http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/ Engadget Comments for Movie Gadget Friday: The Fluid Breathing System from The Abyss http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
In this case, the article piqued my prior curiosity enough to inspire a quick Googling. I found out not only that fairly extensive experimentation was done with this idea years back, but that the rat in the movie was actually breathing liquid exactly as described. Pretty amazing stuff.

http://www.scienceweb.org/movies/abyss.html]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
--Matt
www.LivingInSin.net]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
Unfortunately, the liquid is carsonogenic, so no underwater heroics for YOU.

David]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
As for breathing fluid, it's probbably not as un-natural as you think. After all, we evolved from fish, and we spend 9 months of our lives with fluid in our lungs.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
Instead, their lungs were partially filled (less than 15 percent of lung volume) with the a flourocarbon solution probably similar to the one mentioned above.
This gave us time to allow the lungs to heal, without having to use a cardiopulmonary bypass setup (which is quite risky and can't be sustained for very long), to the point that the children can tolerate a regular ventillator and eventually be extubated. Very cutting edge stuff at the time. Dunno how much it is used except at Major Academic centers.

Sometimes reality is as strange as fiction.

DaveC]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
DaveC]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
I'm not saying you didn't actually ever watch the movie before calling it a stinker, but you may have stepped out for popcorn for long enough to miss the plot, which has conflict between the SEALs and divers because the former decide to retrieve nuclear warheads and DETONATE them. If they just wanted to retrieve the sub, the divers were up for it (and bonus pay).

"Raise your hand if you think that was a Russian water tentacle."]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
http://www.scienceweb.org/movies/abyss.html
]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
No way this is a stinker.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
http://yarchive.net/med/liquid_breathe.html]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/The main question is unanswered: was Ed Harris really breathing liquid during filming or not? Anyone can enlighten this?]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/
I couldn't have done it]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/The 'middle' ear is the part I think you mean, but that is connected to your throat via the eustachian tube. I imagine that the fluid would enter the middle ear by this connection.]]>Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/http://www.engadget.com/2004/10/01/movie-gadget-friday-the-fluid-breathing-system-from-the-abyss/Dec 19th 2005 12:05AM