The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007) • Hacker News Board

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#31

Post by Oxidation » Fri, Jan 27, 2023, 11:51 PM UTC

bb88 wrote: post #26

Waterluvian wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a thing Penn and Teller talk about (in the nail gun routine) about how it is immoral for a trick to have any real danger as it makes the audience complicit in risk. This resonates with me considerably. But then you move further from magic and closer to acrobatics and things like tightrope acts without nets have real danger.

Juggling, circus acts, and heck even air shows can be dangerous for the performers. I've seen an air show performer die during his act a few years ago when he crashed into the ground. Even the NFL has a good amount of danger during every game -- and people get injured. But spectators have died during Airshows [0] and during, say, the Indy 500 [1]. [0]: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/air-show-acciden... […

Airshows have also killed people not spectating, but just driving nearby when the plane crashed into a main road: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_Shoreham_Airshow_crash

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#32

Post by khazhoux » Fri, Jan 27, 2023, 11:59 PM UTC

oneoff786 wrote: post #13

dogma1138 wrote: post #9

Sword Swallowing is one of those things that I would really like to understand how it happened… Like who one day woke up and said I’ll try that…

Training to perfectly control one’s gag reflex? Well I’ll tell you this: it didn’t begin with a sword.

Go on...

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#33

Post by hbn » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 2:54 AM UTC

kjellsbells wrote: post #21

hbn wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm seeking funding for my decentralized web3 SSaaS (Sword Swallowing as a Service) startup. Check it out at swordswallow.ly

If you had suggested swordswal.io, I would have thrown my phone across the room. You saved a cheap Android today, Internet friend.

Ah that's good.

.ly and .io domains are the goto classics for trendy startups, I chose the wrong one

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#34

Post by bb88 » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 3:03 AM UTC

stavros wrote: post #28

bb88 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recall it looking bright like a neon tube with the glow that neon tubes emit -- also with heavy duty cable going into the neon tube. He swallows the sword on stage so everyone sees the sword go in and out. I also had no doubt to believe it wasn't a glass neon tube.

Sorry, I meant in the hypothetical case where someone swallows a "neon" tube without any shielding. The metal cage in your case tells me that it was probably legitimate. Though, what happened to the other end of the wire?

It was plugged into the wall through I'm guessing a high voltage neon transformer.

I have no idea if the cage was grounded or not. I assume it wasn't, which should have been fine if the connection to the tube was outside of his mouth.

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#35

Post by nprateem » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 7:43 AM UTC

oneoff786 wrote: post #13

dogma1138 wrote: post #9

Sword Swallowing is one of those things that I would really like to understand how it happened… Like who one day woke up and said I’ll try that…

Training to perfectly control one’s gag reflex? Well I’ll tell you this: it didn’t begin with a sword.

You'd think it'd be more popular with women...

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#36

Post by nvader » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 9:22 AM UTC

I think it's amazing how Joey Chestnut appears as a young upstart "gurgitator" in this article.

He has now won the Hotdog Eating Championship fifteen times in total.

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#37

Post by AndrewOMartin » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 12:41 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #17

Someone wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> he even talked about how deadly it was before he did it I would not immediately believe a performer saying that. Saying something is extremely dangerous can be part of the performance. In this case the tube may not have been made of glass, or there might have been a layer of plastic between the glass and the metal cage. That wouldn’t make it zero risk, but certainly would have decreased the risk.

There’s a thing Penn and Teller talk about (in the nail gun routine) about how it is immoral for a trick to have any real danger as it makes the audience complicit in risk. This resonates with me considerably. But then you move further from magic and closer to acrobatics and things like tightrope acts without nets have real danger.

When I saw Penn & Teller live in the same show they did the routine you describe, but also a fire eating routine about how some stunts simply do hurt, and can be dangerous to both learn and perform. Neither break the "no permanent damage" rule but you are left with two seemingly contradictory arguments.

Properly aligned you can fit the two ideas together, but I think they kind of personal mental arranging of ideas is exactly what they want to leave you with.

Re: The Science of Sword-Swallowing (2007)

#38

Post by Ekaros » Sat, Jan 28, 2023, 12:50 PM UTC

dogma1138 wrote: post #9

Sword Swallowing is one of those things that I would really like to understand how it happened… Like who one day woke up and said I’ll try that…

I would venture to guess a copious amount of drugs, boredom and wanting to show off or impress.

Sticks have been around very long time, swords millennia. And then we can think maybe some eat competition as well. Ending up with someone eating their sword or or just showing off by pushing it down the throat is probably inevitable.