Are you more likely to explode or freeze in space? - Tejal Gala

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Amanda Zhu

因為一次不幸的隔空瞬間傳送故障，

Due to an unfortunate teleportation malfunction,

this mad scientist has just found himself in the vacuum of space.

這位瘋狂的科學家 流落在真空的太空中。

With no oxygen, he might be tempted to hold his breath,

沒有氧氣的情況下， 他可能會想摒住呼吸，

but this would only accelerate his demise.

但這只會加速他的死亡。

The air in his lungs is desperate to expand,

他肺裡的空氣迫切地想要膨脹，

so if he doesn't release it right away, his lungs will rupture.

所以如果他不立即釋放，

他的肺就會破裂。

Our poor professor quickly exhales,

可憐的教授很快地吐氣，

and his skin’s tensile strength prevents the rest of his body from bursting,

他皮膚張力讓他身體的 其他部位不會爆裂，

but things are still looking grim.

但情況依然不容樂觀。

Without surrounding air pressure,

沒有周圍的氣壓，

his bodily fluids begin to vaporize in a process called ebullism.

他的體液會在所謂的 「體液沸騰」過程中蒸發。

His skin swells, moist surfaces like his eyes start to boil,

他的皮膚會腫脹，濕潤的 表面如眼睛會開始沸騰，

and bubbles form within his vessels, obstructing blood flow.

且血管內會有氣泡形成，

阻礙血液流動。

This is all exceptionally painful,

這些都非常痛苦，

but while these nightmarish effects will take roughly 90 seconds

但雖然這些可怖的效果 要花大約九十秒

to reach their deadly conclusion,

才會造成致命的結果，

he’ll mercifully pass out from lack of oxygen

至少還算仁慈的是， 大約在十五秒的時候，

within about 15 seconds of arriving.

他就會因為缺氧而先昏過去。

And even though space is barely above the temperature of absolute zero,

雖然太空的溫度幾乎是絕對零度，

our scientist won’t die by freezing.

這位科學家的死法也不是凍死，

Because unlike on Earth, where body heat can transfer to molecules

因為不像在地球上體熱 可以傳遞給環境中的分子，

in the environment,

in space it can only leave by slowly radiating away.

在太空中，體熱離開身體的 方式只有慢慢幅射出去。

It'll take hours before our professor becomes a human popsicle,

要好幾個小時之後， 教授才會變成人體冰棒，

and by then, he’ll have perished a long time ago.

到那時，他已經死亡很久了。

Now, had our scientist planned his teleportation to space,

如果這位科學家 本來就計劃要做太空傳送，

he certainly would have dressed for the occasion.

他肯定會為此穿著適當的服裝。

Let's imagine he arrived in a spacesuit instead.

咱們來想像一下，如果 他是穿著太空衣到達此處。

The suit’s pressurized air protects his body from ebullism,

太空衣內的加壓空氣能保護 他的身體，避免體液沸騰 ，

its oxygen tank keeps him breathing,

氧氣罐讓他能呼吸，

and the insulation prevents him from freezing.

隔熱材質讓他不會凍僵。

But although these features thwart an immediate tragedy,

但雖然這些功能 讓他不會馬上發生悲劇，

space is still an incredibly dangerous place.

太空仍然是個極度危險的地方。

Outside the shield of Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere,

在地球的大氣和磁氣圈屏障之外，

our scientist is bombarded by galactic cosmic rays—

這位科學家會被 大量銀河宇宙射線衝擊——

a form of radiation believed to come from distant supernovas.

一般相信，這種射線是來自 遠方超級新星的一種輻射。

If he's exceptionally unlucky,

如果他特別倒楣的話，

he might be hit by solar energetic particles expelled from the Sun.

可能會被來自太陽的 高能粒子撞擊。

Both these forms of ionizing radiation

這兩種形式的電離輻射

effortlessly pass through the scientist’s suit,

都能不費吹灰之力 就穿透科學家的太空衣，

damaging his DNA and increasing his risk of cancer.

破壞他的 DNA， 並增加他罹癌的風險。

But let's say our mad scientist isn't so mad at all.

但假設這位瘋狂科學家 到頭來並沒有那麼瘋狂，

He’s planned a month-long research expedition,

他規劃了為期一個月的研究探險，

complete with a cutting-edge spacecraft to live in.

搭配最先進的太空船可供居住。

This structure protects him from low air pressure and temperature,

太空船的結構可以保護他， 對抗低氣壓和低溫，

as well as some of the radiation bouncing around space.

以及一些在太空中到處反射的輻射。

But even here, he's vulnerable to certain changes.

但就算如此，他仍然 很容易受到某些變化的影響。

In addition to experiencing motion sickness and sleep disturbances,

除了會暈船和睡眠障礙，

microgravity changes the distribution of his blood and cerebrospinal fluid,

微重力還會改變他 血液和腦脊髓液的分佈，

shifting roughly half a gallon of internal fluids to his upper body.

把大約半加侖內部液體 移至他的上半身。

As the weeks pass, his brain engorges and the sheath of his optic nerve swells.

幾週過去之後，他的大腦會充血， 視神經包膜也會腫脹。

This not only compresses his pituitary gland, but flattens the back of his eyes,

這不僅會壓縮他的腦下垂體，

也會壓平他的眼睛後部，

impairing close distance vision.

損害近距離的視力。

Having very little gravity to work against also causes muscles and bones

幾乎沒有重力的作用，也會 導致他全身體的肌肉和骨骼

all over his body to gradually lose mass.

逐漸萎縮。

And when bones break down, they release minerals like calcium.

骨質分解時，會釋放鈣等礦物質。

So our professor might get kidney stones too.

所以教授也可能會有腎結石。

Diet and exercise can help reduce the deterioration of his bones and muscles,

飲食和運動可以幫助減輕 他的骨骼和肌肉惡化，

but it’s harder to address the potential damage to his mental health

但他的心理健康可能 受到的損害就更難處理了，

that comes from being confined to a tiny spacecraft,

因為被侷限在小小的太空船中，

far away from his loved ones.

遠離家人。

Thankfully, this isn’t a one-way trip, and after a month in space,

謝天謝地，這不是永久居留，

在太空待了一個月後， 這位冒險家快樂地傳送返家。

our adventurer happily teleports home.

However, his journey has left him with some lasting effects.

然而，這趟旅程留給他 一些持久的後果。

Back under Earth’s gravity, it’s initially hard to stand without fainting.

剛回到地球的重力下時， 光是站著就很容易頭昏。

It takes a few days for his fluids to redistribute back to normal,

需要幾天的時間， 他的液體分配才會恢復正常，

and it'll be months before his muscles completely regain their strength.

且要幾個月後，他的肌肉 才能完全恢復力量。

Meanwhile, full restoration of bone density will take at least a year.

而骨密度的完全恢復需要至少一年。

His vision might take several years to recover,

他的視力可能要幾年後才能復元，

and it may never return to normal.

且可能永遠不會回到正常。

There’s still a lot waiting to be discovered about how space travel

太空旅行對人類健康

會有什麼短期和長期 影響，還有待發掘。

impacts human health in the short and long term.

So for now, our scientist is content to use his teleporter for its original—

所以目前，這位科學家很滿足於 將他的傳送器用在其原本的、

and much safer— intended purpose.

安全許多的預期用途上。