Anyone seen the movie The Blockhouse?
The Time news story:
So from some fascinating reading for the past hour…
-They’ve got access to very large areas outside of the shelter for additional living space and/or disposing of waste products.
-They are drilling 3 more tubes in order to increase the supply capacity and provide redundancy
-the tubes are 6 inches wide.
One of the tubes I’m sure will be used for power/ventilation, as well as communication. It would be trivial to get internet to these guys, and a couple dozen netbooks or tablets modified to make them narrower to fit through the hole. We should contact Apple and see if they can’t quick rig up a bunch of narrow Ipads.
Oh, and I’m sure that sending down 33 pay stubs showing VERY hefty balances would do wonders for morale as well. 
I hope there is going to be a happy ending, but 4 months?! I wouldn’t dare to be optimistic…
Completely agree. Common sense would dictate that retaining some sense of normalcy with respect to their interaction with the outside world is paramount to retaining health and hope. Being aware of current events via the newspaper or some other medium would help demonstrate that time is passing and that scheduled events do progressively get closer and indeed arrive as predicted.
They have couched the relatives who are allowed to send messages to them, not to reveal how long they will be there.
I really don’t get this.
I’d want to know. I’d very much want to know. I would be angry at not having been told.
That’s interesting; most psychological studies say that people can endure almost anything if they know when it’s going to end. I wonder what’s at play here that they are going a different way with these guys.
Me, too. And I always want the bad news first; the good news is all the sweeter that way!
My heart really goes out to these guys, but I suspect that once the rescue effort really picks up steam, they’ll be out sooner than in four months. I sure hope so, at least.
Has anyone confirmed this story? Or is it staged and will lead to a new reality show. The mining company could probably get their expenses covered by pimping this out.
I think they aren’t telling them how long it will take because they can’t be sure it will be done in 4 months. If they knew they could be absolutely finished rescuing people by that 4 month mark they would probably be much more likely to tell them how long it will take.
Subterranean Bachelor Pad?
The Real World: Copiapo?
More from CNN.com: Video of trapped Chilean miners shows patriotism and humor - CNN.com. There’s a graphic showing the depth they’re at - almost twice as far down as the height of the Empire State Building. Ugh.
I tell ya, I’d be asking within about two minutes of contact being made, “So, I won’t hold you to this, but how long until you think you’ll be able to get us out?”
Since they were told they would not be out by the 18th of September, but before Christmas, then I’m sure one of the 33 men must have struck upon the idea that “Christmas” was at least the furthest possibility being considered by the rescuers and that they might have to wait that long.
This is such an amazing story…it will be fascinating to follow and see how it all turns out.
If you think ‘The Descent’ (you know, the film you’ve saw?) is a documentary, then you’d be a barrel full of monkeys to be around come April 1.
How about this computer (scroll down to the video)?
Now that it’s confirmed that’s there’s more space to spread, etc., I know I can breathe easier.
I suspect they may figure it’s better to find a way to prepare them for that information first. I can’t imagine they’d just not tell them – could you imagine the frustration, anger and desperation that would result?
There eventually would be, except there isn’t enough room for anyone to lie on their back.
The authorities may not have a definite date for rescue yet.
I’m sure there are complex decisions to be made as to where to drill, how wide to make the rescue hole, there could be all manner of unexpected complication (problems with machinery, with what they’re drilling through, whatever). Telling them “You be out by date X” and then blowing the deadline might be more psychologically devastating that not giving them a date.
At least, that’s the best I can figure. Maybe someone has a better reason.
Think context. They work everyday in that mine.
If a typical person was grabbed off the street and thrown in with them, then I’d expect serious distress.
But these guys work down there for a living. Will being down there for 4 months break some nerves? Probably, but stop thinking of them as being people never before underground.
I hope they make it and wish they received the truth.
But in the movie version, at least one of them will be a complete newbie on his first day (and one of them will have been on his last day ever down the mine).
How much water does someone need in the desert ? Because down there, it may be as hot. And constantly. I guess that supply hole’s main use will be to provide water…