On 11/11/2011 10:05, Martin Brown wrote:
On 10/11/2011 21:42, Roger Chapman wrote:
On 10/11/2011 21:13, Tim Streater wrote:

Which is why some people falsely believe you will freeze to death in
space. More likely you will explode due to exceedingly high relative
blood pressure.

Depends where is space you are. Equilibrium temperature at Earth's
distance from the Sun is -15C. The fact that the Earth's average
temperature is +15C is a bit of a clue that there is life here.

Don't know about that but surely blood would boil at zero pressure
almost regardless of temperature.

Your blood isn't at zero pressure though. Skin is actually a very strong
elastic material and provided you remember to breathe out can easily
tolerate being in zero pressure. The problem is with all the delicate
orifices like ears which cannot adjust fast enough.

And drying of the surface of the eyeballs where there is free water
exposed. Your skin only has to provide an overpressure of about 1psi to
prevent your blood boiling.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/bo...ter-d_926.html

Explosive decompression of a plane is perfectly survivable provided you
remember to put the oxygen mask on and that at full cruise height
represents losing almost 90% of the atmospheric pressure.

If you out in space without an oxygen supply you would be dead very
shortly anyway but even if the skin is strong enough to contain that
which is more usually supported by 14.7lb/in^2 of air pressure there is
a direct atmosphere/blood connection in the lungs where the blood could
boil off.

Slow leaks during high altitude flight are far more dangerous...

Only if they aren't noticed. ;-)

--
Roger Chapman