The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
Back-Breaking Science
April 21, 202618 min · 3,723 words
Show notes
When a British sub sank with all hands, JBS Haldane volunteered to investigate by experimenting on himself—even if it meant losing his own life in the process. (Part 2 of 2.) Advertising Inquiries: Privacy & Opt-Out:
Highlighted moments
Haldane concluded that, under certain circumstances, oxygen can be poisonous. In particular, during a bout of CO2 poisoning, switching to pure oxygen can induce a sort of shock.
“When a compressed gas expands into a bigger space, its temperature drops. And cold gases sink. So the cold, incoming air flooded the bottom of Haldane's chamber. This, in turn, forced the CO2-rich air already inside the chamber to flood upward, into Haldane's lungs.”
“They almost certainly puked from oxygen shock with the masks on underwater, then ripped them off in desperation to clear them.”
“It thereby became a rare ship in history to go down with all hands and kill nearly everyone on board on two separate occasions.”
Transcript
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