Collaborate 3.3

Nathaniel Philbrick's book "In the Heart of the Sea" details both death and survival of sailors of the whale ship Essex adrift in lifeboats in the Pacific Ocean. The ship sunk after being repeatedly rammed by a giant sperm whale on November 20, 1820. It is one of the greatest tales of survival and the historical forerunner of Herman Melville's classic novel "Moby Dick."

Let us try to understand survival in terms of energy. The human body tries to maintain a constant temperature so we have a balance of heat generation from chemical energy (food intake and conversion of body mass; water intake and loss) and heat exchange between the body and its surroundings.

  1. What would you do to increase your chances for survival if you were adrift in a lifeboat with some food and water?
  2. Discuss the problems of survival for a mountain climber.

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