narcosis studies and playing chess

[joens]

I have heard of studies where people played chess at depth to determine the level of impairment . My question is can any of these subjects play chess in the first place . I play in chess tournaments from time to time and was wondering if anyone knows actual details of the studies, subjects rating at surface compared to rating at depth. also does anyone want to put together an underwater chess tournament.I have been kicking this idea around for a while.
chris joens

 

[MechDiver]

Although this would probably show impairment at a shallower depth, that complexity isn't necessaryl. We used a "round peg in round hole" style kids toy, doing same tasks above and at depth. Even at 90fsw you could usually see a marked difference in speed.

Phil

 

[DiverBuoy]

There are a number of much simplier tests than trying to figure out how a knight moves on the board for a beginner player. I can't tell you how many times I've attended chess tournaments and watched the beginners table make such basic bone-head mistakes. Many chess games are similiar for the first 6-12 moves, but after that the variances are infinite (ok not quite but almost). What you need for narcosis measurement is a repeatable task that can be replicated over and over. So that when it varies it is immediately observable - either the time it takes to complete is longer or it is simply done incorrectly. Chess would be a highly subjective tool at best - leaving you unsure if you proved anything about nitrogen narcosis.

I've used a number of methods with students. Beads on a string, pieces of PVC pipeing in a line each marked with colored stripes - the goal being to line up the stripes with the correct color (this tests does several things at once - it shows color loss at depth and coordination effort). It is a timed skill first performed at the surface than again at depth with a comparison of the completed task times at various depths. Old stand bys are a slate with tic-tac-toe (play 3 games) or writing your full name backwards - (try this in cursive <lol>)

 

[SwimJim]

I agree with Diverbouy. My chess game even at the suface makes look like I'm narc'ed.

Jim:bonk:

 

[Uncle Pug]

As interesting as those tests are... they still miss what I consider the most dangerous aspect of Nitrogen Narcosis... the narrowing of perception.

As narcosis narrows your perception you can still focus your attention on specific tasks until grossly impaired. But the insidious nature of narcosis is that you do not realize what is going on around you... and the more you need to concentrate on the specific task the less you are aware of everything else.

What kinds of tests could be devised to demonstrate this narrowing of perception even while active attention on a specific task appears to be unaffected.

I'm of the opinion that such impairment starts shallower that most realize.

Narcosis might not kill you... but it could very well make you miss the thing that starts the cascade of failures that does kill you.

 

[MechDiver]

Uncle Pug once bubbled...
What kinds of tests could be devised to demonstrate this narrowing of perception even while active attention on a specific task appears to be unaffected.

How about test subject facing, say 3 or 4 other divers who have flash cards with numbers. The subject has to look at each diver, see the number, and write it down. Display time for each card could be set depending on depth, or whatever.

Phil

 

[DiverBuoy]

There are standard procedures that divers must do while performing tasks, they must hover in midwater - off the decent line without going too far up or down, they must breath continually without skip breathing, they must check air supply at least twice during the excercise. These were not mentioned in my description, but task loading is part of the complete test. There really is no failure of the test - only an opportunity to better understand the effects on the diver and for them to appreciate the dangers.

Oh yeah and with multiple students we require the onlookers to mentally note certain key elements, I recommend slates and ask that divers write down their observances. Comparing the different perspectives can be quite enlightening. The funniest part of all is the massive amount of task loading on the instructor - with so many students and a dozen things to track - if you only knew <lol>.

 

[100days-a-year]

Perhaps a study to see if you can drive and talk on cel phone while narcedPugs right on this it's the narrowing of perception and awareness more than the actual impairment that can lead to a "snowballing"effect.I am perfectly able to do repetitive simple skills at depth,it's the guage monitoring,maintaining bouyancy and all the other things that at the surface are almost reflexive that either get screwed up or forgotten.An example would be that at 90' I am able to lobster and moniter my air and time in 100-200psi and 2-3 minute increments easily while at 130' I find myself in 500psi increments and 5minutes occasionally.I am unaware of it at the time but upon surfacing I also find I have put a knife in backwards or a guage to the wrong D-ring.Nothing ever deadly but in a emergency I could be screwed if I was that unable to focus on multiple issues.