In the future, maybe those cursing their lack of height will just spend a year in space.
Astronaut Scott Kelly returned home this week roughly 2 inches taller after spending 340 days on the International Space Station. NASA told CNN it was an expected side effect caused by having less gravity pushing down on discs within the spine.
Earth's gravity will soon bring his height back down, though, so he'll have to gloat as much as he can now to his identical twin, retired astronaut Mark Kelly.
Scott's mission actually centered around comparing his body with Mark's, as researchers now try to find out why those who live in space often experience changes in vision, heart shape and even gene expression.
Pinpointing the effects of space flight on the human body will help NASA with future missions, like sending astronauts to Mars. It can take a spacecraft almost a year to reach the red planet.
This video includes clips and images fromNASA.
