US magician David Blaine is world-known not just for his shows, but also for his constant attempts to test the capacities of his own body. His latest record that entered the Guinness Book of World Records was set on April 30 of the current year when he spent 17 minutes and 4 seconds under water without an oxygen mask.
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| Humans may eventually conquer ocean world after David Blaine’s underwater stunt |
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The stunt was taped and later aired at The Oprah Winfrey Show. David was breathing pure oxygen for 23 minutes to lower the concentration of carbon dioxide in blood. Ralph Potkin, a scientist, who studies the human ability to stay under water without oxygen for a long time, observed his state of health. He examined Blaine after he had set the record and found no abnormalities.
David Blaine had planed to stay under water for 23 minutes, but he felt his pulse quickening and saw the assistant signaling him that the previous record (16 minutes 32 seconds) had been beaten, so he came up.
The idea of a human being capable of living below ocean’s surface, like it happens in science fiction novels, still leaves scientists restless. But nobody has tried to implant gills to man. Scientists attempted to implant them to mice and dogs: the animals could even breathe with their new organs for some time under water. However, the animals died afterwards when their bodies rejected the gills. Researchers chose another way: they started inventing equipment for extracting oxygen from water.
In 1976 US biochemists Bonaventura (husband and wife) designed an appliance that imitated gills and worked on synthetic hematoglobulin. But they did not manage to construct it. Their drawings and the right for further development were purchased by a company specializing in making artificial blood and apparatus for its circulation. Rumours had it that in fact the Pentagon became interested in the research.
Several years ago Israeli inventor Alon Bodner invented a device that could extract not just oxygen from water, but air that was fully appropriate for breathing. The device was tested in laboratory conditions only; nothing is known about its further tests at ocean’s depths.
US doctor Ronald Hirschel does not overrule the possibility of using coercive circulation (with which he treats lung diseases) for breathing under water. The essence of the method is that they insert tubes in the patient’s trachea whereas the tubes are connected to a pump. But here there is another problem: water that goes through lungs should be disinfected, otherwise it will cause pneumonia.
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