Very wet. Like, the inside-of-your-lungs-are-wet wet. Yep, we're talking about drowning. As soon as your face hits the water, your "mammalian diving response" is triggered and your heartbeat drops. After about 20 seconds underwater, depending on the person, your brain will be beginning to detect the build up of carbon dioxide in your system. If you break the surface at any point, you will automatically exhale but may not have time to inhale again before you go back under. The automatic human drowning response will force your head to tilt back, your arms to gently paddle and your legs to remain completely still. Drowning people don't flail and shout like you see in the movies. After about 40 seconds, your blood will begin to turn blue. Your brain will instinctively lock up your throat, not allowing you to breathe in even if you try, until just over a minute in, at which point the brain kind of goes "screw it, we're dying anyway" and you will take a big gulp of water. This water will wash away the protective surfactant coating the inside of your lungs, meaning that even if you are rescued, you could suffer from secondary drowning as your lungs collapse and stick together. After a minute and a half, you'll probably have passed out and brain damage begins. After 4 minutes your heart slows to a virtual stop. After 10 minutes, there's little-to-no chance of your survival and, even if you did, you would probably have massive brain damage. Your body will naturally sink until decomposition releases gasses and makes it bob back up like a horrible cork. Basically, the best way to ensure that you live a long and happy life is to never go outside again. That sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Want to write for What Culture Science? Click here to find out how you could get paid to write about what you love.Hey, you. Yeah, you. You want some more science? Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for your next fix.
