‘s birthday: todayAlexander von Humboldt (1769)

Alexander von Humboldt (1769)

A German naturalist and explorer, Humboldt traveled extensively and made observations and discoveries too numerous to count. Among other things, he discovered the connection between the Amazon and Orinoco river systems, surmised that lack of oxygen causes altitude sickness, studied the ocean current off the western coast of South America that was known for a time as the Humboldt Current, and added to an understanding of the development of the Earth’s crust. To what did he devote his final years? More… Discuss

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NEWS: TEST DEVELOPED TO PREDICT ALTITUDE SICKNESS VULNERABILITY

Test Developed to Predict Altitude Sickness Vulnerability

Most people who ascend to altitudes above 8,000 ft (2,400 m) gradually adapt to the reduced oxygen concentration and low atmospheric pressure, but some have a severe reaction that can be fatal unless they return to low altitude. Until now, there was no way of determining who would be vulnerable to altitude sickness, but researchers have developed a new test that seems to identify such individuals. At the moment, the test can only be administered after a person has spent at least four hours at high altitude, but the research team hopes to reduce this in the future. More… Discuss

 

HIGH-ALTITUDE PILOTS SUBJECT TO BRAIN LESIONS

Decompression sickness, or “the bends,” is typically seen in scuba divers, but high-altitude pilots, who regularly fly at 64,000 feet and higher in planes that maintain a lower cabin pressure than typical commercial flights, are also at risk. Even those that escape decompression sickness are not unaffected by the repeated and prolonged exposure to a low-pressure environment. Researchers have found that high-altitude pilots have a higher incidence of brain lesions calledwhite matter hyperintensities than other military personnel. The pilots show no discernible cognitive impairments, but further study is needed to ascertain whether these lesions are harmful. More… Discuss