Reports on the Top Chef event last week in which the competing chefs had to create a meal suitable for spaceflight:
/-- Top Chef DC Recap: Space Food With Anthony Bourdain and Buzz Aldrin on Bravo - Robot Celeb - Sept.2.10
/-- Hold the horseradish: Top Chef's short ribs to be 'deconstructed' for spaceflight - collectSPACE - Sept.3.10
/-- Top Chef - Photo Galleries - Rate the Plate - Gastro-nauts - Bravo TV Official Site

Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) has developed a modular system suitable for space vehicles in which artificial light, atmosphere, nutrients, etc, provide for growing vegetables and other plants: Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) Helps NASA Grow Vegetables in Space - ORBITEC - Sept.1.10 (pdf).

Long duration space missions will require Astronauts to grow food to supplement their diet. ORBITEC's "VEGGIE" vegetable production systems will be used for this purpose during this fall's annual "Desert RATS" space analog testing.

As humans spend more time in space, they are bound to spend time on their favorite activity; silly to pretend otherwise:
/-- No Time for Sex In Space, Astronaut Says - SPACE.com - June.29.10

/-- Sex in space? Don't ask, don't tell - Cosmic Log - June.29.10

The Pillow Astronaut blog

Documents the experiences of human "pillownaut" test subjects in NASA's Lunar and Mars research programs. Tests include micro-gravity simulation, bed rest, centrifuge spins, etc. Includes detailed Q&A, data on the effects of weightlessness in the human body, space science, NASA insider stories, and information on how to qualify for studies that pay participants.

Richard Garriott provides a detailed description of the challenges of using the ISS toilet: Richard Garriott talks space toilets - SpacePod/Spacevidcast - May.31.10

Astronaut Koichi Wakata carries out various maneuvers in weightlessness that came from suggestions from the Japanese public: Flying carpets in space - Short Sharp Science/ New Scientist - June.10.09 and Video: Space stunts - Pink Tentacle - June.9.09.

Alan Boyle reports on some fun aspects of recent EVAs and other astronaut activities: The lighter side of spacewalking - Cosmic Log - msnbc.com

Though still a long, long way from adding up to a "spacefaring civilization", the more people in space the better: Population in Space at Historic High: 13 - SPACE.com - Mar.27.09
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A distinctive scent from EVAs is one of the funny aspects of working in space: Space Smells Funny, Astronauts Say - SPACE.com - Mar.27.09

This should help boost ratings for the History Channel and its Universe series: The Universe - Sex in Space

As man moves to colonize the cosmos, the realities of sexual relationships and reproduction need to be addressed. Probe the physiological, psychological and cultural challenges of sex in space. From the sex act through birth, look at how the extreme environments of space exploration might effect copulation, conception and developing human tissues, as well as how issues around sex might impact the emotional lives of astronauts. Get to the bottom of the rumors to find out if space sex has already happened, and look at how the burgeoning space tourism business may soon lead to a boom in space sex.

Astronaut Don Pettit demonstrates his cleverly designed open container for drinking liquids from in weightlessness rather than using the standard sealed bag with a straw.
/-- STS-126: ISunday Morning Science with Dr. Don Pettit - collectSPACE - Nov.23.08
/-- Astronaut Invents Zero-G Coffee Cup - SPACE.com

NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus will be posting updates and answering questions on her blog from the International Space Station. She is a flight engineer and science officer on the crew of STS-126, which is expected to launch to the ISS this Friday. The blog is hosted by the Missouri University of Science and Technology where she went to school for her undergraduate and masters degrees.

Here is an article about her and her blog: Missouri students get a little closer to space - KanasCity.com

Artificial gravity via rotation will eventually become the way to prevent the detrimental health effects of long term weightlessness for people living in space. In the meantime, there may also be various preventive measures developed via medical treatments, exercises, and physical devices. I occasionally come across examples of the latter such as this one: Study: Vibration Exercise Slows Weight Gain - PhysOrg - Aug.25.08.

... And past studies at research institutions such as the Societa Stampa Sportiva in Rome and at Stony Brook University in New York have already shown that vibration platform regimes have a significant effect on bone formation and muscle strength.

A look at space sports possibilities: The Future of Space Sports - Space.com - Apr.25.08

The Moon has 2 week long periods of sunlight and 2 week long periods of darkness. To organize their activities, lunar residents will probably want to go with an alternative clock and calendar system that makes more sense for that world. The LunarClock.org group has developed an alternative they call Lunar Standard Time (LST). See their definition of Lunar Calendar and Standard Time (LST).

You can display the lunar clock on your PC with code given here.

So on a Mars trip plan to rotate the crew habitat to create some significant fraction of an earth gravity and eliminate most if not all of the problem: Bone loss may rule out manned Mars mission - Flight International - Jan.16.07.

Clothes for micro-gravity were on display at a fashion show in Tokyo: Spacewear fashion show: looking fly in zero-g - Pink Tentacle - Nov.2.06.

Alan Boyle reports on the more personal aspects of space travel: Don't be a space slob - Cosmic Log - Oct.17.06

This was an unusual and interesting experiment:
* French Surgeons Claim Zero-Gravity Surgery a Success - SPACE.com/AP - Sept.27.06
* Doctors remove tumour in first zero-g surgery - New Scientist - Sept.27.06
* Surgeons perform zero-gravity operation on plane - Boston Globe/Reuters - Sept.27.06

Following up on the previous posting about new space foods for the ISS crew, the astronauts give thumbs up to the spicey ingredients: Five stars for space spice - Cosmic Log - Aug.11.06

Alan Boyle posts a lengthy and interesting report on food for space travelers: The taste of space - Cosmic Log - Aug.4.06