Soldato
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If there was a room that was at absolute zero, how long would I survive? Could I open the door, rush in and out?
Absolute zero question
- Thread starter hornetstinger
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Well, considering that the atmosphere would be a liquid at 0K you would not be running anywhere. You'd be swimming.
In that event, the nitrogen and oxygen would boil on contact with your skin and form a gas bubble a few mm above your skin. You would survive for a while before your skin dropped to the same temperature as the surrounding liquid.
When I was at uni I put my hand in a vat of liquid nitrogen (not 0K but close at 77K) for a couple of seconds. Although extremely cold it did no damage.
In that event, the nitrogen and oxygen would boil on contact with your skin and form a gas bubble a few mm above your skin. You would survive for a while before your skin dropped to the same temperature as the surrounding liquid.
When I was at uni I put my hand in a vat of liquid nitrogen (not 0K but close at 77K) for a couple of seconds. Although extremely cold it did no damage.
Soldato
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What's the backstory behind this question?
Conversely along with the "swimming" would OP not go through a process more akin to be being boiled alive like a lobster rather than freeze to death in the traditional manner?
EDIT: That is more a pressure/atmosphere thing than cold.
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Soldato
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Wouldnt it be solid at true absolute zero? Isnt the whole point of absolute zero that there is no vibration of atoms at all.
So in the room the only way to have any "space" to move would be if it was in a vacuum.
Which turns into the question of could you survive in absolute zero in space.
Which the answer would be not long at all, if you breathe out so your lungs wouldnt explode your still dealing with the water on your skin and every orifice flash boiling (eyes, mouth, ears, downstairs, itd all be burning).
Probably a few seconds wouldnt kill you but boy they would not be an enjoyable few seconds.
Associate
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You'd die.
Yes, the uncertainty principle comes into play.
Looks like it depends how the atmosphere was cooled down but once it hit absolute zero it wouldn't behave like a liquid though it might be like a static liquid rather than a frozen solid I think.
Soldato
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Like glass then, technically liquid but practically solid
Soldato
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You would turn into Schrödinger's cat.
Absolute zero is when atomic activity pretty much stops entirely; you're going to die instantly. (Assuming some kind of atmosphere that would enable heat transfer of some fashion unlike the vacuum of space, although that isn't entirely an absolute zero.
How long would you survive at absolute zero in a vacuum with a ventilator?
if 'atomic activity pretty much stops' does that mean we are basically suspended in time.. would cells degrade at all??
if not would we be able to suspend ourselves at zero and some point forward restart if no cell degradation had taken place?
FYI i have no idea what i am going on about.
if not would we be able to suspend ourselves at zero and some point forward restart if no cell degradation had taken place?
FYI i have no idea what i am going on about.
If if was possible to cool the entire body to absolute zero instantly with no state change in theory (and then bring it back to normal temperature again with no change) in practise enormous damage is done in the rapid cooling.
Soldato
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Methinks the freezing process of transferring the cold through the skin to the core would do a good job ruining your body.
Iirc isnt it in cryogenic freezing even though not absolute zero they have to replace your blood with a coolant style fluid as the blood freezing does a good number on rupturing cells/bursting arteries etc.