[net.space] Vacuum and people exploding...

dietz%usc-cse%USC-ECL%SRI-NIC@sri-unix.UUCP (11/03/83)

I thought we discussed this some time ago, with the conclusion that
while a person might survive vacuum exposure for several tens of
seconds he'd need immediate medical treatment.  Certainly the scene
from "Earthlight" is not possible -- the unsuited astronauts would be
incapacitated long before they could get to the other spaceship.
Clarke considered the limit to be loss of conciousness due to anoxia,
which is wrong -- bubbles in the blood get you long before anoxia does.