24/02/2012
Swedish motorist survives snowy ordeal
The drivers who have competed for the Camel Trophy in Brazil and battled to become Le Mans 24 hour racing champions have all exhibited great powers of endurance. However, none of these inspirational figures have pushed their minds or bodies to quite the same limits as the Swedish driver who was recently discovered in the snowy wilderness of Umea.
The fact that the Swede is still alive after spending two months buried beneath the snow is wholly remarkable. The feat was made even more astonishing as he only had limited supplies, his car, and basic sleeping bag to keep the cold at bay.
This case is of such a unique nature that it has been the cause of much conjecture in the Swedish medical community.
The Chief Medical Officer of Noorland University said that the temperature in snowed-in cars tends to be similar to igloos.
He states, “Igloos usually have a temperature of a couple of degrees below 0C and if you have good clothes you would survive in those temperatures and be able to preserve your body temperature.”
A well known doctor responded by saying, “A bit like a bear that hibernates. Humans can do that. He probably had a body temperature of around 31C which the body adjusted to.”
The motorist who was rescued by local snowmobile riders may not have given much thought to the reasons for his survival. Indeed, his primary concerns were probably finding hot food and a warm bed to spend the night. Here at duck2water we hope that he had car insurance to cover the damage sustained by his vehicle.
The fact that the Swede is still alive after spending two months buried beneath the snow is wholly remarkable. The feat was made even more astonishing as he only had limited supplies, his car, and basic sleeping bag to keep the cold at bay. This case is of such a unique nature that it has been the cause of much conjecture in the Swedish medical community.
The Chief Medical Officer of Noorland University said that the temperature in snowed-in cars tends to be similar to igloos.
He states, “Igloos usually have a temperature of a couple of degrees below 0C and if you have good clothes you would survive in those temperatures and be able to preserve your body temperature.”
A well known doctor responded by saying, “A bit like a bear that hibernates. Humans can do that. He probably had a body temperature of around 31C which the body adjusted to.”
The motorist who was rescued by local snowmobile riders may not have given much thought to the reasons for his survival. Indeed, his primary concerns were probably finding hot food and a warm bed to spend the night. Here at duck2water we hope that he had car insurance to cover the damage sustained by his vehicle.
Photo © cogdogblog via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: car, cold, driver, endurance, igloos, racing, snow, snowed-in, Swede, Swedish, temperature, Umea
17/02/2012
Antifreeze fish
Has your car ever run out of antifreeze at the wrong moment, resulting in you having to rummage around in the garage or your boot to top it up while grumbling about how cold it is outside?
Well, one group of fish will never have to worry about this problem.
Yes, we know that no fish will ever have this problem because none of them – to our knowledge – are drivers, but that’s not what we meant.
These particular fish, the notothenioids, live in sub-zero waters in the Antarctic and have developed what is being called ‘natural antifreeze’ in their bodies which makes them able to survive the devastatingly cold temperatures they swim in.
There are more than 120 of these ‘antifreeze’ fish species and they have managed to live for millions of years and through the ice age that killed many other fish that hadn’t adapted well enough to the cold.
Worryingly though, these marine animals have adapted themselves so well to the cold that if climate change increases the temperatures of their water too much, they’re unlikely to survive.
So, the next time you top up the antifreeze in your car, think of these strange Antarctic fish and drive in an economical way to help reduce your carbon footprint. The notothenioids would thank you if they could.
Well, one group of fish will never have to worry about this problem. Yes, we know that no fish will ever have this problem because none of them – to our knowledge – are drivers, but that’s not what we meant.
These particular fish, the notothenioids, live in sub-zero waters in the Antarctic and have developed what is being called ‘natural antifreeze’ in their bodies which makes them able to survive the devastatingly cold temperatures they swim in.
There are more than 120 of these ‘antifreeze’ fish species and they have managed to live for millions of years and through the ice age that killed many other fish that hadn’t adapted well enough to the cold.
Worryingly though, these marine animals have adapted themselves so well to the cold that if climate change increases the temperatures of their water too much, they’re unlikely to survive.
So, the next time you top up the antifreeze in your car, think of these strange Antarctic fish and drive in an economical way to help reduce your carbon footprint. The notothenioids would thank you if they could.
Photo © NOAA Photo Library via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: adapted, Antarctic, antifreeze, boot, car, carbon footprint, cold, driver, economical, fish, garage, notothenioids, sub-zero, temperature, water
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