       TRAVELLER Digest 10

Topics covered in this issue include:

  1) Science Update: Vaccum Welding and Decompression by alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
  2) RAFM miniatures - Any good ?? by Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
  3) TNE books by pete.burke@compudata.com (Pete Burke)
  4) BATTLE RIDER stats for Azhanti High Lightning by Susan Marie Shock <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  5) Yea! We're back! by "James M. Kelleher" <kelleher@holonet.net>
  6) TNE Wins Best RPG by Susan Marie Shock <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
  7) Congrats GDW by Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
  8) GDW on TML? by BORIS ZAIDFELD <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
  9) Re: Fear Battleships and Dread Just A Few Things by "Les Howie"  <lhowie@cpx.Prograph.Com>
 10) Re: Underground Living by "Les Howie"  <lhowie@cpx.Prograph.Com>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 15 Aug 1994 15:33:06 -0400 (EDT)
From: alvin plummer <plummer@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Science Update: Vaccum Welding and Decompression
Message-ID: <Pine.3.05.1.9408151506.A17623-d102000@hubble.sheridanc.on.ca>

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Since Traveller makes such a big thing about scientific accuracy, I don't
feel it's out of place to post a few interesting articles on our Favorite
Subject: Death by Decompression!   (Imagine: cooking, freezing, and
blowing up at the same time!)

And as a supplement, Heeere's _Vaccumm Welding_!  Yes, just by touching
two metal bars (with clean faces) together in vaccum, you can weld them
together!  More Stupid Ship Tricks to amuse your friends!

Alvin Plummer
(Trying to outrun the tomatoes...)
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From: GLANDIS@LERC.NASA.GOV (Geoffrey A. Landis)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science
Subject: Re: Effects of Explosive Decompression
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 1994 16:01:24 -0400
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Lines: 143
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <9408121601.AA24649@Phobos>
References: <323h6g$ben@mack.rt66.com>
Reply-To: GLANDIS@LERC.NASA.GOV (Geoffrey A. Landis)
NNTP-Posting-Host: glandis.lerc.nasa.gov
X-Newsreader: InterCon TCP/Connect II 1.1

The subject of explosive decompression comes up so often on sci.space.tech 
that I've decided to keep a file on the suject.  In brief, if you keep your 
mouth *wide* open to avoid rupturing your lungs, you can expect to stay 
conscious in complete vacuum for ten to twenty seconds.  If you are 
recompressed within one to two minutes, you will probably survive the 
experience.  In short, Clarke (in _2001_) seens to have gotten it about 
right, since Bowman manages to close the airlock in the ten seconds of 
consciousness he has available..

<snip, snip>

"It is very unlikely that a human suddenly exposed to a vacuum would have 
more than 5 to 10 seconds to help himself.  If immediate help is at hand, 
although one"s appearance and condition will be grave, it is reasonable to 
assume that recompression to a tolerable pressure (200 mm Hg, 3.8 psia) 
within 60 to 90 seconds could result in survival, and possibly in rather 
rapid recovery."

<snip, snip>

Among other things, it has the only published discussion I've ever seen of 
the JSC (well, it was MSC then) suit technician who spent 20 seconds in 
vacuum in Dec 1966 when a suit umbilical came loose during a vacuum- chamber 
test.  The pressure drop was slowed somewhat by the remaining section of 
hose, so it wasn't fast enough to cause lung damage.
He passed out, presumably from anoxia, after 12-15s.  Pressure began to be 
restored at 20s and was well up at 27s, at about which time he regained 
consciousness.  He was apparently uninjured, and aftereffects were minor and 
temporary.


Henry Spencer comments:

>Ebullism (Precious Bodily Fluids vaporize at body temperature):
> "Small pockets of gas can be detected beneath the skin
> within two to three seconds after exposure ..."
> "Gas evolution can also be detected in the abdominal cavity
> after seven to ten seconds, and within the heart and great
> vessels after about twenty seconds."

Roth says that vapor bubbles form in the bloodstream essentially 
instantaneously -- delays under 1s -- but initially are not serious enough to
stop circulation.  Eventually they are.  Worse, these bubbles begin as water 
vapor, but then they start to pick up dissolved gases from the blood... and 
while the water vapor will condense out almost instantaneously on 
repressurization, the gases redissolve much more slowly, and the resulting 
long-lived bubbles are potentially a very serious threat.  There are medical 
countermeasures, which Roth discusses, but most of them unfortunately rely on
gravity (for example, a well-chosen prone position -- on one side at about a 
30-degree head-down slope -- keeps bubbles in the heart away from the valves 
and gives time for the bubbles to dissolve or be dealt with medically).


Gregory Bennett adds: 

Incidentally, we have had one experience with a suit puncture on the Shuttle 
flights.  On STS-37, during one of my flight experiments, the palm restraint 
in one of the astronaut's gloves came loose and migrated until it punch a 
hole in the pressure bladder between his thumb and forefinger.  It was 
explosive decompression, just a little 1/8 inch hole, but it was exciting 
down here in the swamp because it was the first injury we've ever had from a
suit incident.  Amazingly, the astronaut in question didn't even know the 
puncture had occured; he was so hopped on adrenalin it wasn't until after he 
got back in that he even noticed there was a painful red mark on his hand.  
He figured his glove was chafing and didn't worry about it.  
     The whole story didn't come out until the suits were back home and a 
suit technician was setting up to clean that glove; he discovered the dried 
blood on the outer TMG (thermal micrometrioid garment) and then found the 
wayward palm restraint bar.  What happened: when the metal bar punctured the 
glove, the skin of the astronaut's hand partially sealed the opening.  He 
bled into space, and at the same time his coagulating blood sealed the 
opening enough that the bar was retained inside the hole. 
     The best estimate we've been able to get from the flight surgeons about 
how long an astronaut might survive a catastrophic suit failure is "several 
tens of seconds to very few minutes" with almost certainty for detectable 
permanent damage.


Geoffrey A. Landis,
Photovoltaics branch, NASA Lewis Research Center
Nyma, Incorporated, Brook Park, OH

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From: schillin@spock.usc.edu (John Schilling)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.science
Subject: Re: vaccuum welding
Date: 12 Aug 1994 14:18:51 -0700
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 44
Sender: schillin@spock.usc.edu
Message-ID: <32govr$707@spock.usc.edu>
References: <32dpda$jq3@news.u.washington.edu>
<32gc5c$gdh@bones.intellicorp.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: spock.usc.edu

treitel@bones (Richard Treitel) writes:


>In article <32dpda$jq3@news.u.washington.edu>, kellmer@u.washington.edu (Brent Kellmer) writes:
> [snip]
>|> Is this what is known as vacuum welding?

>"Vacuum welding" is usually used to mean the way two metal surfaces
>can spontaneously weld together if left touching each other in vacuo.
>I think they have to be the same metal/alloy, not sure.


At least the basic composition has to be similar, though some differences
in detail are permissible.

The basic requirement is that the surfaces in question must be CLEAN.  Even
a single-atom oxide layer or the like will prevent the process from occurring.
Since metal surfaces formed in or exposed to atmosphere pick up such an 
oxide layer immediately, and retain it almost indefinitely, vacuum weliding
is a rare phenomenon.

I routinely design equipment for short-term use in vacuum, and have never seen
an actual case of vacuum welding.  But parts which are going to be heated or
abraded over time while in vacuum can weld themselves together, and parts
which are cut or fabricated in vacuum will of course have the requisite clean
surfaces, and will weld themselves whether you want them to or not.

As for how it works, metal atoms have a strong affinity for other metal atoms
of the same type.  Think of it this way:  if you have an iron bar, the left
half of the bar will be rather firmly attached to the right half.  Why
should it matter that the bar once consisted of two seperate parts, once the
two are placed in direct contact?  As long as there is nothing (gap or oxide)
between them, two small bars in direct contact are physically
indistingushable
from one bigger bar, and will behave as such.

--
*John Schilling                    * "You can have Peace,        *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP       * or you can have Freedom.        *
*University of Southern California * Don't ever count on having both   *
*Aerospace Engineering Department  * at the same time."                *
*schillin@spock.usc.edu            *          - Robert A. Heinlein     *
*(213)-740-5311 or 747-2527        * Finger for PGP public key         *

--0-785984212-776979588:#17623--

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 15 Aug 94 15:39:32 EDT
From: Glenn Myers <gem188@swanson.com>
To: traveller%mpgn.com@swanson.com
Subject: RAFM miniatures - Any good ??
Message-ID: <9408151936>


Hi All,

I'd like to relay a bit of Trav unpleasantness which occured recently.
I tried to order RAFM's Traveller starship miniatures through my local 
gaming store. I could have dug up RAFM's address and ordered by mail,
but I like to support my local shop whenever I can. 

After two months of checking in with them I was informed that RAFM's
miniature quality was poor and they would not order any for me. I had
offered to pay in advance for a few pieces but it was refused.

Perhaps the TML can comment as to whether there is any truth in this 
shopowner's comments. I always thought that RAFM did a better than
average job on fantasy roleplaying gaming miniatures. Did the 
Traveller miniatures not measure up? 

I would note that I have had difficulty in the past obtaining TNE items
(FF&S in particular). I think these guys have a fear of new products.
I'm also waiting for BattleRider. So far though, GDW products seem to
sell pretty well. 

Also, could some one please email me the address where I could for a
RAFM catalog? Where can I get a Wargames West catalog. I've had it with
ordering through my local store.

Thanks in advance...

TTFN

Glenn

----------------------------------
| Glenn E. Myers                 |
| gmyers@swanson.com             |
| gem188@swanson.com             |
| QA software engineer           |
| Swanson Analysis Systems, Inc. |
| (412) 873-2913                 | 
----------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 15 Aug 94 17:20:00 -0500
From: pete.burke@compudata.com (Pete Burke)
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TNE books
Message-ID: <12a.14545.500@compudata.com>


Does anybody know when World Tamer's Handbook will come out and what 
it's focus will be? Will it have expanded world generation like DGP's 
World Builder's Handbook? How about any other info on material for TNE. 
Will there be a sourcebook for people that want to play in the Classic 
and Rebellion eras?


----------------------------------------------------------------
Pete Burke                              pete.burke@compudata.com
----------------------------------------------------------------

 * RM 1.3 01608 * RoboMail -- Version 1.3 -- Available now!

------------------------------

Date:         Mon, 15 Aug 94 19:32:04 EDT
From: Susan Marie Shock <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: BATTLE RIDER stats for Azhanti High Lightning
Message-ID:   <940815.193204.EDT.34ZBTXQ@CMUVM>

These stats are based on the FF&S version of AHL designed by Matt Goodman and
posted to the old TML awhile back. I have also included stats for the Rampart
fighter which, at least in CT, the AHL carries.

                       CF Azhanti High Lightning

                   M 10:10-9-6-3                 -3
                   P(x8 ___)3:2-1-0-0            TL: 14/15
                   _                             FC:-5
                   L(x33)10:2-2-1-0              M:40 (500)
                   A:12 P:7 J:12 Msk             (SP) J5, G2*
                   AV:12 AuxB                    -
                   MS:11 SC:33 D:8               112


                        Rampart Fighter

                   -                              +1
                   _                              TL:15
                   _                               _
                   L 10:1-1-0-0                    M0 (4)**
                   A:10 P:2 Msk                    G6
                   AV:2                             _
                   -                                1
              ** The fighter has no MFD's, but can carry four missles in
grapples. These are presumably controlled by MFD's on the mother ship.

      The AHL carries no Battle riders, but it does carry 66 ramparts, as
well as a number of fuel shuttles, etc. BR doesn't seem to have rules for
fighter squadrons (perhaps they could be based on the rules for missle
groups, rather than dealt with individually).
     We took 7 Aurora class clippers up against the AHL, without using
fighters. The AHL was defeated, but there were only two Auroras left at
the end, and the HL's final death was due to a "Ship Explodes" result.s
                     Enjoy!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 15 Aug 94 20:22:09 PDT
From: "James M. Kelleher" <kelleher@holonet.net>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (Traveller posts)
Subject: Yea! We're back!
Message-ID: <199408160322.UAA11304@holonet.net>

HI... WOW TML is BAAAAAAAACK !
Great THANK YOU THANK YOU THNAK YOU THANK YOU 
Cool
now that is said, I have to look around, as I think I might 
have deleted the post I was going to put up, which had a couple
of my and some one else's characters that could be used as casual(?)
encounters ( these people do not have time for much casual encounters...
;-) )
I will look for the info and post it as soon as I can.
Our Sunday night games have taken a weird twist ( thanks James :-) )
James Kundert has taken over as our fearless GM... We trade off so no one 
gets to burned out...

We are pretty excited over it. We are playing in about 1122-3 and there 
is a lot of history in front of us... We are using the T:TNE rules. We
are also allowing HEPLAR and THRUSTER technologies. Heplar is cheaper to
run and build Thrusters are hidiously expensive and hard to keep up. The 
fuel cost is about the same. ( have I got it right Jim? )
I like the mixing of technologies as it really does make sense... is 
everyone on even this planet using the same technology? If you think so
look around even at work...
The same goes for low tech worlds with a star port. My only question is 
what economic reasons cause that port to be built with imported the technologies ?
Ok I've misspelled enough for you I better get off line now. ( I'm on Call )
( pays the bills and even some of my toys... ;-) )
Oh speaking of toys any one out there have toy building stuff for T:TNE 
in EXCEL I am running it on a PC.
Thanks
jim


-- 
Remember: no matter where you go...
There you are...
B. Banzi

James M. Kelleher
kelleher@holonet.net


------------------------------

Date:         Tue, 16 Aug 94 00:50:24 EDT
From: Susan Marie Shock <34ZBTXQ@CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: TNE Wins Best RPG
Message-ID:   <940816.005024.EDT.34ZBTXQ@CMUVM>

Scott Haring posted an announcement to rec.games.frp.misc listing the winners
of awards at Origins '94. There it was: "Best Roleplaying Game for 1993,
Traveller the New Era (GDW)".
  Congratulations to the folks at GDW for a well-deserved honor for a fine
game system.
   This brings to 7 the total number of awards won at Origins by Traveller
and it's supplements. games, etc., including all versions of the game.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 1994 09:27:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Mike Basinger <dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM (Traveller Mailing List)
Subject: Congrats GDW
Message-ID: <199408161428.KAA18944@Mithril.MPGN.COM>

Just read this on rec.games.frp.misc. Congrats GDW.

Here's a list of the 1994 Origins Awards winners, announced at Origins
'94 in San Jose, CA:

Best Role-Playing Rules of 1993
TRAVELLER: THE NEW ERA
Game Designers Workshop
Designers: Frank Chadwick, David Nilsen

Mike

-- 
D. Michael Basinger:  dbasinge@nickel.ucs.indiana.edu
   dbasinge@nations.ucs.indiana.edu (NeXT Mail)
   "Not speaking for Indiana University"

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 1994 10:55:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: BORIS ZAIDFELD <cs911408@red.ariel.cs.yorku.ca>
To: TNE Mailing List <traveller@MPGN.COM>
Subject: GDW on TML?
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9408161046.B19080-8100000@blue>

Hi All,

 Did GDW return to TML?  I know they where on the old TML, but did
they resub for this on?

 -Shalom Zaidfeld

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 94 14:20:11 ADT
From: "Les Howie"  <lhowie@cpx.Prograph.Com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Fear Battleships and Dread Just A Few Things
Message-ID: <9408161720.AA23040@Prograph.Com>

"Upton, Django" <DUpton@VTRNNTOV.TELECOM.com.au> writes:
> BC Battlecruiser- this has very large maneuver drives and comparatively 
> light armour which allows it to conduct extensive evasive maneuvers but is 
> vulnerable to light weapons such as turret lasers ( what pun? ). This does 
> make BC's a difficult target for meson guns.

Another cut at this might be the "Colonial Battleship" -- Arm and armour as BC, 
but don't bother with the speed.  Lot's of fuel, though.  (On Terra, British had
same in Pacific at the start of the 20th century).

This would give you something that (in an appropriate strategic situation) be as
effective as a battleship against some opponents at a far lower cost.

> BD Dreadnought- this has a balance of armour and agility so it dread's 
> nought but fears most!
> 

The classical dreadnaught might be more like a BB without a budget. Actually, 
since in FF&S you can mount really powerful trainable weapons and multiple 
spinal mounts, a dreadnaught can be a lot more than a BB with a pile of extra
junk attached.

Les Howie
Prograph International


------------------------------

Date: Tue, 16 Aug 94 14:27:12 ADT
From: "Les Howie"  <lhowie@cpx.Prograph.Com>
To: traveller@MPGN.COM
Subject: Re: Underground Living
Message-ID: <9408161727.AA23058@Prograph.Com>

Roger "StarWolf" Myhre writes:
> Toronto got city blocks under ground already.

Yea, but not very deep (one or two stories only).  The reason has a lot to do
with Toronto's lovely February weather.  Hovever widespread shallow development 
could be viable for hostlile environments, or just for preserving farmland.
 
Les Howie
Prograph International

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End of TRAVELLER Digest 10
**************************
