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his interests ranged across the whole ofphysiology； from studying altitude sickness in climbers to the problems of heatstroke in desertregions。 he had a particular interest in the effects of toxic gases on the human body。 tounderstand more exactly how carbon monoxide leaks killed miners； he methodically poisonedhimself； carefully taking and measuring his own blood samples the while。 he quit only whenhe was on the verge of losing all muscle control and his blood saturation level had reached 56percent鈥攁 level； as trevor norton notes in his entertaining history of diving； stars beneaththe sea； only fractionally removed from nearly certain lethality。
haldane鈥檚 son jack； known to posterity as j。b。s。； was a remarkable prodigy who took aninterest in his father鈥檚 work almost from infancy。 at the age of three he was overhearddemanding peevishly of his father； 鈥渂ut is it oxyhaemoglobin or carboxyhaemoglobin？鈥�
throughout his youth； the young haldane helped his father with experiments。 by the time hewas a teenager； the two often tested gases and gas masks together； taking turns to see howlong it took them to pass out。
though j。 b。 s。 haldane never took a degree in science （he studied classics at oxford）； hebecame a brilliant scientist in his own right； mostly in cambridge。 the biologist petermedawar； who spent his life around mental olympians； called him 鈥渢he cleverest man i everknew。鈥潯uxley likewise parodied the younger haldane in his novel antic hay； but also usedhis ideas on genetic manipulation of humans as the basis for the plot of brave new world。
among many other achievements； haldane played a central role in marrying darwinian principles of evolution to the genetic work of gregor mendel to produce what is known togeneticists as the modern synthesis。
perhaps uniquely among human beings； the younger haldane found world war i 鈥渁 veryenjoyable experience鈥潯nd freely admitted that he 鈥渆njoyed the opportunity of killing people。鈥�
he was himself wounded twice。 after the war he became a successful popularizer of scienceand wrote twenty…three books （as well as over four hundred scientific papers）。 his books arestill thoroughly readable and instructive； though not always easy to find。 he also became anenthusiastic marxist。 it has been suggested； not altogether cynically； that this was out of apurely contrarian instinct； and that if he had been born in the soviet union he would havebeen a passionate monarchist。 at all events； most of his articles first appeared in themunist daily worker。
whereas his father鈥檚 principal interests concerned miners and poisoning； the youngerhaldane became obsessed with saving submariners and divers from the unpleasantconsequences of their work。 with admiralty funding he acquired a depression chamberthat he called the 鈥減ressure pot。鈥潯his was a metal cylinder into which three people at a timecould be sealed and subjected to tests of various types； all painful and nearly all dangerous。
volunteers might be required to sit in ice water while breathing 鈥渁berrant atmosphere鈥潯rsubjected to rapid changes of pressurization。 in one experiment； haldane simulated adangerously hasty ascent to see what would happen。 what happened was that the dentalfillings in his teeth exploded。 鈥渁lmost every experiment；鈥潯orton writes； 鈥渆nded withsomeone having a seizure； bleeding； or vomiting。鈥潯he chamber was virtually soundproof； sothe only way for occupants to signal unhappiness or distress was to tap insistently on thechamber wall or to hold up notes to a small window。
on another occasion； while poisoning himself with elevated levels of oxygen； haldane hada fit so severe that he crushed several vertebrae。 collapsed lungs were a routine hazard。
perforated eardrums were quite mon； but； as haldane reassuringly noted in one of hisessays； 鈥渢he drum generally heals up； and if a hole remains in it； although one is somewhatdeaf； one can blow tobacco smoke out of the ear in question； which is a socialacplishment。鈥�
what was extraordinary about this was not that haldane was willing to subject himself tosuch risk and disfort in the pursuit of science； but that he had no trouble talkingcolleagues and loved ones into climbing into the chamber； too。 sent on a simulated descent；his wife once had a fit that lasted thirteen minutes。 when at last she stopped bouncing acrossthe floor； she was helped to her feet and sent home to cook dinner。 haldane happily employedwhoever happened to be around； including on one memorable occasion a former primeminister of spain； juan negr铆n。 dr。 negr铆n plained afterward of minor tingling and 鈥渁curious velvety sensation on the lips鈥潯ut otherwise seems to have escaped unharmed。 he mayhave considered himself very lucky。 a similar experiment with oxygen deprivation lefthaldane without feeling in his buttocks and lower spine for six years。
among haldane鈥檚 many specific preoccupations was nitrogen intoxication。 for reasons thatare still poorly understood； beneath depths of about a hundred feet nitrogen bees apowerful intoxicant。 under its influence divers had been known to offer their air hoses topassing fish or decide to try to have a smoke break。 it also produced wild mood swings。 inone test； haldane noted； the subject 鈥渁lternated between depression and elation； at onemoment begging to be depressed because he felt 鈥榖loody awful鈥櫋nd the next minutelaughing and attempting to interfere with his colleague鈥檚 dexterity test。鈥潯n order to measure the rate of deterioration in the subject； a scientist had to go into the chamber with thevolunteer to conduct simple mathematical tests。 but after a few minutes； as haldane laterrecalled； 鈥渢he tester was usually as intoxicated as the testee； and often forgot to press thespindle of his stopwatch； or to take proper notes。鈥潯he cause of the inebriation is even now amystery。 it is thought that it may be the same thing that causes alcohol intoxication； but as noone knows for certain what causes that we are none the wiser。 at all events； without thegreatest care； it is easy to get in trouble once you leave the surface world。
which brings us back （well； nearly） to our earlier observation th