(Photo: Smosh)

Bad news for everyone who's been dreaming about intergalactic intercourse since those heady tween years: a new study found that sex in space could actually present some rather life-threatening illnesses.

Studies on plant cells showed that processes involved in reproduction are impacted by zero-gravity conditions like those experienced in space. Scientists said this could have major implications for humans hoping to make space babies. "Our findings offer new insight into how life evolved on Earth and are significant with regards to human health, as a traffic jam on these highways that also exist in human cells can cause cancer and illnesses such as Alzheimer's," a Montreal University professor told the Daily Mail.

These findings could have an impact on the space tourism industry, which is ramping up to send private citizens into space as early as next year. Though to be fair, there are plenty of risks associated with earthly sex, so we doubt any humans--or plants!--who want to have space sex will be deterred by a couple of tsk-tsking scientific studies.

Still, we bet somewhere on his private island Richard Branson is weeping over the dangers of joining the "220-mile high club."

(Photo: Terry Irwin, Art Flakes. Prints available here.)

Astronauts may be the closest thing we'll ever get to super heroes, but even they get a little down sometimes. One curious Quora user decided to take to the platform to ask a terribly depressing question: Can you cry in space?

Turns out that you can, but not the way you'd think. A NASA engineer popped into the thread to say that because there's no gravity in space, tears don't fall downward. You have to continually wipe them from your eyes, because "they just pool, obscuring vision." Another user pointed out that it can even be painful to cry in space. So sad :(

Our favorite answer is a little more philosophical:

Conversely, it is impossible to not cry in space. The magnificent splendour of the universe consumes you and leaves you in permanent visible awe. You are tiny. You are insignificant. You are dust. And so you cry.

Nothing like some galactic real talk to make you feel like a weepy astronaut.

R.I.P., Spidey. (Photo: Smithsonian)

Sad news for spiderkind: Space.com reports that Nefertiti, a jumping spider who participated in International Space Station experiments in weightlessness, has passed away at the Smithsonian, where she was on display. She was ten months old.

The Smithsonian announced Nefertiti's passing via Facebook:

The loss of this special animal that inspired so many imaginations will be felt throughout the museum community. The body of Neffi will be added to the museum’s collection of specimens where she will continue to contribute to the understanding of spiders.

No foul play is suspected. In lieu of flowers, we're pretty sure she'd request that you maybe not kill any spiders today.

(h/t Popular Science)