Posted on 01/03/2010 10:32:16 AM PST by nickcarraway
All good Jedi know that the best way to survive a snow storm is in the snugly belly of your nearest Tauntaun. Just cut open with your handy dandy light saber, a single horizontal slice across the midsection will do, push squirming intestines aside, and crawl right in. Warm as it is comfortable, the intestines mold to your body like a memory foam mattress. But how long could you survive in a Tauntaun?
Realistically, the sub-zero environment of Hoth is no place to be, Tauntaun or not. And it's important to remember that Luke Skywalker didn't need to survive in his Tauntaun over night, he simply needed a warm place to be until Han had time to build a proper shelter. So, the better question might be, how long did Han have to build a snow shelter until Luke was in serious trouble.
In a normal environment, a carcass gets cold in 8 to 36 hours losing an average rate of 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit per hour. However, the ice world of Hoth is not an average environment. The Star Wars database lists that Hoth reaches nightly temperatures of -60 F. In a frigid, sub-zero environment, body heat can be lost almost 32 times faster. This means a Tauntaun's body heat could drop almost 51.2 F every hour. Considering that Han Solo's Tauntaun died of severe hypothermia even before it was cut open with Luke's light saber, one could assume it's core body temperature was already well below normal. The problem for Luke is if the Tauntaun's body temperature reaches freezing point those once toasty guts, blood, and assorted alien goo, will in fact become a frozen coffin. If the Tauntaun died of cardiac arrest due to hypothermia with an average body temperature of 75 F (23 C), and if Tauntaun blood freezes at 28.4 F (-2 C), then Han has roughly 56 minutes to set up a shelter before Luke once again is in danger of losing his life in the barren wasteland of Hoth.
This is really it!
Finally — the GO CODE!
Where are my MREs?
Darn, my hatchet has gone dull.
Ooof — I don’t fit into those woodland pattern BDUs anymore.
Yikes!
We assume the shelter sets up like George Jetson’s car.
Heck if we can toss a tent in the air today and let it self-deploy, why not in the SW Universe?
But I still never understood how SW science never detected that Padma was carrying twins (which we have been able to do since the 60’s) and how Leia remembered her mom (in Return) when Padma died in childbirth...
Math... is there anything it can’t do?
And when Luke was removed from the Tauntaun to be placed into the shelter he was soaking wet with innards goo and blood.
so is the analogy here that we are Luke, the frigid temperatures of Hoth are the 0bama regime, the Tauntaun is the US economy and Sarah Palin is Han Solo? Or is this just some Star Wars fanboy nonsense?
>>and how Leia remembered her mom (in Return) when Padma died in childbirth...<<
A George Lucas gaping plot hole...nothing more to see. Move along!
I loved the linked article, particularly the comments afterwards. While I consider myself a Star Wars nerd - I’m not to the point of joining in a conversation like that...lol
First reaction was “How long could who survive in a WHAT?”
Second reaction was “Oh. Luke Skywalker. In that two-legged camel-like thing.”
Third reaction was “Who cares?”
Guess I’m not much of a Star Wars fan.
And it went downhill from there.
Just my opinion but I understand. It was his story to do with as he pleased.
If it had been Chuck Norris, his anger would have created blazing desert.
Star Wars fanboy nonsense? Really? Come on now us Star Wars Fanboys have worked out some pretty complicated problems! Our Greatest achievement was an experiment that involved 6 young coeds wearing Leia Slave costumes and engaging in a pillow fight to see what effect it had on Global Warming:
Nonsense?!?!?!?
Hah!
No worries George was able to cover any plot holes with his riveting dialog, especially in episodes 1-3. (snicker)
Jest damn... ol’ Slim’s speechless.
Ill-informed nonsense. This completely leaves out of account the super-insulating qualities of tauntaun guts, not to mention the fact that Luke was wearing his official, super-nifty Rebel Alliance winter gear. These alone would have been enough to keep him alive for two sequels if necessary. Everybody knows that.
Lot of “plot holes” in those outfits....
Gosh I love science.
It’s good to be the Hutt.
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