red, white, and blaine
The biggest danger for magician David Blaine when he hangs upside down above New York’s Central Park for 60 hours next week? Going blind.
That’s the analysis of Dr. Massimo Napolitano of the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. He is the chief of vascular surgery and is advising Blaine on the stunt.
Napolitano told the Bergen Record for a story Saturday that hanging upside down for a long time increases blood pressure in the head, especially in the eyes. That could lead to blindness.
The doctor doesn’t say how long the blindness could last, but he says there’s also a risk of swelling and cramps in internal organs.
Nevertheless, Napolitano says the stunt could yield valuable data for doctors.
posted at
- stronger takes (0)
You have been invited to the “Medical Risks of Sixty Hours of Hanging Upside Down” conference chat with MassimoLikelihood and dont_blaine_me. Do you accept? y
dont_blaine_me: hello mortals
dont_blaine_me: would you like to see a magic trick
MassimoLikelihood: Hello, David! And welcome.
LAWYER6100438: I AM A LAWYER
dont_blaine_me: i will take that as a yes
MassimoLikelihood: A magic trick, eh? David, I’m not sure if
MassimoLikelihood: i would like to donate five berjillion dollars to david blaine
dont_blaine_me: sounds good lol
MassimoLikelihood: My goodness! I certainly didn’t type that. Wonderful trick, David.
LAWYER6100438: YOUR STATEMENT OF INTENT TO DONATE FIVE BERJILLION DOLLARS TO DAVID BLAINE IS BINDING ROTFL
MassimoLikelihood: Indeed.
MassimoLikelihood: Anyway, David, we’ve analyzed your proposal and are pleased to report that the medical risks of hanging upside down for sixty hours are virtually nil!
dont_blaine_me: what
LAWYER6100438: AHEM
dont_blaine_me: are you effing serious
LAWYER6100438: DR NAPOLITANO, I AM LEGALLY REQUIRED TO INTERVENE
MassimoLikelihood: David, could you excuse us for a moment.
dont_blaine_me has left the conference chat.
MassimoLikelihood: Don. Can we go off the record for a moment?
LAWYER6100438: SURE
MassimoLikelihood: The medical risks of hanging upside down for sixty hours are very high.
LAWYER6100438: UM, DUH
MassimoLikelihood: The thing is: we can get a freaking ton of data out of this.
LAWYER6100438: THIS DATA WILL NOT BE OF MUCH USE TO YOU IN FEDERAL PRISON
MassimoLikelihood: For the love.
MassimoLikelihood: Fine.
MassimeLikelihood: David, you can come back in.
dont_blaine_me: i hadnt really left anyway
LAWYER6100438: HA HA
LAWYER6100438: WE JUST GOT PUNKD SO HARD
MassimoLikelihood: Anyway, David, I’m sorry to tell you that the medical risks are actually quite severe.
dont_blaine_me: thats more like it
MassimoLikelihood: Specifically, the risk of blindness could be very high.
dont_blaine_me: hell yesss
MassimoLikelihood: Um… also organ failure.
dont_blaine_me: thats awesome
dont_blaine_me: okay ill go ahead and do it then
MassimoLikelihood: Great!! Are you serious? That’s great! Oh man.
MassimoLikelihood: David, this is a major victory for science.
LAWYER6100438: WHAT THE EFF DAVID BLAINE
dont_blaine_me: okay guys i have to go
dont_blaine_me: ive been swallowing this python since about mid-morning
dont_blaine_me: and hes beginning to thrash
dont_blaine_me has left the conference chat.
MassimoLikelihood: We need to send some interns over there, like right now.