"Like any properly trained man in good health, he could survive in vacuum for at least a minute - if he had time to prepare for it. But there had been no time; he could only count on the normal fifteen seconds of consciousness before his brain was starved and anoxia overcame him. Even then, he could still recover completely after one or two minutes in vacuum - if he was properly recompressed; it took a long time for the body fluids to start boiling, in their various well-protected systems. "
From 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke (1968)
One of the most gripping scenarios in science fiction is when a person is forced to get out of one spacecraft and into another by crossing through the cold, hard, vacuum of space. We can imagine the incredible terror of enduring the near absolute zero of space. Brrr!
I experienced a taste of that this morning, waking up in my parkade. Between exited my nice, toasty-warm sleeping bag, and putting on my nice warm clothing, I thought, "gee it's a bit nippy this morning." But, as the warmth from my wide-open sleeping bag dissipated, and well before I had my duds on and done up, the true coldness of the morning began to sink in and the chilling realization crept over me that a simple zipper malfunction could be my undoing.
I didn't panic. Like astronaut Dave Bowman I was calm and cool -- definitely cool. First the T-shirt, then the pants over the Ren and Stimpy longjohns, then the My Little Pony socks, Thinsulate™ boots, and MEC winter jacket; finally the gloves. All ready for the perilous four-block trip to my morning coffee!
In McDonald's all any of the customers and staff could talk about was the cold. Few of them though were on such intimate terms with it as I was. Click the image above to enlarge it.
Wish it looked this good but it doesn't!
[caption id="attachment_8268" align="alignnone" width="497"]
I certainly don't look that hot sleeping in the cold. Click the image to go to the full series.[/caption]An artist named Nathan has a curiously amazing Bodies in Space series of artworks devoted -- he says -- to illustrating what happens to a body exposed to outer space -- more like what happens to a pin-up. There's an illustration for each of ten individual effects, though Nathan points out they would all happen simultaneously. The series is weird cheesecake, but it's stylish and makes you think about the subject.
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And I was one of many at McDonalds complaining about the cold! I have it easy compared to you and many others who sleep outside.
It was at least -2° C when we both made our individual ways to Mickey D's. I had an easy time of it because I was wearing socks. So much harder for those people who made the trip without socks. Don't you agree?
Oh your kidding me, I'm to wear socks! I thought the loss of heat went out of your head.
Height-wise your feet are pretty darn close to your head. So socks or toque -- on either end. Your choice.
Considering I can't climb up on McDonald's stools you got me there!