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From: dietz%usc-cse%USC-ECL%SRI-NIC@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Vacuum and people exploding...
Message-ID: <13286@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Nov-83 22:55:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.13286
Posted: Wed Nov  2 22:55:00 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 5-Nov-83 21:07:00 EST
Lines: 9

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.