Tricks of Science

A young street performer in Pakistan was recently in the news for his mysterious ability to stick knives through his arms. On other street corners, people juggle fire or walk barefoot on hot coals. It can be like watching a magic trick but for many stunts there is no illusion involved. Do these people possess any special abilities? And can science explain how these feats are achieved?

If most of us stuck a knife in our arm, we would shriek out in pain and probably have to be taken to hospital. But it didn’t seem to bother a Pakistani street performer who was full of such tricks. On his 14th birthday, he attempted to jump from a roof, tragically plunging to his death. It was then that his secret was uncovered: he wasn’t able to feel pain, a trait shared by six members of his family.

 

 

Credit: David Willey

 

Walking on hot coals, or wood embers, can be possible because wood is a poor conductor.

Medical experts were intrigued by this case. After some research, it was discovered that mutations in a single gene were responsible. In most people, the gene, called SNC9A, makes a protein that is found in high concentrations at the end of neurons that sense pain. If you injure yourself, the protein amplifies the stimulus and excites the neuron, which sends electrical signals to the brain so the pain is felt. But for the street performer and his family members, the process was disrupted and the proteins were never able to pass on their message. This seemed to be the only effect of the mutation and the family was otherwise healthy.

Although feeling pain alerts us that our body has been harmed and can save us from further injury and death, painkillers are used to help people suffering from chronic conditions. The research team at the University of Cambridge in the UK that was studying the family with the mutation is hopeful that the mechanism could provide a new form of pain relief with fewer side effects than drugs typically used today. If a drug can be developed that halts the activity of the protein, it could be a new way to stop pain.