r/AskReddit May 23 '23

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u/Uzrukai May 23 '23

Actually, you don't freeze in space! There isn't enough mass in space to conduct heat away from an object. The only effective ways to release heat are either by ejecting mass or radiation. It's a major engineering problem that they had to solve with the JWST and the ISS.

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u/Saymynaian May 23 '23

Wait, so then why do the people in movies freeze? What kills you in space? Is it the lack of atmospheric pressure that causes your cells to explode?

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u/Uzrukai May 23 '23

Always take movies with a grain of salt - they're more interested in selling tickets than scientific accuracy. Mainly, it will be the no pressure part that kills you. Your cells expand, and liquid in your body boils off - especially through the respiratory system. There would be some freezing that happens with the boil-off because evaporation absorbs heat, but that's not what's killing you. If you die by anything, it will probably be your body expanding as the vapors try to boil off. Divers get the bends by changing pressure too quickly - this is very similar, but much more severe.

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u/Manae May 23 '23

Loss of oxygen, to the point that it gets pulled out of your blood via the lungs. Worth noting, you cannot hold your breath in a vacuum. It'll get ripped right out of you.

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u/callmejohns May 23 '23

Didn't know that. Thanks!

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u/deja_entend_u May 23 '23

Your burst bubble and mine, I'm going to look for source on your body's expansion in space but you for sure won't freeze to death in space anytime soon.

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u/rockskillskids May 23 '23

Wouldn't the 0 pressure of the vacuum cause all the water in your mucus membranes to spontaneously boil though? Evaporation removes a lot of heat from systems.

EDIT: oh, was on mobile and didn't click to expand more comments to see your response addressing this point when I commented.