On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 8:22 PM, Tim <tim@little-possums.net> wrote:
On Mon, May 12, 2014 at 04:49:27PM -0400, Richard Aiken wrote:
> I'm not sure what is being used
> in *place* of water, but the lack of internal water apparently
> contributes o the increased tolerance.

The proposal was that they use short-chain liquid silicone compounds.


WD-40 as the basis for blood and other body fluids?

 
> NOTE: Sounds like Ullerans would make for great spaceship crew
> (particularly at H. Beam Pipers tech level); don't need water and
> can tolerate extreme temp ranges, plus armored skin that would
> likely be proof against brief exposure to vacuum.

Human skin isn't bad at surviving low pressures.

Stone-like armored skin would be better. And internal organs composed at least partially of similar substances would be a bit more resistant to pressure differentials than normal ones.

But - of course - that assumes that such armored structures are what silicon organisms would have.

--
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein
"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby
"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous." Dean Winchester