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Subject: 
Re: What do you think would happen if........
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.space
Date: 
Sat, 14 Jun 2003 04:07:14 GMT
Viewed: 
2317 times
  
In lugnet.space, David Laswell wrote:
> In lugnet.space, Dean R. Hennen wrote:
> > Hello all,
> > 
> > Some weeks ago I watched a sci-fi Anime series. After watching one of the
> > episodes I got thinking about this "method of escape".
> > 
> > Here's the Scenario:
> > 
> > Two guys are stuck in a very large, glass-roofed lounge with the ceiling
> > pointing into outer space. The room is airtight. They can't get out of there
> > by putting on space suits or hopping on a ship in the hangar because the
> > places are all sealed off. Their friend comes with his ship, floating about
> > 500 feet above the lounge roof. He drops a rope on a fast-reeling pulley
> > (you know what I mean) towards the roof. Just before it hits the roof, the
> > two other guys shoot at the roof, breaking it. The air rushes out as the
> > rope drops in. They hang on as they are reeled in very quickly. The rushing
> > air provides a little bit of pressure so they can survive on the way up.
> > They quickly board the ship, and the pilot (by computer) seals the airtight
> > door.
> > 
> > Is this possible? Why or Why not?
> 
> Sorta...  Contrary to popular belief (and that one Treehouse of Horror ep of
> The Simpsons), people do not explode in a vacuum (though their blood vessels
> certainly can.  They'll die of asphyxiation while freezing.  It is possible
> (though not at all advisable) to survive a brief period in a vacuum, though
> you'll likely suffer some permanent eye damage (your tears would pretty much
> instantly crystalize, followed not to far behind by your retinal fluid), and
> you might lose some fingers/toes due to severe frostbit/ruptured capilaries.
> Another problem is that if you suck in a big breath of air and then blow out
> the canopy while holding your breath, you _will_ pop your lungs (just ask any
> scuba diver for an explanation on that one).
> 
> The biggest physics problem here is that they were thrust out from the room
> by the explosive decompression, but it sounds like the rope still continued
> to drop towards them...against the rush of gas that was strong enough to
> chuck them out. No way that would happen.  Then again, who watches anime for
> realism?

The most.. er.. believable (in my far-from-scientific mind anyway) rendition of
this kind of 'what-if' scenario that I've come across so far was in the movie
Event Horizon. A character gets himself stuck in an airlock on an unstoppable
'opening' sequence. The character ends up alive, but pretty darn messed up
afterwards. I won't give away the whole sequence, in case anyone reading might
want to go rent the flick and check it out for themselves.

Cheerio,
KMaynes



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: What do you think would happen if........
 
(...) It's been a while since I seen it, but didn't something similar happen in 2001: A Space Oddyssey? When HAL wouldn't let Dave back on, and he had to use the emergency airlock. Remember .spacers, never go out without your helmet :) Michael (...) (23 years ago, 14-Jun-03, to lugnet.space)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: What do you think would happen if........
 
(...) Sorta... Contrary to popular belief (and that one Treehouse of Horror ep of The Simpsons), people do not explode in a vacuum (though their blood vessels certainly can. They'll die of asphyxiation while freezing. It is possible (though not at (...) (23 years ago, 14-Jun-03, to lugnet.space, FTX)

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