Dying in space? Pretty interesting.

[Cyprus]

Stolen from Yahoo and Damn Interesting

When the human body is suddenly exposed to the vacuum of space, a number of injuries begin to occur immediately. Though they are relatively minor at first, they accumulate rapidly into a life-threatening combination. The first effect is the expansion of gases within the lungs and digestive tract due to the reduction of external pressure. A victim of explosive decompression greatly increases their chances of survival simply by exhaling within the first few seconds, otherwise death is likely to occur once the lungs rupture and spill bubbles of air into the circulatory system. Such a life-saving exhalation might be due to a shout of surprise, though it would naturally go unheard where there is no air to carry it.

In the absence of atmospheric pressure water will spontaneously convert into vapor, which would cause the moisture in a victim's mouth and eyes to quickly boil away. The same effect would cause water in the muscles and soft tissues of the body to evaporate, prompting some parts of the body to swell to twice their usual size after a few moments. This bloating may result in some superficial bruising due to broken capillaries, but it would not be sufficient to break the skin.

Within seconds the reduced pressure would cause the nitrogen which is dissolved in the blood to form gaseous bubbles, a painful condition known to divers as "the bends." Direct exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation would also cause a severe sunburn to any unprotected skin. Heat does not transfer out of the body very rapidly in the absence of a medium such as air or water, so freezing to death is not an immediate risk in outer space despite the extreme cold.

For about ten full seconds- a long time to be loitering in space without protection- an average human would be rather uncomfortable, but they would still have their wits about them. Depending on the nature of the decompression, this may give a victim sufficient time to take measures to save their own life. But this period of "useful consciousness" would wane as the effects of brain asphyxiation begin to set in. In the absence of air pressure the gas exchange of the lungs works in reverse, dumping oxygen out of the blood and accelerating the oxygen-starved state known as hypoxia. After about ten seconds a victim will experience loss of vision and impaired judgement, and the cooling effect of evaporation will lower the temperature in the victim's mouth and nose to near-freezing. Unconsciousness and convulsions would follow several seconds later, and a blue discoloration of the skin called cyanosis would become evident.

At this point the victim would be floating in a blue, bloated, unresponsive stupor, but their brain would remain undamaged and their heart would continue to beat. If pressurized oxygen is administered within about one and a half minutes, a person in such a state is likely make a complete recovery with only minor injuries, though the hypoxia-induced blindness may not pass for some time. Without intervention in those first ninety seconds, the blood pressure would fall sufficiently that the blood itself would begin to boil, and the heart would stop beating. There are no recorded instances of successful resuscitation beyond that threshold.

psh, i wish someone would test this out. if that doesn't get you laid nothing will.

[Aigis]

At 12/13/10 06:15 AM, Cyprus wrote: There are no recorded instances of successful resuscitation beyond that threshold.

Uh, yeah.

There's also been no attempts. The only people that have died due to exposure to the vacuum of space were the only people in their spacecraft (Soyuz 11 for anybody interested).

[Cyprus]

At 12/13/10 06:23 AM, Aigis wrote:

At 12/13/10 06:15 AM, Cyprus wrote:

There's also been no attempts. The only people that have died due to exposure to the vacuum of space were the only people in their spacecraft (Soyuz 11 for anybody interested).

I knew the Russians had some people die in space, never knew what mission it actually was... Wikipedia. Engage.

[Lintire]

That is pretty interesting. Makes you wonder how Commander Shepard died so quickly in Mass Effect 2...

Still, was a pretty interesting read. Thanks for the share, man.

[RockLou]

Can't believe I read all that. But it was interesting!

[Colombiana]

and you discovered this only now?

[IDropedMyBiscuit]

to die in space, i would have to get there first.....

[Cyprus]

At 12/13/10 06:26 AM, Lintire wrote: That is pretty interesting. Makes you wonder how Commander Shepard died so quickly in Mass Effect 2...

Still, was a pretty interesting read. Thanks for the share, man.

I guess hollywood (and games) have always fucked this up. But I read that THIS SCENE from 2001 Space Odyssey is accurate. If you're fast enough you can live.
This info may save your life someday. ;) haha

[phrozonfire]

This reminded me of that scene in Sunshine.

[CyanSandwich]

a blue, bloated, unresponsive stupor

So, you'd be like a retarded swollen smurf?
cool.

[Ronald-McDonald-LoL]

At 12/13/10 06:35 AM, phrozonfire wrote: This reminded me of that scene in Sunshine.

That fucking scene haunted me for ages after I saw it. I would hate to die in a vacuum.

[Poppa-Boogaloo]

That was a really interesting read. Thanks mate!

[hongkongexpress]

Meh I'm not worried about dying in space... humanity will never progress beyond their terrestrial wars, ironically all in the name of the heavenly cosmic space, only to die before such a boundary is overtaken in mass.

[Zanuha]

At 12/13/10 06:27 AM, RockLou wrote: Can't believe I read all that.

Really? That was just five paragraphs.

[Chdonga]

At 12/13/10 09:34 AM, Zanuha wrote:

At 12/13/10 06:27 AM, RockLou wrote: Can't believe I read all that.

Really? That was just five paragraphs.

Most people don't have the attention span to read more than two paragraphs at a time.

[InvisiblePoo]

At 12/13/10 09:39 AM, Chdonga wrote:

At 12/13/10 09:34 AM, Zanuha wrote:

At 12/13/10 06:27 AM, RockLou wrote: Can't believe I read all that.

Really? That was just five paragraphs.

Most people don't have the attention span to read more than two paragraphs at a time.

One paragraph is apparently the attention span.

[Wolfos]

At 12/13/10 06:26 AM, Lintire wrote: That is pretty interesting. Makes you wonder how Commander Shepard died so quickly in Mass Effect 2...

Wasn't there an explosion?
Also, I don't think that Mass Effect was supposed to be super realistic (blue lesbian alien sex!).

[Killinkyle]

Cool. So what your saying is, in the case that I somehow am thrust into space without a space suit, id have 1 min and 30 seconds to get oxygen in my lungs (by just being in a space craft) before Id die?

Awesome.

Also, space war=throwing sand at the enemy ship

Why do you ask? Because sand going at half the speed of light is going to poke a few holes in your steel frame, and cause it to de pressurize and such and instantly kill you.

AKA, your fucked.

[Erty]

At 12/13/10 06:15 AM, Cyprus wrote: Interesting stuff...

You just gave me a couple ideas.

It's not a good thing when I get ideas...

[kmau]

Doesn't that mean your cock swells to twice its size too?

[Damien]

At 12/13/10 06:34 AM, Cyprus wrote: I guess hollywood (and games) have always fucked this up. But I read that THIS SCENE from 2001 Space Odyssey is accurate. If you're fast enough you can live.
This info may save your life someday. ;) haha

So according to those theories, the scene in The Hitchhiker's Guide seems to be pretty accurate as well?

[joethesouleater]

At 12/13/10 11:02 AM, kmau wrote: Doesn't that mean your cock swells to twice its size too?

yeah, you'd get blue balls too

[Jackdabomb]

At 12/13/10 11:02 AM, kmau wrote: Doesn't that mean your cock swells to twice its size too?

Finally someone determines the true point of this information.

[TeHLoY]

Uh... wow.
This will happen? And I thought it would be like those TV shows where they just float away slowly and die simply because they can't float back to the spaceship.
And I realize most of these effects can be done by bringing someone into a room and sucking all the air out of it.

[AgroNurse]

At 12/13/10 06:23 AM, Aigis wrote:

At 12/13/10 06:15 AM, Cyprus wrote: There are no recorded instances of successful resuscitation beyond that threshold.

Uh, yeah.

There's also been no attempts. The only people that have died due to exposure to the vacuum of space were the only people in their spacecraft (Soyuz 11 for anybody interested).

They know these things because they take monkeys and dogs and cats up there, and kick them out the door.

:<

[Cyprus]

At 12/13/10 11:11 AM, Damien wrote:

So according to those theories, the scene in The Hitchhiker's Guide seems to be pretty accurate as well?

I guess so! Hopefully you don't have to turn into a sofa in order to live. But they said "with a lung a full of air" but your lungs would rupture if you do not exhale.

[TheSporkLord]

There's actually a dead guy floating around Saturn.

[Irrelephant]

At 12/13/10 06:26 AM, Lintire wrote: That is pretty interesting. Makes you wonder how Commander Shepard died so quickly in Mass Effect 2...

Still, was a pretty interesting read. Thanks for the share, man.

you motherfucker i was just about to finish mass effect 1 fuuuu