Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford A Leap of Faith From the Eiffel Tower
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Sep 23, 2022 The story of Franz Reichelt unfolds as he daringly decides to jump from the Eiffel Tower to test his parachute suit. Meanwhile, the fascinating exploration of self-experimentation highlights the split between brilliant breakthroughs and reckless risks in medicine. Barry Marshall’s audacious decision to self-test his theory about a stomach bacteria raises ethical dilemmas, showcasing the thin line between bravery and hubris. This gripping narrative intertwines adventure with cautionary lessons in pursuit of discovery.
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Reichelt's Jump
- Franz Reichelt, a tailor, designed a parachute suit and planned a demonstration.
- He insisted on testing it himself from the Eiffel Tower, despite prior failed trials with dummies.
Marshall's Self-Experiment
- Barry Marshall, intrigued by a colleague's bacteria findings, investigated their link to stomach illnesses.
- After failed animal tests, he ingested the bacteria himself to prove his theory.
Medical Self-Experimentation
- Doctors have a history of self-experimentation.
- John Hunter contracted syphilis after injecting himself with an infected patient's pus, while Max von Pettenkoffer got diarrhea after ingesting cholera bacteria.