David Blaine

David Blaine, the world famous magician, is spending a week completely submerged in water at the Lincoln Centre in New York. He calls this trick "the human aquarium". But all does not seem to be going well for the magician as the doctors say it could cause nerve damage, blackouts, sleep deprivation and skin problems.

But Blaine is an expert at his job, and plans to finish the feat with a world record attempt for holding his breath underwater for more that 8 minutes 58 seconds.

Over the years, David Blaine has been through other endurance tests like this one included being buried alive for seven days, spending 61 hours encased in ice, standing on a tiny, 22 inch-wide platform at the top of a 90-foot high pole for 35 hours, and living in a transparent box for 44 days without food. He's even had a south park episode for himself, other than his specials Street Magic, Magic Man, Frozen in Time and Vertigo.

It is said that his grandmother was a gypsy who had given him some tarrot cards. After that it has been his own hard work, imagination and superb marketing which saw him change from a street magician to a world performer. He reminds me of the gypsies Jose Arcadio had met in the novel 'A hundred years of solitude'. Blaine is possibly the Melquiades of our age, the wanderer with a touch of magic, and his feats are maybe even more impressive. But most of all, David Blaine would be remembered most for his ability to make magic connect to the younger generation which not many have been able to do in recent years.

Update: Blaine has failed to create the world record for holding his breath underwater, failing by almost two minutes.

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