YallHoller

YallHoller t1_j8u5y96 wrote

The day to nighttime temperature differences I was seeing might have allowed for reliable condensation to form on some reachable surface. This likely accounts for the bulk of it.

But, in addition, this is a woman. The majority of "common" scientific knowledge has been gathered almost exclusively by observing men (for stupid reasons which are *very* slowly being corrected.) Did you know that, unlike men, women can gain muscle mass on a calorie deficit? Our bodies are designed to handle prolonged environmental stressors better because that's sort of what having a second human using all of your organs for 9 months will demand.

Lastly, speaking as someone who was frequently trapped alone in a bed for days at a time due to paralysis (thanks! US ""healthcare""!):

a) You'd be surprised how little moisture the human body needs when you're effectively unable to move, especially when you're frequently unconscious. At that point your heart rate will be slowed, you'll minimize air consumption, etc. which means much less moisture leaves via your breath. Most people don't understand how much they fidget or otherwise use their body until they can't, and it's reasonably likely she was at least partially immobilized by rubble.

b) The body has surprisingly good mechanisms for self-sealing. Dried mucus makes life generally awful, but definitely serves the purpose of minimizing water loss through mucus membranes.

c) Rubble itself may have limited water loss by creating a semi-sealed environment of high humidity, or by covering her skin with impermeable material. I would guess this would also be a major contributor in her survival in those temperatures. *Something* had to be at least partially retaining her body heat, especially since no new calories were coming in.

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Just some guesses. Although for what it's worth, am biologist.

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