HOUDINI THE SCIENTIST

Stephen Sparks via Intervalmagic.com

Harry Houdini's greatest shame was his lack of formal education. His greatest achievement was in baffling the world's most learned people. He did this in spades 86 years ago this month, when he was buried alive in a sealed casket and survived, under water, for more than 90 minutes!

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Houdini loved to impress physicians and scientists, many of whom can be seen in the pictured crowd. After mystifying them completely, he presented them with his original scientific research, to be used for the betterment of humanity.

via Letters of Note

One of those in the audience, Dr. W.J. McConnell, was a physiologist at the U.S. Bureau of Mines. He collaborated with Harry in efforts to improve mine safety. Harry wrote him a detailed "lab report"of this stunt, aiding science and workplace safety while simultaneously discrediting the Hindu mystic Rahman Bey, who did a similar trick using "magical powers."

via Wildaboutharry.com

What is most remarkable about Harry's report to Dr. McConnell is its complete impartiality and strict observance of scientific method. He notes every significant detail, including state of mind, breathing pattern, perspiration rate, heartbeat, even the difference in temperature between his head and his feet.

Houdini historians believe this was meant to be the genesis of a new wave of stunts, replacing the Water Torture Cell and the various bridge jumps, strait jacket escapes, etc. that were already "getting old."

    
As it happened, Harry's tragic death occurred just a few weeks after his second demonstration of the "buried alive" stunt. And thus ended Houdini's last trick and his last contribution to science. The watertight casket became his own burial coffin.


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