On Friday 01 November 2002 16:35, Major Variola (ret) wrote, in response to another of Choate's odd statements:

Do the thermal conductivity/inertia calcs. -40F *air* can't drop your coretemp in 30 seconds. Do the math. Or go up to the Dakotas this winter and step outside for half a minute. It hurts but doesn't kill that quickly.

I was thinking the same, having been in -40 weather before. I haven't been in -40 with a 500MPH wind chill, though. On the other hand, we're not talking a convertible jumbo jet with the top down, so the wind chill might not be that big a factor. Bottom line, I think Choate was blowing smoke, as usual. But Maj Variola made a questionable point, too:

At 30K feet, you have about half a minute before you pass out

I just tested that, sort of. I emptied my lungs, then lifted weights for 30 seconds. It was a little painful toward the end, but I didn't grey out or anything. -- Steve Furlong Computer Condottiere Have GNU, Will Travel Vote Idiotarian --- it's easier than thinking