Chapter 1: The Era of Scientific Wonders

The 1600s and 1700s in England were a time of extraordinary scientific breakthroughs. Scholars at esteemed institutions like Oxford, Cambridge, and the Royal Society unraveled numerous mysteries of nature. Isaac Newton established the principles of physics; Edmond Halley ventured into the cosmos; and Robert Hooke envisioned the microscopic universe. Yet, not all scientific endeavors were noble; some were downright peculiar, such as the experiment that involved placing a man and a steak in an overheated room to see which would cook first.

Charles Blagden and Joseph Banks were the minds behind this unusual investigation in the 1770s, where they subjected themselves—and tragically, a dog—to extreme temperatures. Blagden, a respected physician, teamed up with Banks, a botanist, to explore the effects of severe heat on living beings. Their approach? They constructed a highly heated room and challenged themselves to endure it.

Initially, they sealed off a space, equipped it with a stove, and let it run overnight. They began at temperatures around 125 degrees Fahrenheit, but as they adapted, they cranked up the heat, aiming to discover the limits of human endurance (and regrettably, the poor dog involved in their experiments).

Both men were particularly interested in the physiological effects of nearing the boiling point of water. Since the human body consists of approximately 60% water, what would occur as they approached the water’s boiling point of 212 degrees? Blagden bravely entered a chamber heated to 211 degrees and survived to recount his experience. In a later trial, he increased the temperature to over 230 degrees. Remarkably, both he and the dog emerged unscathed; the dog appeared fine after enduring 236 degrees for an hour. Blagden himself lasted eight minutes at a staggering 240 degrees.

Blagden and Banks quickly observed a dist