation of $18,300.
Was NASA really paying $18,000 to stay in bed?
ABC News reported on September 22, 2013, that NASA was recruiting participants for a 70-day bed-rest study and that participants who completed it would receive $18,000. That is a historical figure reported at the time; it does not establish that NASA is offering the same opportunity now. ABC News, September 22, 2013
“Stay in bed” is shorthand for a demanding research protocol, not a paid vacation. The study was intended to help researchers understand changes associated with weightlessness. ABC News reported that participants could not get out of bed for any reason during the study and had to pass medical and other screening.
What participants had to do
According to ABC News, screening included a modified Air Force physical, an electrocardiogram (ECG), drug and alcohol screening, and infectious-disease screening. The report quoted former participant Beth Ann Shriber describing the experience this way: “I would say it’s more about enduring.” ABC News, September 22, 2013
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minute#1 Best Overall
Did NASA pay volunteers to smoke cannabis?
No. The claim that NASA paid people to smoke marijuana as part of a bed-rest study was false. FactCheck.org reported in 2017 that NASA bed-rest studies did not allow participants to smoke marijuana or drink alcohol. FactCheck.org, May 26, 2017
Is there a current $18,000 opening?
The reports cited here do not verify current recruitment, an application route, or current pay and eligibility terms. The 2013 NASA figure should therefore not be treated as money you can apply to earn today. PolitiFact also found that a separate viral claim promising $100,000 for 60 days in bed was unsupported and misleading; it reported that bed-rest studies were infrequent. The selection of a Vice writer who documented a study had drawn 25,000 applicants, a historical figure rather than a current application statistic. PolitiFact, July 16, 2018
How the 2023 European study differed
A separate ESA-led study in France, reported by DOGO News in June 2023, involved 12 men who spent 60 days in bed. The report said compensation was $18,300 per participant. Its protocol tested exercise countermeasures, with participants divided among three groups:
- Bed rest alone.
- Bed rest with daily cycling.
- Cycling in a centrifuge, which creates artificial gravity.
These details describe a different study from NASA’s 2013 opportunity. The two reports do not establish equivalent eligibility, pay terms, or recruitment availability. DOGO News, June 16, 2023
Why researchers study bed rest
Bed-rest research is used as a spaceflight analog to investigate changes associated with reduced loading and fluid shifts. NASA’s reported study was connected to adapting to weightlessness; the ESA-led study examined exercise approaches, including cycling and artificial gravity, as possible countermeasures.
The ESA report also described potential relevance to people on Earth. “Results from space analogs can be useful to design better treatments for the elderly and for patients with musculoskeletal conditions and osteoporosis on Earth,” said Dr. Van Ombergen of the ESA’s Human and Robotic Exploration branch. This is a research rationale, not evidence that the study produced a treatment or clinical benefit. DOGO News, June 16, 2023
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
