|
How Hot is John?
The chart below tracks astronaut John Grunsfeld's core body
temperature as he moved up Mt. Denali to 17,200 feet.
Climbers on Denali share a special bond: they are very cold. But are
they cold to the core? A human's "core body temperature" is that of
their vital organs. Amazingly enough, there is an accurate and
relatively convenient way to measure this temperature continually.
It involves swallowing a large pill (about the size of a large jelly
bean) which contains a tiny radio transmitter. The frequency of the
radio transmission changes depending on the surrounding temperature.
A calibrated receiver placed nearby (for example, strapped around
the waist) is able to pick up the radio frequency of the pill. The
receiver then translates the frequency to an actual temperature,
continually measuring the subject's core body temperature until the
pill passes through the system.
We've asked Astronaut John Grunsfeld, a first-time Denali climber,
to measure his core body temperature during our trip using this
method. We'll look both at the broad view - how core body
temperature stays nearly constant despite dramatic changes in air
temperature, wind speed and elevation. We'll also take a look at a
full day's cycle of his core body temperature at several key stages
of the climb up the West Buttress route and during the summit bid.
We'll learn how his body behaves differently during sleep, find out
whether it overheats when working hard in the intense sun, and
observe how core temperature relates to skin temperature. Return
here throughout the adventure -- we'll be adding data to the page at
key junctions during the climb.
Photos: (2) NASA.
Climb |
Expedition
|
Mountain of Extremes
Denali for Kids
|
Dispatches
| E-Mail |
Resources
Site Map
|
Surviving Denali Home
Editor's Picks |
Previous Sites |
Join Us/E-mail |
TV/Web Schedule
About NOVA |
Teachers |
Site Map |
Shop |
Jobs |
Search |
To print
PBS Online |
NOVA Online |
WGBH
© |
Updated November 2000
|