Let鈥檚 start with the floating illusion. I would hope that if anyone sees a person suspended in mid-air, they realize that the law of gravitation has not been suspended and that some mechanism hidden from the audience is at work. The history of this illusion traces back to early 19th century India, but it was French magician Robert-Houdin who popularized it by adding a clever twist. Ether had just been introduced as an anesthetic in 1846 and Robert-Houdin cleverly wove the discovery into his act. As assistants poured ether on hot shovels backstage to flood the theatre with ether fumes, the magician described how he had learned that the chemical had the miraculous effect of making bodies defy gravity. A volunteer was asked to come on stage and was promptly 鈥減ut to sleep鈥� before being suspended in mid-air, parallel to the floor. This seemed impossible because the only connection to the floor was a pole tucked under the volunteer鈥檚 arm.
Since explanations of this illusion are widely available, I鈥檓 not giving anything away by revealing that the 鈥渧olunteer鈥�, in magic lingo, is a 鈥渟tooge,鈥� and is in on the act. The illusion requires the volunteer to wear a metallic corset hidden by clothing that attaches to the pole anchored in the floor with a ratchet mechanism. A version of this illusion was performed on 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Got Talent鈥� by outstanding magician Darcy Oake who is actually Canadian. Darcy asked judges Heidi Klum and comedian Howie Madel to come on stage to help with his performance. They both pretended that this was a surprise. Not so! This was a rehearsed act in which Howie held the plank on which Klum, wearing the necessary equipment under her loose-fitting clothes, was asked to lie. When the plank was removed, she was miraculously suspended in air. The astonished audience cheered and wildly and Howie and Heidi feigned appropriate amazement. I was not amused.
What is my issue? For a judge to be in on a trick is not really fair game. True, in this case it was the audience, not the judges voting, but there is no doubt that the two judges, being 鈥渧olunteers,鈥� helped the performer. I am also aware of a number of other magic acts on AGT where the judges 鈥減layed along鈥� and acted surprised when the contestants performed their wonders although they knew exactly what was going on.
Of course, one can argue that the show is just theatre and anything that entertains the audience goes, but the judges being in on a trick isn鈥檛 exactly cricket. There is a significant monetary award for the winner and using judges as stooges seems to me to be unfair because it makes the 鈥渢alent鈥� of the performer seem even more unbelievable. While Darcy Oake is a talented magician, this particular illusion does not require much talent. The performer basically does nothing except to place himself in the appropriate position to hide the acrylic support rod that really performs the magic.
I鈥檓 not going to come down too hard on Heidi pretending to be dumbfounded by how she managed to float in the air because after all, AGT is show business. However, I will be more critical about her plan, widely reported in the social media, 鈥渢o rid her body or worms and parasites.鈥� She says that she is taking pills that contain clove and papaya seeds along with various herbs that 鈥減arasites do not like.鈥� She freely admits the information on which she relies comes from 鈥渧iewing a surge of Instagram posts on the topic.鈥� These posts claim that vicious parasites are cruising around everyone鈥檚 body causing a variety of ailments and need to be eliminated.
Infections by parasites and worms are real, but rare in developed countries. Diagnosis requires a detailed medical history including places that have been visited, the types of food consumed, and most importantly, tests of the stool and blood that can confirm the presence of parasites. If this is indeed confirmed, appropriate medication are available. They do not include clove or papaya seeds! Heidi is also taking supplements that she believes eliminate metals from her body. She is vague about what metals, and why she thinks she has a problem, but once again, if someone is diagnosed with toxicity due to metals, which can happen with the likes of mercury, lead or arsenic, dietary supplements hawked in health food stores or online are not the way to go.
It is impossible to know how many people will follow in Heidi鈥檚 footsteps and attempt to cleanse their body of mythical parasites with nonsensical herbal supplements, but history tells us that famous people can be more influential than science communicators. If you are looking for scientific advice, Heidi Klum should not be the go-to person. However, if you would like to know how a person can be made to float in air, she could certainly tell you about the kind of brace you have to wear under your clothes and the hours of rehearsal needed to fool an audience.
