Message-Id: <v01540b1db14c6afe2130@[192.174.2.173]>
Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1998 14:59:15 -0800
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
From: pauld@exploratorium.edu (Paul Doherty)
Subject: Re: Air pressure
In the movie 2001 a space odyssey an astronaut goes into the vacuum of
space for a few seconds and nothing happeno his face.
In light of the conflicting movie ideas about what happens to people in a
vacuum I asked the man in charge of space suit preparation at NASA Houston.
He said he volunteered for a test in which the back of his hand was exposed
to a vacuum. For the first 15 seconds or so little happened, then the skin
began to puff away from his hand. What was happening was that the water in
his intercellular spaces was beginning to boil, creating gas and causing
the skin to inflate like a balloon. This happened slowly.
Paul D
>Geoff, Regarding the air pressure question, it was once explained to me
>that in one of the science fiction movies an astronaut was kicked out of
>the ship without his helmet on. His face bulged out somewhat, presumably
>due to the small but significant tissue pressure arising from blood
>pressure. This is an extreme case of low pressure, and not a very useful
>one, as the important point was, I think made earlier, that the pressure is
>applied from most directions and hence cancels itself out. I suppose the
>tissues equilibrate with the pressure and transmit it throughout the body,
>especially when you do not have a sinus infection.
>
>Steven Eiger
>
>Biology Department
>Montana State University
>Bozeman, MT 59717-3460
>
>Voice: (406) 994-5672
>E-mail: eiger@montana.edu
>FAX: (406) 994-3190