Experiment gives scientist headache

A celebrity scientist suffered blinding headaches after sealing himself in an airtight foliage filled chamber in a harrowing test designed to show the power of plants.

Iain Stewart, professor, revealed the side effects after spending two days locked inside the see-through container for an experiment linked to a new BBC2 series.

“I went into the chamber at 10 p.m. and immediately what we did was take the oxygen levels from 21 per cent, which is normal, to 12.5 per cent,” Prof. Stewart told BBC Radio Five Live.

“Then a whole bank of lights were turned on and the plants inside the chamber started to synthesise and they started pumping out oxygen for me to breathe.

“I of course then needed to breathe to give them the carbon dioxide they needed as well.

“Everything was air sealed and the big question was whether the oxygen levels would rise enough to keep me going.”

Prof. Stewart said he was keeping the results of the experiment secret until the programme airs early next year.

However, he revealed that he did suffer from severe headaches and tiredness during the challenge.

“The oxygen obviously went up enough and I got through it but not without some cost,” he said.

“When you go into low oxygen you are essentially going to an altitude of 4,500 metres, causing blinding headaches and a lot of tiredness but apart from that it has worked out pretty well.”