Misc. Questions

                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                      Date:  Sent on: 16-May-1994 12:18pm
                                      From:  Alistair Langsford
                                             LANGSFORD ALISTAIR
                                      Dept:  Information Services
                                      Tel No:289 7870

TO:  Remote Addressee                     ( _traveller@engrg.uwo.ca )


Subject: Misc. Questions

All I need is the air that I breathe...
- ---------------------------------------

One of the hazards of space travel is going to be running out of breathable
    air. When considering a particular 'scene' for a scenario I was
    planning, I realised I had no good idea of how long it takes a person
    to use up the available air in a sealed room. So, some questions for
    the list.

Imagine you are in a sealed room. How long does it take a person to die
    because the air gets bad - and why? Is it lack of Oxygen, or the
    presence of impurities?

If the room is filled not with air, but with Oxygen only:
- -   what atmospheric pressure should it be at to be safe? I believe that if
    the pressure is too high the atmosphere promotes any sort of minor
    spark into a serious fire/explosive hazard.

- -   how long before a typical human unfortunate dies from bad air in this
    scenario.

Some questions on firearms...
- -------------------------------

 ..   At what tech level can you build guns out of non metallic materials?

 ..   What sort of non metallic materials are possible - plastics, carbon
    fibre, or what?

 ..   At what tech level can you build caseless ammo and weapons to use it?
    And when does the result become as practical as weapons using cased
    ammo?

Note:
    I'm interested in both real world comments as well as comments based on
    whatever is covered in (CT/MT/TNE) Traveller rules.

Alistair,
[email removed]