[David Martella]

David Martella  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I love your show - the perfect combination of education and entertainment! It has inspired my daughter to pursue a career in science. Thank you!
 
I recently attended an Off-Broadway show - a thriller.

To set the tone for the evening, the MC began by unscrewing an illuminated light bulb and handing it to members of the audience to confirm that it was real. He then broke the light bulb and proceeded to eat its entire glass envelope. I was close enough to the stage to hear the crunch of every mouthful. After the show, I picked up a small shard that had fallen nearby. It was real glass!
 
How was he able to eat a glass light bulb without injury?
 
DJ, Princeton , New Jersey , USA

What do you think?

[andie99]

If it was true glass, if there aren't any blood, that does not mean there are no damages in the body. Only an ultrasound, an xray or a clearer scan can tell and manifest that it might have damaged if not his mouth but his intestines or his larynx.

[Bored chemist]

Teeth are hard enough to crush glass and the tiny fragments are too small to much harm.
However this still remains a very foolish stunt to do; particularly if you have not been properly trained.

[Mike Tyson]

I agree with you that the crushed glass will cause harm if you will not be fully trained for performing that stunt....I have seen many people on National Geographic Channel who use to eat glass and other harmful things...





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[Frank123]

This extreme talent/skills are often displayed by filipino street performers.  I have seen numerous acts that might be harmful to the body done by a man who calls himself Master Of Pain.  I heard he is visiting places to perform these acts.

These acts are said to be done as a result of poverty and the man's need for money in order to live.   []


Mod edit - spam removed.

[BioWizard]

Technically yes, but you risk cutting and damaging a number of internal organs. I don't reccomend it.
[]

[CliffordK]

There was a recent National Geographic Special called "Humanly Impossible" that discussed this very thing.

When the man ate the glass, he chewed it until it was very fine "sand".  I.E.  no sharp shards of glass.  Perhaps that is facilitated by starting with thin light bulbs.  I.E.  If he started with window glass, or a glass bottle, it would be much more difficult to chew into sand.

[alisonmat1]

Just having a browse through the forum and came across this thread - found it very entertaining and slightly worrying! If you can chew glass down and digest it, does that mean you can do that for anything? What about wood? Not that I would try it personally... but you get what I mean!

[CliffordK]

The glass is not digested...  it is just chewed to break it up until it is no longer sharp, and swallowed.

You could likely swallow a little clean, fine sawdust without any ill effects, although the body doesn't metabolize cellulose very effectively, so like the glass, most of it would likely pass right through. 

My guess that wood fibers themselves would be difficult to tear up with your teeth.  I've found that with chewing grass, one often ends up with a fibrous ball which isn't very palatable. 

[SeanB]

Consider that you eat glass quite often, as the seasoning salt you get at the fast food place contains a "free flow agent" of silicon dioxide, which is basically a glass , ground very fine. You might see the ground sand listed as E551.

[tangoblue]

seriously, if you eat glass DONT tell your dentist...

[alisonmat1]

haha im sure that wouldnt go down very well!!

[tangoblue]

yeah youde probably see his/her face going purple and then... &@**!&!£§%!!!

[alisonmat1]

haha would most definitely be a youtube moment

[CliffordK]

So...

If silicone implants are bad for a person...

Would ingesting silicon oxides be equally bad?

[biggart]

Eating glass could result in serious harm to organs as well as the throat if not done properly. Extreme training must be done in order for your body to allow eating glass, and one must first chew up all small pieces before swallowing.
If you need to contact me, read my signature, don't reply.

[Andyw76]

I understand, that eating glass can cause serious damage to the organs. But is it possible to train the body to perform such tricks?



Always be a real man.
newbielink:http://nipatra-kaufen.strikingly.com/ [nonactive]

[Walterhurley56]

it is definitely possible to eat glass but what happens after is another question.

[PmbPhy]

The answer is that it was an illusion. Its akin to asking how David Copperfield was able to fly around an audience with no visible means of support. The illusionist is clever enough to have considered all possible explanations people might forward and account for them in their illusions. But consider the following facts:

Fact 1) David Copperfield can't really fly
Fact 2) Nobody can eat glass in the manner described and not be seriously injured.