Ask yourself this: Whom would you prefer at the controls of your plane on a stormy night, a pilot who smoked a joint three days ago, or one who had six hours of sleep prior to a 13-hour workday in which he's performed half a dozen takeoffs and landings? The first pilot has indulged in a career-ending toke; the second is in full compliance with the rules. I have to assume that the FAA realizes the foolery of such enforcement policies, but it nonetheless chooses to put its resources into drug testing and other politically expedient issues. Meanwhile it procrastinates, performing study after study and poring over data from NASA circadian rhythm experiments in an attempt to answer one of the world's most perplexing questions: Is exhaustion a detriment to job performance?
Search
Profile
My scientific specialty is chronobiology (circadian rhythms and photoperiodism), with additional interests in comparative physiology, animal behavior and evolution. I am not an MD so I cannot diagnose and treat your sleep problems. As well as writing this blog, I am also the Online Discussion Expert for PLoS. This is a personal blog and opinions within it in no way reflect the policies of PLoS. You can contact me at: Coturnix@gmail.com
Buy the 2008 Science Blogging Anthology:
Buy the 2007 Science Blogging Anthology:
Buy the 2006 Science Blogging Anthology:
Recent Posts
- ScienceOnline'09 - interview with Christian Casper
- ScienceOnline2010 - introducing the participants
- Clock Quotes
- Tweetlinks, 11-08-09
- The podcast of the radio show is now online
- ScienceOnline2010 - Program highlights
- Clock Quotes
- Tweetlinks, 11-07-09
- Ignite talks at ScienceOnline2010
- Clock Quotes
Recent Comments
- Darren Naish on ScienceOnline'09 - interview with Christian Casper
- Christian Casper on ScienceOnline'09 - interview with Christian Casper
- Catharine on Tweetlinks, 11-08-09
- LuLu on BIO101 - Lecture 7 - Physiology: Coordinated Response
- Coturnix on Cool new Scienceblogs.com widgets
- JohnV on Cool new Scienceblogs.com widgets
- Coturnix on Cool new Scienceblogs.com widgets
- JohnV on Cool new Scienceblogs.com widgets
- Occam Razor on Will there be terrorist attacks if Obama is the President?
- DeLene on Science Cafe Raleigh: Boom 'n' Doom: Volcanoes, North Carolina and North Carolina Volcanoes
Archives
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
Blogroll
Find me on...
Make Me Happy
Add Scienceblogs to your Technorati Favorites!
Make Me Solvent
I Support
Bloggie Stuff
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
« Bio-Rad GgggggTtttttttCccccccccAaaaaaaaa - gotta love this video! | Main | Clock Quotes »
Is your pilot too sleepy to land you safely?
Category: Rhythmic Human • Sleep • Technology • Workplace
Posted on: April 16, 2009 10:09 PM, by Coturnix
Find more posts in: 
Brain & Behavior
Technology
Share this: Facebook Twitter Stumbleupon Reddit Email + More
Comments
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Northwest-Airlines/Boeing-747-451/0816541/L/
So that's why pilots have fitness requirements. I was wondering.
Posted by: noname | April 17, 2009 2:12 AM
I guess it's simply overwork, as in any job (especially lorry drivers). But as it may affect safety and security of the pilots themselves and their passengers, it should be taken care of. As a psychologist I can say that tests to get the pilot licence isn't easy at all both psychically and physically, so only the best can pass it through. But even thay are just human so all those factors as stress, cold or fatigue can distract them. Beeing pilot means bearing great responsibility.
I hope that their employers remember it well.
Posted by: wybory sondaze demokracja | April 19, 2009 1:04 PM