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| 3 | %% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks! |
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| 7 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1588444968093965100 |
| 8 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
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| 10 | [[quoteright:350:[[TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/professor.png]]]][[caption-width-right:350:[[TemptingFate Now, let's see if I got the measurements right...]]]] |
| 11 | %% |
| 12 | ->''"September 13th, 11:56 PM. I have started this alone, and I must finish it... alone.\ |
| 13 | I know now that I must use... myself... as the subject of the experiment."'' |
| 14 | -->-- '''Dr. Henry Jekyll''', ''Theatre/JekyllAndHyde'' |
| 15 | |
| 16 | So you're a bona fide scientific genius, and you've come up with a wonder drug that will allow people to live forever. So now you'll apply for approval from the FDA, right? Begin animal testing, assessing major organ toxicity in rats and small primates, then monitoring the subjects for carcinogenic effects and reproductive complications; who knows, if the drug behaves as predicted you could be doing Phase One clinical trials inside of five years. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Or, you could just mix up a batch of the stuff in your basement and drink it... |
| 19 | |
| 20 | That's just what scientists do in fiction. They might go as far as trying out their incredibly experimental drug/strength ray/time-altering device/etc. on a squirrel or something first, but the point is that they move onto human testing quickly, usually without any safeguards or anyone observing, and they use themselves as a test subject. They might have their reasoning -- they needed to get it done quickly because the invention is needed for some time-sensitive purpose (e.g., a dying loved one, a company about to go under); the story's setting (such as AfterTheEnd) inherently limits the options in terms of test subjects; they're a [[TheyCalledMeMad discredited scientist]], forced to work under the radar; the invention is being created not for public consumption but for the scientist's own (usually evil) ends; or the scientist is [[MadScientist just plain crazy]]. But none of those are decent reasons, save possibly the insanity; it's just a dumbass thing to do. Hence the fact that half the time [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity something]] [[GoneHorriblyWrong Goes Horribly Wrong]]; and for the other half (which is ''far worse'') something [[GoneHorriblyRight Goes Horribly Right]]. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | On the other hand, these characters usually retain the audience's sympathy since they are risking only their own lives, not those of some poor {{Innocent Bystander}}s or their [[GuineaPigFamily own children]]. This puts them in favorable contrast to the ObviouslyEvil {{Mad Scientist}}s, who test their {{Phlebotinum}} on any [[TestedOnHumans innocent humans]] they can [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable strap down to the table]]. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | [[DontTryThisAtHome Testing things on themselves is actually terrible scientific procedure.]] Since the scientist has pre-conceived notions on what might happen, the results are unreliable and are likely to be discarded. There's also the issue that there [[NoControlGroup can't be a control group]] due to the testee/tester knowing what they are doing. Many experiments don't tell the testees what they are trying to find out or lie to them in order to find out something different from what the scientists are claiming to find. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | The more cartoonish the show, and the crazier the scientist, the more blatant this trope becomes. A ZanyCartoon might very well feature a scientist who, suddenly needing to be giant, just steps over to his array of beakers and retorts, mixes a bunch of [[TechnicolorScience funny-colored liquids]] together, and drinks it. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | Believe it or not, [[TruthInTelevision this was actually standard procedure]] in many fields of science. Even as late as the 1950's, chemists would create a new compound and ingest it to see what it did. It was not the healthiest of occupations; quite a few scientists did end up killing themselves via experimentation. The Nuremberg Code of 1946, which codified the ethical requirements for human experimentation, forbids any experiment that is highly likely to or will certainly cause death or serious harm to the subjects. However, the ban is '''explicitly waived''' if the researcher is experimenting on themself. It still happens; see the real-life example section. |
| 29 | |
| 30 | See also GuineaPigFamily and NoControlGroup. May overlap with SelfMadeSuperpowers, if the purpose (and result) of the experiment was the character gaining superpowers. May also overlap with GettingSickDeliberately, if the character decides to test something by getting themselves ill first. |
| 31 | |
| 32 | ---- |
| 33 | !!Examples: |
| 34 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | [[folder:Anime and Manga]] |
| 37 | * ''Manga/The100GirlfriendsWhoReallyReallyReallyReallyReallyLoveYou'': The Yakuzens routinely test experimental drugs on themselves. Of particular note is Kusuri's immortality drug, which de-aged everyone in her family into eight-year-olds, with their MagicAntidote only countering it temporarily. (Or not at all in the case of her grandmother, for whom Kusuri sought to make the immortality drug in the first place.) Among the side effects of this practice is the Yakuzens being UnaffectedBySpice and having AcquiredPoisonImmunity. |
| 38 | * [[spoiler:Kiriko]] resorts to this with the last vaccine in ''Manga/TwentiethCenturyBoys'', since [[spoiler:she]] is in a hurry and no longer has as many resources as before. |
| 39 | * Aaron Newt from ''Manga/PlusAnima'' performed many experiments regarding the titular +Anima phenomenon (children gaining animal superpowers after experiencing a near-death experience). He apparently performed a lot of these experiments on himself, which led to him becoming a strange-looking BeastMan. |
| 40 | * Lampshaded in, of all places, the H-manga ''Manga/AsukaAndShizuru''. The main villain, a sorcerer of some sort, is defeated in the first chapter and goes on to become the BigBad of the series by performing experiments on himself. The lampshading comes soon after, wherein it is acknowledged that doing so was an absolutely moronic move on his part because it carried an enormous risk. [[spoiler:This comes into play very soon after when a sex demon eats him alive and enslaves the two girls. Don't worry, they escape the mind control and kick its ass, sending it back to recuperate. It ends with a more optimistic variant of the BolivianArmyEnding, with them preparing to face the enemy again confident that they won't fall for the same tricks twice.]] |
| 41 | * One of the subjects of Hikawa's experiments in the ''Manga/BirdyTheMighty'' OVA series was himself, giving himself telekinesis and SuperStrength, as well as reverting him to his physical prime. [[spoiler:He's also willing to ignore any side-effects of his experiments, including, again, to himself.]] |
| 42 | * ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': |
| 43 | ** Kurotsuchi Mayuri is obviously his own favorite test subject (he's given himself such bizarre abilities as being able to rip out his own ear and transform it into a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusarigama kusarigama,]] and to [[RocketPunch launch his right arm as a grappling hook]])... although based on what is known of his personality, most of his "improvements" were probably perfected on the unwilling first. |
| 44 | ** Mayuri's predecessor as the chief scientist of the Gotei 13, Urahara Kisuke, has also been known to do this. He invented a device that allows a Shinigami to achieve bankai (the final stage of their [[EmpathicWeapon zanpakuto]]), which normally takes decades if not centuries, in no more than three days. "No more" because if bankai isn't achieved within that time, the user of the device will ''die''. Urahara immediately used it himself. |
| 45 | %%(ZCE)* [[spoiler:Klaus Von Bogoot]] from ''Manga/Cyborg009''. |
| 46 | * Downplayed with Dr. Gero in ''Manga/DragonBallZ'': he turned himself into a {{Cyborg}}, but as [[YouAreNumberSix his number]] shows, he was the last one instead of the first. |
| 47 | * {{Averted|Trope}} in ''Manga/FrankenFran'': the eponymous character doesn't test a treatment she developed for aging on herself because, as she herself puts it, "It's just too scary~". [[spoiler:For good reason: she based it on telomerase... and cells that have too much of it turn cancerous. Her client, who ordered her killed so she could keep all the research to herself, ends up testing it by self-injection... [[LaserGuidedKarma and is ultimately turned into a huge cancerous blob]].]] |
| 48 | * In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', Shou Tucker experiments on his own body, becoming a monstrous canine chimera, in his [[{{Necromantic}} attempts to resurrect his daughter Nina]]. |
| 49 | * For Bondrewd in ''Manga/MadeInAbyss'', everyone and everything is fair game for his experiments, he himself is no exception. |
| 50 | * Despite using plenty a test subject before and after defecting, this happens to one of the {{Big Bad}}s in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. |
| 51 | --> [[spoiler:'''Sasuke:''' So your true body... is a scaly, white serpent... You wanted to take over other peoples' bodies so badly, you experimented on your own...]] |
| 52 | * {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'': [[spoiler:Yui Ikari's seemingly fatal experiment in merging with Evangelion Unit-01 was part of a secret gambit to undercut the villains' nefarious plans fifteen years before they could be executed, make her son TheChosenOne, and FlingALightIntoTheFuture for the sake of human civilization, already on the brink of destruction]]. |
| 53 | * Somewhat used in ''Anime/PokemonTheSeries'': the Pokémon researcher Bill stuffs himself inside a Kabuto costume to find out what it feels like. See the video games section for the more on-the-spot version from the games. |
| 54 | * In ''Manga/SoulEater'', one of the first things we learn about Franken Stein is that he is interested in observation and experimentation, where anything or one could be a test subject -- including himself. Stein has, naturally, a bolt through his head and scars all over him. Sort of an odd example though in that we don't actually know what he did to himself. Yes, he has a stitch over his face but aside from that, he doesn't look too different from his younger incarnation we see in flashbacks so it at least wasn't anything cosmetic. He's been hailed as a genius meister since before he had the scar and bolt too so it wasn't some kind of power augmentation. So far the bolt and scar on his face only seem to be evidence that he has done this, but the reason behind it has not yet been given. |
| 55 | * Attempted in ''Anime/SpeedGrapher''; however, since the "experiment" involved [[spoiler:''raping a 15-year-old girl'']], all for the better that it wasn't carried out. |
| 56 | * Shirogane Ryou of ''Manga/TokyoMewMew'', upon completing his father's research, promptly tested it on himself. Because he conveniently didn't have the right genetic code, he did not, in fact, become a magical girl... er, boy. |
| 57 | * Yu Kaitou in ''Manga/YuYuHakusho'' has the power to steal the soul of anyone who breaks the "rules" he sets down for his psychic territory. If he breaks his own rules, then his soul is separated from his body. How did he find this out? Why, he breaks his own rules on purpose, of course, forcing his friends to seek out [[MentorArchetype Genkai]] to find out how to cure him before it's too late, which causes the events that kick off the prologue to the ''Chapter Black'' Saga. |
| 58 | [[/folder]] |
| 59 | |
| 60 | [[folder:Comic Books]] |
| 61 | * ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'': This is the origin of Batman's sometimes ally sometimes foe Man-Bat. Dr. Kirk Langstrom, a scientist specializing in the study of bats, develops an extract intended to give humans a bat's sonar sense and tests the formula on himself because he is becoming deaf. The extract works, but it has a horrible side effect: it transforms him into a hideous man-sized bat. |
| 62 | * Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle''. When Dani Garrett (having recently switched meds) decides to fly Jaime and herself into a volcano the following exchange occurs: |
| 63 | -->'''Jaime:''' You're sure this thing can survive a trip so far underground?\ |
| 64 | '''Dani:''' Only one way to find out!\ |
| 65 | '''Jaime:''' No! No! There are other ways to "find out"! Like tests and experiments!\ |
| 66 | '''Dani:''' Oh, yeah. Whoops. |
| 67 | * In ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'', a dentist tried to develop a new method of pain relief that he decided to test on himself. The resulting personality corruption turned him into the Cobra operative known as Dr. Mindbender. |
| 68 | * Testing your own inventions on yourself is the fast track to instant super-villainy in the ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse''. |
| 69 | ** Dr. Curt Connors from ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' tries using reptilian DNA to regrow his lost arm. Congratulations, Curt, now you're a violent half-human half-lizard monster. Bravo. |
| 70 | ** In ''ComicBook/AvengersTheInitiative'', Komodo was a paraplegic who understudied with Curt, above. You can probably see where this is going... she modifies the formula to regrow her legs and gets lizard-woman powers. On the plus side, she doesn't suffer Curt's split-personality issues, but only because she was at least smart enough to make sure that wouldn't happen. She also doesn't particularly care about being a lizard person because, hey, legs! |
| 71 | ** Dr. Michael ComicBook/{{Morbius}} tries to cure his blood disease by injecting himself with fluids distilled from vampire bats and turns himself into a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent living vampire]] in the process. |
| 72 | ** Marine biologist Dr. Lemuel Dorcas from ''ComicBook/SubMariner'' was crushed when a machine toppled onto him during a fight against Namor, and to heal himself, he injected himself with regenerative starfish tissue. It mutated him into a human/starfish hybrid. |
| 73 | ** In the universe of ''ComicBook/Marvel1602'', Baron Octavius suffered from the bubonic plague. He tried to cure himself by using the blood of octopuses. It worked, but also slowly transformed him into a human/octopus hybrid. |
| 74 | ** In ''ComicBook/XMen'', this is the origin of the original blue fuzzy status of Beast. In the X-Spider-Man crossover novel trilogy ''Time's Arrow'', a future scientist [[LampshadeHanging hangs a lampshade]] on Beast's testing an experimental serum by drinking it. [=McCoy=] has the grace to be embarrassed. His original intention was to use it as a means of disguise which he could use to spy for his employer, one which he would reverse when his spying was done. (Yes, in those days Hank had a little problem with ethics.) However, it is true that Hank drinking the serum was a rather dumbass move to make, and Beast even [[LampshadeHanging lampshades this himself]], when he observes that he didn't ''have'' to drink it -- keeping it out of his employer's hands aside, it was in the end an act of hubris. Incidentally, this habit went horribly wrong in the {{Elseworld}} ''ComicBook/MutantX'' -- one of his projects significantly damaged his intelligence, and he's no longer smart enough to undo the effects. |
| 75 | ** Marvel's other noteworthy Hank, [[ComicBook/AntMan Hank Pym]], was also an example of this, testing [[IncredibleShrinkingMan a shrinking serum]] on himself. After encountering some now-giant ants and managing to return to normal size, he originally planned to destroy the serum but later used it to become a superhero with varying levels of success. He did it again when he tested out his [[BrainUploading mind uploading]] technology to make a robot he named Ultron -- who then went mad and became one of ComicBook/TheAvengers' worst enemies. He's not proud of it. |
| 76 | ** ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'': |
| 77 | *** In ''ComicBook/UltimateOrigins'', Bruce Banner tries the Super-Soldier serum on himself. As you probably suspected, it [[GoneHorriblyWrong goes horribly wrong]]. Later, in ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'', Bruce decides to tinker with the formula a little while in a depressive funk and having heard Henry Pym insulting him. The end result: the Hulk, but stronger than before, and with the little extra detail that whatever Bruce's done is ''permanent'' this time. |
| 78 | *** Decades before, Bruce's mentor tried his own version of the Hulk serum out on himself. It actually worked for him. Then he ran off into the night to play crime lord with his new superpowers. |
| 79 | *** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'': Henry Pym tried the Giant-Man experiment on himself. It was a successful case, but still, he was the leading scientist, and many things could have gone wrong. |
| 80 | *** ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'': Having seen what his Oz formula did for scrawny Peter Parker, Norman Osborn decides that it's a terrifically great idea to inject himself with a souped-up version. The initial power-up blows up the lab, kills a lot of people, and shatters Norman's mind. Later on in the series, when the truth about Norman gets out, a lot of characters even point out how spectacularly ''dumb'' this was. |
| 81 | *** ''ComicBook/UltimateVision'': Tarleton experimented on himself, even before the Gah Lak Tus unit showed up. |
| 82 | *** ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen'': Cornelius experimented on himself with Wolverine's DNA, and mutated himself. |
| 83 | * ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'': |
| 84 | ** Gorthan is an Evronian scientist specializing in creating {{Super Soldier}}s who "improved himself", among others. |
| 85 | ** Xadhoom's [[PhysicalGoddess immense power]] may or may not be the result of this. It's clear she was trying to create a powerful and eternal power source to stave off Xerba's impending energy crisis, and while some flashbacks have her implying that ''becoming'' such an energy source was a genuine accident the Evronian scientist Zoster openly states she did it on purpose ([[EvilCannotComprehendGood then again, Evronians don't have a good record understanding people with emotions]]). |
| 86 | * In ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMegaseries'', the Decepticon scientist Thunderwing used himself as a test subject for his experimental "polydermal grafting" technology. The experiments made him into a nigh-invulnerable and completely insane PersonOfMassDestruction whose subsequent rampage forced the Autobots and Decepticons to unite against him. And the fight caused the destruction of Cybertron, which was the very thing he was trying to prevent. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:Comic Strips]] |
| 90 | * ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'' has a comic with a group of deformed scientists crowding around a non-deformed one, offering him a beaker full of noxious-looking bubbling liquid. Caption: "Laboratory peer pressure." |
| 91 | [[/folder]] |
| 92 | |
| 93 | [[folder:Fan Works]] |
| 94 | * In ''Fanfic/TheButcherBird'', [[VillainProtagonist Grigori Vinci]] tests most of his [[BioAugmentation Augment]] types on himself before giving them to others. |
| 95 | * Bruce Banner supposedly did this in ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', having seen the files on [[PlayingWithSyringes Camp Cathcart]]. The result was the Hulk. [[spoiler:Sinister]] also got his powers this way. |
| 96 | * How Green Shield from ''Roleplay/DCNation'' acquired meta-human abilities; faced with a terminal illness, she experimented on herself, hoping to turn her body into a "smoking gun" to protect her patent on the work and provide for her family. It instead made her extra tough, extra strong, arrested her illness's progression... and made her a fugitive from bosses PlayingWithSyringes. |
| 97 | * ''Fanfic/EquestriaGirlsFriendshipSouls'': [[EvilutionaryBiologist Grogar]] seeks to improve the Hollow condition ([[ItsAllAboutMe and mostly himself]]), and as such isn't afraid to use his research to augment his own body after having perfected it on the unwilling test subjects in his "care". In addition to the [[spoiler:copy of Adagio's siren gem]], his [[OneWingedAngel Resurreccion]] is a horrible mish-mash of his own flesh and cybernetic components made from reishi that in addition to strengthening his physical abilities allows him to use the powers of [[PowerCopying other Hollows and even Espada he's studied and replicated]]. |
| 98 | * [[SnakeOilSalesman Cotton Mouth]] from ''Fanfic/TheGreatAlicornHunt'' used himself as a test subject for a new Vitality Elixir he was trying to experiment with. After the initial results proved to be harmless, he peddled the Elixir as a medicine meant to ease pregnancies of 37 Mares in an isolated town in the Bayou: initially to prove that his formula was a success to the scientific community. Unfortunately, after he had sold the Vitality Elixirs did he start to show [[BodyHorror severe negative side effects]], and by then the Mares [[DeathByChildbirth died giving birth]], with a fair number of the fetuses coming out stillborn or heavily deformed. Only two foals managed to survive the Elixirs' effects, [[spoiler:one of whom had ascended into an Alicorn]]. |
| 99 | * In ''Fanfic/IfIOnlyHadAHeart'', Izuku tests his own artificial prosthetics to replace his missing arm and eye as well as support his damaged spine on himself. Granted, he runs countless tests on non-living dummies beforehand, but he has neither the time nor the expenses to ask for a clinical trial, and his inventions are so advanced that no doctor would ever dare help him with it. [[ChildProdigy He's also anywhere between 9 and 12 when he creates his own painkillers and performs surgery on himself]]. For the most part, they run smoothly, [[spoiler:at least until he installs his artificial eye. That one gave him an epileptic seizure after his neural link to the supercomputer inside of it overwhelmed his brain, though he was up and at it after a short stay in the hospital]]. |
| 100 | * ''Fanfic/ThePalaververse'': ''Second Sun'': "Starswirl's Partitioning Dweomerlayk"'s only seen casting applies its effects on the caster, and since Starswirl managed to make notes on its effects, that implies that he made those notes after testing it on himself. |
| 101 | * In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2698347/1/Walk-Through-the-Valley Walk Through the Valley]]'', a ''Manga/RurouniKenshin'' fic by Creator/{{Vathara}}, Hiko used LegoGenetics to give himself the AbsurdlySharpClaws, InnateNightVision, ''ki''-sense and instincts of a felinoid alien called a ''kiryuu''. He also tumbled into the FountainOfYouth, which would have gotten him sent to prison if not for his assistant's quick thinking, and went from ChildHater to KnightTemplarParent. |
| 102 | [[/folder]] |
| 103 | |
| 104 | [[folder:Film -- Animation]] |
| 105 | * Dr. Cockroach from ''WesternAnimation/MonstersVsAliens'' was the result of a scientist testing a procedure to give humans the genetic hardiness of the common roach... and ending up with the head of one as well. [[spoiler:For further fun, his [=PhD=] is in ''Dance!'']] |
| 106 | [[/folder]] |
| 107 | |
| 108 | [[folder:Film -- Live-Action]] |
| 109 | * ''Film/TheAdultVersionOfJekyllAndHide'': Leeder tested his experimental formula on himself. |
| 110 | * Buckaroo Banzai in ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension'', in a way. He decides to test his Oscillation Overthruster (which can allow something to pass through solid matter) in a vehicle he himself drives. He suffers no ill effects as a direct result, although the president's adviser suggests otherwise. |
| 111 | * In ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'', Dr. Connors is developing a serum to regrow limbs using "[[LegoGenetics cross-species genetics]]". He logically goes through the process of computer simulations and then lab rats and concludes that it is ready for primate trials to determine long-term effects. His CorruptCorporateExecutive of a boss is the one who forces him to bypass his ethics by threatening to test it on unwitting veterans down at the VA if Connors doesn't comply. Cue Connors shooting himself up with lizard goo with predictable comic-book results. |
| 112 | * ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'' is a rare example where the scientist doesn't test the machine himself, but he does put his beloved pet dog in the driver's seat, and himself and his best friend in the path of the speeding vehicle, so he does still seem overly confident. "If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're gonna see some serious shit." "WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! EIGHTY-EIGHT MILES PER HOUR!" He did intend for himself to be the first human test subject, with the space of time to observe negative side effects in said dog being a few minutes. |
| 113 | * ''Film/BeforeIHang'': Using the blood of a recently executed prisoner, Dr. Garth and Dr. Howard succeed in developing a serum that will reverse the effects of aging and decide to test it on Dr. Garth immediately prior to his execution. |
| 114 | * Professor Brody in ''Film/CatsAndDogs'' tests his allergy cures on himself. He does it three times that we can see in the movie: the first time, it doesn't work, and he breaks out in hives all over; the second time, his nose becomes bulbous but at least he doesn't sneeze; the third time, it's the correct cure. |
| 115 | %%(PCE)* One scientist does this [[HeroicSacrifice out of desperation]] in ''Film/Contagion2011'' and [[spoiler:it actually works]]. |
| 116 | * ''Film/{{Daybreakers}}'': Edward Dalton tests sun exposure plus submergence in water as a cure for vampirism. On himself. Justified in that he's the only vampire around the human refugee hideout when he tests it. Generally, unless there are vampire animals around, it's rather difficult to test a cure for vampirism in a method that is not either really stupid (this trope) or morally questionable (StrappedToAnOperatingTable). |
| 117 | * The crux of the plot of ''Film/{{Flatliners}}'' is the students experimenting with near-death experiences on themselves after interviews with patients and their experiences. |
| 118 | * In ''Film/TheFly1958'', the lead character tries teleporting himself and winds up switching heads with a housefly. [[Film/TheFly1986 The 1986 version of the story]], besides having the experience result in a SlowTransformation into a HalfHumanHybrid instead, rationalizes this trope simply enough. While Seth has just finally sent a baboon through the process with no ill effects, after a previous attempt turned a creature inside-out, he plans to have the animal tested to make sure it's truly unaffected and is willing to wait weeks on that before making another move. Teleporting himself is ''supposed'' to be the GrandFinale of his work somewhere down the line. But due to a misunderstanding involving his love interest, who abruptly leaves to confront her editor/ex-lover just as they're celebrating the breakthrough of the baboon, [[AlcoholInducedIdiocy Seth ends up getting drunk on champagne and decides to teleport himself right there and then]]. |
| 119 | * At the start of ''Film/FrankensteinCreatedWoman'', Baron Frankenstein is testing his theory that the soul does not leave the body at the moment of death by allowing himself to the buried for an hour, then frozen, and then revived by his assistant Dr. Hertz. |
| 120 | * ''Film/HollowMan'' and [[Film/HollowMan2 its sequel]] both have the person who has taken the serum become a serial killer. The original does have extensive animal testing of the invisibility serum, but the head scientist fudges the results and takes the serum himself. In this case, the big problem is reversing the invisibility process; the scientist thinks that trying it on a human will provide better results, and he's the only one willing to do it. |
| 121 | * Dr. David Banner from ''Film/{{Hulk}}'' resorted to using himself as a test subject for his BioAugmentation research after the Army refused to let him use human test subjects. As it turns out, [[SuperpowerfulGenetics the modifications are inheritable]]... |
| 122 | * ''Film/{{Junior}}'' has Dr. Hesse test an experimental drug for reducing miscarriages on himself due to being unable to get funding and test subjects. [[MisterSeahorse He ends up pregnant]]. |
| 123 | * In ''Film/TheNeanderthalMan'', a MadScientist tests a [[DevolutionDevice devolution serum]] on himself in order to prove his theory that prehistoric man was more intelligent. |
| 124 | * In ''Film/OtherLife'', founder Ren seems to be the only person the eponymous technology is ever tested on. |
| 125 | * ''Film/TheProjectedMan'' features a scientist who must quickly jury-rig a teleportation experiment to convince his CorruptCorporateExecutive sponsors not to cut his funding. Unfortunately, the ditsy blonde secretary he enlists to help him teleport botches the procedure, and the machine explodes. The scientist then winds up getting his DNA mixed with that of a rat that had died in a previous experiment. Oh, and he also gets the ability to generate lethal electric shocks. |
| 126 | * ''Film/SpiderMan1'': Norman Osborn's company is about to lose a military contract and go under, thanks to a lack of successful human trials of a [[SuperSerum performance-enhancing drug]]. With only two weeks to produce good results for the asshole general who makes the ultimatum and no time to go "back to formula" as suggested by his colleague, he tests it on himself in desperation -- never mind the fact that, if that test were made public, he'd surely lose the contract and the company. It's all kind of moot anyway, as the drug ''does'' work...and [[PsychoSerum makes him go insane as well]]. |
| 127 | %%** Doc Ock is also this. |
| 128 | * In ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', Zefram Cochrane, the inventor of warp drive, flies the test ship himself. Given the post-apocalyptic setting, however, finding a trained pilot may have been very difficult, and it makes a certain amount of sense for the person who ''knows'' the ship inside and out to be aboard. At least he has two astronauts from the future to help him out. |
| 129 | * In ''Film/TheStoryOfLouisPasteur'', Charbonnet the skeptic injects himself with Pasteur's rabies culture to prove that Pasteur's theories about germs causing disease are wrong. Charbonnet is triumphant when he never gets sick, but this leads Pasteur to an EurekaMoment in which he figures out that weakened forms of the germ (the sample was three weeks old) can be used in vaccines to combat illness. |
| 130 | * One that crosses it with RealLife is ''Film/SuperSizeMe'', for which documentarian Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but [=McDonalds=] for a month and had the results filmed and monitored. |
| 131 | * In ''Film/TheSwarm1978'', Dr. Walter Krim tests out a killer bee anti-venom on himself. It goes as well as one might expect, and he's dead in minutes. |
| 132 | * ''Film/TheTingler'': Dr. Warren Chapin is researching the physiological aspects of fear, and experiments on himself taking LSD some six years before the hippies appropriated it for their own. |
| 133 | * Victor in ''Film/{{Upldr}}'' used himself as a test subject on a way to upload and download information directly from the human brain. |
| 134 | * ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Dr. Poison's facial scars are quite obviously caused by chemical burns, and WordOfGod confirms the implication that they were self-inflicted when Maru tested her corrosive gas on herself to see how effective it was. |
| 135 | * Beast again, this time in ''Film/XMenFirstClass''... but he deserves a special mention because unlike a lot of scientists who then stop, ''Film/XMenDaysOfFuturePast'' makes clear that he ''kept doing it''. |
| 136 | * Dr. Xavier of ''Film/XTheManWithTheXRayEyes'' tests the XRayVision eyedrops on himself... [[TooDumbToLive in both eyeballs]]. |
| 137 | [[/folder]] |
| 138 | |
| 139 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 140 | * ''Literature/TwentyThousandLeaguesUnderTheSea'': In a variation, TheProfessor Aronnax is willing to sacrifice his own freedom for the rest of his life [[ForScience for the rare chance to discover all the sea’s secrets in the Nautilus]]. Fortunately, he is not [[GuineaPigFamily willing to sacrifice his friend’s freedom]] and leads them in their GreatEscape. |
| 141 | * In Robin Cook's ''Acceptable Risk'', Dr. Edward Armstrong creates a new anti-depressant drug and decides to start taking it himself in order to streamline the clinical trial process. His team of researchers agree to take the drug as well. [[spoiler:Too bad it makes them start having sleepwalking episodes in which they behave like carnivorous reptiles.]] |
| 142 | * ''Literature/TheApothecaryDiaries'': The protagonist, Maomao, considers her own left forearm to be a perfectly acceptable testing site for poisons and medicines. She is also extremely casual about ingesting both to see what they do. Her AcquiredPoisonImmunity is the result of this habit. |
| 143 | * "Literature/TheBicentennialMan": When Andrew invents new sorts of [[ArtificialLimbs prosthetics]], he is doing it to make a more [[DeceptivelyHumanRobots human-like]] body for himself. He owns the patents but arranges for a leasing agreement with US Robots, provided they install the prosthetics into his body first. He's motivated to BecomeARealBoy and making his body more organic in nature is part of that. |
| 144 | * In the ''Literature/{{Boojumverse}}'' story "The Wreck of the ''Charles Dexter Ward''", the villain injects herself with her experimental reanimation serum, believing that receiving it while still alive will produce better results than the mostly mindless zombies created by her previous tests. |
| 145 | * {{The Igor}}s of ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' believe it is most ethical to test all of their latest medical procedures on themselves first. Kind of makes sense, though, doesn't it? |
| 146 | * In ''Literature/DrFranklinsIsland'', this comes up when the titular doctor happily explains that he's going to splice his captives with animals, acting like it's a great adventure and even saying "If I had your young cells, but alas it's too late." In previous trials, splicing captive animals with human genes, initially much of the human material came from him and his assistant. |
| 147 | * The Operator in ''Literature/{{Duumvirate}}'' developed a retrovirus to bestow {{transhuman}}ity on whoever received it, and injected himself with it the second it was done synthesizing. |
| 148 | * ''Literature/TheFourteenthGoldfish'': Melvin tested the serum he developed with an extract of his T. Melvinus jellyfish on himself, and as a result, he has the body of a 13-year-old, when he's actually 75. |
| 149 | * ''Literature/GalaxyOfFear: City of the Dead'' has Dr. Evazam trying to make [[NightOfTheLivingMooks zombie soldiers]], and it goes well for him, but he notices that the fresher the corpse, the smarter and more useful the zombie. Some [[OurZombiesAreDifferent still have their memories and can talk]], so he [[TestedOnHumans tries killing random kids to quickly zombify]]. When this gets ''him'' killed, he comes back as a zombie with all his old memories and faculties -- he had injected ''himself'' with the serum while still alive and is delighted to find that it worked so well. |
| 150 | * ''Literature/HarryPotter'': Fred and George test sweets they've made that will cause sudden minor illnesses, allowing you to get out of class, on themselves. After they tried out the Nosebleed Nougat, their mother thought they'd had a fight. The worst it gets, though, is painful boils in an area they "don't normally expose to the public", and even that's eventually fixed. They try to test the sweets out on their fellow students (namely, first-years who wouldn't know to be suspicious), but Hermione stops them by [[DontTellMama threatening to tell their mother about it]]. |
| 151 | * ''Literature/TheInvisibleMan'': Griffin did test his process on a cat first, and he did have the excuse that he was kind of crazy. The justification given is that the invisibility process will only work on an albino -- which Griffin is. |
| 152 | * ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Ginger Hasina is a healer who makes experimental remedies. One of them was an anthrax vaccine that she tried on herself. When Eric enters her office late at night, she thinks auditory and visual hallucinations are side effects. |
| 153 | * ''Literature/MachineMan'' has Dr. Charles Neumann. An engineer at Better Future, Neumann doesn't design any ArtificialLimbs that he wouldn't try out himself. |
| 154 | * In "The New Accelerator" by Creator/HGWells, a scientist tests out a drug on himself that [[SuperSpeed makes him speed up by a factor of several thousand]]. |
| 155 | * Yatsubiyashi from ''Literature/RebuildWorld'', a MadScientist, installed his own cybernetic inventions in himself that give him SuperStrength and enough confidence to defend himself against hunters or monsters in the field. |
| 156 | * A doctor in J.G. Farrell's ''The Siege of Krishnapur'' drinks the 'rice-water' from a cholera patient, to demonstrate his confidence in the miasma theory of disease transmission (the theory that diseases are the result of bad air). It doesn't go well. |
| 157 | * ''Literature/SilverFin'': Since he was running out of test subjects back in the States, [[spoiler:Algar Hellebore]] tried the eponymous SuperSoldier serum on himself. As a result, he has become a hulkish but kind brute with little sign of his previous intelligence. |
| 158 | * Another classic example is ''Literature/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'' and all the variations thereof, e.g. ''Film/TheNuttyProfessor1963''. |
| 159 | * In ''Literature/AStudyInScarlet'', Watson's friend Stamford explains Literature/SherlockHolmes' willingness to go this route. Barely a page or two later, Holmes happily and unconcernedly stabs himself in the finger to produce the fresh blood he required for a chemical test. Although he does at least put a sticking plaster over the cut, "'for I dabble in poisons a good deal.' He held out his hand as he spoke, and I noticed that it was all mottled over with similar pieces of plaster, and discoloured with strong acids." |
| 160 | -->'''Stamford:''' Holmes is a little too scientific for my tastes -- it approaches to cold-bloodedness. I could imagine his giving a friend a little pinch of the latest vegetable alkaloid, not out of malevolence, you understand, but simply out of a spirit of inquiry in order to have an accurate idea of the effects. To do him justice, I think that he would take it himself with the same readiness. He appears to have a passion for definite and exact knowledge. |
| 161 | * In ''Literature/TheTimeMachine'', the Time-Traveller at least has the presence of mind to build a proof-of-concept device first. |
| 162 | [[/folder]] |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 165 | * In the third season of ''Series/TheFortyFourHundred'', Kevin Burkhoff has discovered promicin, the neurotransmitter that gives the returnees their abilities, and injects himself with it. First he gets all messed up (skin falling off, etc.), but eventually he develops his healing power. |
| 166 | * In ''Series/Casualty1906'', Anton Lesser's psychiatrist character asked another doctor to perform an operation on him in order that he could experience the emotions some of the hospital's patients were going through prior to an early 20th-century operation. |
| 167 | * In ''Series/{{Charite}}'', Robert Koch tests Tuberculin, his experimental medicament that's supposed to heal tuberculosis, on himself. It's causing him a dangerous bout of fever. TruthInTelevision, by the way -- the historical Robert Koch did just that. |
| 168 | * In the ''Series/{{Community}}'' episode "[[Recap/CommunityS1E04SocialPsychology Social Psychology]]", Prof. Duncan inadvertently becomes the subject of the Duncan Principle. |
| 169 | * ''Series/DoctorWho'': |
| 170 | ** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment The Lazarus Experiment]]": Elderly Professor Richard Lazarus uses himself as the test subject for his [[FountainOfYouth rejuvenation]] machine, which has some... interesting... side effects. "Mutation into a giant monster" side effects. |
| 171 | ** "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS38E1E2Spyfall Spyfall]]": [[spoiler:Tech mogul Daniel Barton's DNA proves to be only 97% human when scanned. He eventually explains that the Kasaavin can convert human DNA into one of the most efficient data storage devices on Earth, and he's a "proof-of-concept".]] |
| 172 | * The ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode "[[Recap/FarscapeS01E09DNAMadScientist DNA Mad Scientist]]" has an inversion, a MadScientist who used to be a guinea pig, or an alien equivalent, before his intellect was enhanced and he killed most of his captors. He does perform further genetic modifications on himself, but he tests them on others first -- for instance, injecting Aeryn with Pilot's DNA in order to isolate the Pilot species' multitasking ability. |
| 173 | * ''Series/TheGoodies'': In "Snooze", Graham Garden invents a bedtime drink that works so well it puts the entire country to sleep. As there's no one else awake (except Tim who's chasing after a sleepwalking Bill), he has to test the antidote on himself. |
| 174 | -->'''Graham:''' ''[dictating into a tape recorder]'' ...and that should produce the correct antidote. Well, I'm now just going to test it. First, I take a big swig of new-improved Snooze... ''[drinks]'' And now for the antido--''[falls asleep]'' |
| 175 | * In one episode of ''Series/GreysAnatomy'', a patient is an immunologist who's conducting a long-term experiment on himself where he ingested parasitic worms to test if they'd help reduce his allergy symptoms. [[https://abc.com/shows/greys-anatomy/news/medical-case-file/medical-case-file-704-worms-and-allergies This isn't as crazy as it sounds.]] A real-life biologist infected himself and several volunteers with hookworms (not the same type of worm as in the show) to do the same thing, and [[https://www.ksl.com/article/20838871/man-infects-self-with-hookworms-to-treat-severe-allergies the results are promising]]. |
| 176 | * A [[AndIMustScream nightmarish variation]] in ''Series/Halo2022''. Halsey makes an illegal flash-clone of herself in order to create the Cortana ArtificialIntelligence, which requires a scan of a living mind that will be destroyed in the process. Halsey's ExpendableClone knows full well her fate, as she thought up the idea back when she first took tissue samples for the purpose. The clone muses that at the time, Halsey wondered if she would have to will to go through with it. Unfortunately, [[MadScientist she does]]. |
| 177 | * In ''Series/{{Helix}}'', Doctor [[spoiler:Hiroshi Hatake]] hides {{glowing|Eyes}}, [[TechnicolorEyes silver]] irises behind brown-tinted contacts, suggesting some interesting side projects apart from the unregulated viral research Arctic Biosystems is conducting. |
| 178 | * In the third season premiere of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Mohinder Suresh takes a syringe of Maya's blood/DNA/super-powered-phlebotinum out onto a dock all by himself and injects it into himself. He gets insect-like super-strength, agility, and wall-climbing ability, but as a side effect appears to be mutating uncontrollably. The entire plotline appears to be a direct reference to ''Film/TheFly1986''. |
| 179 | * ''Series/{{House}}'': Although Dr. House didn't create the drug, he did test one created by his old college rival to combat migraines. He decides to become a sort of drug pincushion: first, using nitroglycerin to give himself a ''stonking'' great headache, then trying the drug (which failed), then ridding himself of it using ''LSD'', and finally anti-depressants to counteract the LSD... and the six Vicodin he had probably already taken that day. House probably had enough drugs in his system to mildly discomfort Keith Richards. |
| 180 | * ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk1977'': David "Bruce" Banner is performing experiments on himself to try to "tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have." An accidental overdose of gamma radiation interacts with his body chemistry to change him: whenever he gets angry, he becomes the Hulk. |
| 181 | * In the case of ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', the title protagonist is the brother of the scientist who created the invisibility process, and there had been previous testing done, albeit not with very encouraging results. The protagonist agrees to undergo the treatment because [[BoxedCrook the alternative is life in prison]] for a crime other than the one he actually committed. His brother also knew how to reverse the process... [[NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup but didn't bother to tell anybody else or keep any records of it, so it became permanent when he was murdered]]. [[spoiler:It later turns out that the records were stolen by Arnaud, Kevin's murderer. Arnaud then proceeded to repeat the experiment on himself, playing this trope straight.]] |
| 182 | * In ''Series/{{Lost}}'', it seems that Daniel Faraday [[spoiler:tested his [[MentalTimeTravel time machine]] on himself]] and only recovered from it gradually once near the Island. He also accidentally [[spoiler:used it on his lab assistant/girlfriend, unsticking her in time]]. |
| 183 | * In the first nationally broadcast season of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'', as well as the one that came before it, Dr. Laurence "Larry" Erhardt was an involuntary version: Dr. Forrester would test experiments on him (often against his will.) The more interesting ones included cold fusion being created within Erhardt's mouth and making him sweat through his tongue. TV's Frank would later take on this role, but not technically being a scientist he's just a plain Guinea Pig. |
| 184 | * The ''Series/MythBusters'' often use themselves as test subjects for their experiments. That said, the experiments they run in this manner have to be approved by their insurance company in advance, and there's always someone keeping tabs on the test subject(s) (if not another one of the hosts, then a producer or other member of the production team), avoiding at least some of the pitfalls of this trope. |
| 185 | * This happens in several episodes of ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995''. "[[Recap/TheOuterLimits1995S3E12DoubleHelix Double Helix]]" lampshades it. |
| 186 | -->'''Student:''' Dude, you injected that stuff that made that fish grow legs into ''yourself''!? |
| 187 | * Subverted in ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder'' where Dr. Anton Mercer tries and tries to perfect a potion to free himself from his SuperpoweredEvilSide Mesogog, where Mesogog actually succeeds in perfecting the potion and capturing the scientist. Of course, Mercer experimenting on himself was what ''created'' Mesogog in the first place. |
| 188 | * In ''Series/QuantumLeap'', Dr Sam Beckett was pressured to prove his theories or lose funding so he stepped into the project accelerator himself. This experiment wasn't exactly a resounding success. |
| 189 | * Semi-averted in an episode of ''Series/TheSaint'', where a man with a heart condition wanted to use cryogenics until open-heart surgery was commonplace. He did several animal tests, and ''wanted'' to start human testing with [[TheHero somebody else]], but at the end of the episode, Simon Templar escaped and a heart attack forced the man to enter his machine in an emergency. |
| 190 | * In ''Series/Sanctuary2007'', the Five all injected a serum based on pure vampire blood directly into their veins. The results were surprisingly beneficial. However, each one got different results, some of which were not related to vampiric abilities: Helen Magnus only got longevity out of it, [[UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper John Druitt]] gained teleportation powers with TeleportationSickness, [[Literature/TheInvisibleMan Nigel Griffin became the Invisible Man]], [[Franchise/SherlockHolmes James Watson]] became a super-genius, and UsefulNotes/NikolaTesla became a vampire with electricity powers. |
| 191 | * In an episode of ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'', science officer Paul Stamets uses a tardigrade-like creature as a navigation tool for the experimental spore drive, which allows instantaneous jumps across dozens of light-years. However, each jump takes a physical toll on the creature, and it eventually goes into self-induced hibernation. Burnham, Stamets, and Tilly figure out that the "tardigrade" is able to absorb the DNA of other living beings, thus explaining its symbiotic relationship with the spores. Burnham also realizes that humans still have a genetic link to the spores, since both are terrestrial species. For the final jump, Stamets injects himself with the creature's DNA and enters the reaction cube in order to use himself to plot the jump coordinates. It works, although Stamets is unconscious for several minutes. He personally finds the experience incredible. [[spoiler:The last scene of the episode is a WhamShot of Stamets turning away from his bathroom mirror to go to bed, while his reflection ''doesn't move'' for several seconds, before copying the action.]] |
| 192 | * In the ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS04E10Daedalus Daedalus]]", Emory Erickson, the wheelchair-bound inventor of the [[FlashyTeleportation transporter]], is shown receiving an injection from his daughter-- his back and spine are grossly distorted, implying [[TeleporterAccident a failed transporter experiment]]. |
| 193 | * ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'': |
| 194 | ** In "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E8Miri Miri]]", our heroes are trapped on a planet and slowly dying from a disease that kills all adults. [[TheMcCoy Dr. McCoy]] has mixed up what may very well be the antidote. Only problem is, he's not sure, and the only way to be sure is to check the ''Enterprise'''s computers, which can't be done because the local {{Creepy Child}}ren have stolen the communicators. What to do? Why, wait until Spock leaves and inject ''yourself'', of course! |
| 195 | ** Cited in "[[Recap/StarTrekS1E9DaggerOfTheMind Dagger of the Mind]]" to explain why a researcher from a penal colony has escaped onto the Enterprise, raving mad and terrified of returning. Apparently, he was testing a "neural neutralizer" on himself at too high a setting. However, Dr [=McCoy=] doesn't buy this and insists that Captain Kirk investigate. Turns out the neural neutralizer is being used for forced brainwashing. |
| 196 | * In an episode of ''Series/Supergirl2015'', a MadScientist breaks Livewire out of prison only to plug her into his machine and drain her ShockAndAwe powers into his two {{Mooks}} (a security guard and a former female prisoner). The two new Livewires turn out to be highly effective copies of the original. When the Guardian and Mon-El manage to defeat them at the scientist's warehouse, he references this trope before subduing them with a more powerful version of Livewire's lightning coming from his hands. Luckily, Supergirl arrives and, together with the original Livewire, defeats the scientist. |
| 197 | * In ''[[Series/{{V1983}} V: The Final Battle]]'', the dust used to kill the Visitors is tested on an alien prisoner. Then while the others are busy arguing about whether they should find a human collaborator to test it on, the scientist steps into the chamber instead and survives. |
| 198 | [[/folder]] |
| 199 | |
| 200 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 201 | * ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'' |
| 202 | ** The Progenitors have a whole transhumanist philosophy centered around this trope. They specialize in creating biological Wonders, as well as prosthetics and implants of various types. Originally, they experimented and tested their creations on human subjects of varying levels of willingness, but following the discovery of this by the rest of Genius society (and an ensuing internal purge of their old guard) they’ve taken to testing their creations and upgrades on their own selves instead. |
| 203 | ** The trope is also [[EnforcedTrope enforced]] by the game's KarmaMeter: self-modification is a Transgression, but running risky and dangerous experiments on human test subjects (even willing ones) is a worse one. |
| 204 | * ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'': In the Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad blocks, there’s a cycle of two-faced cards ([[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=226749 Delver of Secrets and Insectile Aberration]], [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=409790 Aberrant Researcher and Perfected Form]], and finally [[https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=414349 Docent of Perfection and Final Iteration]]) that follows a MadScientist as he runs tests on himself after running out of other subjects and turns himself into an insectoid monster, eventually putting himself through increasingly complex processes to "perfect" his form and turn into more and more horrible forms, eventually returning to share his discoveries with the other humans once he’s satisfied with his transformations. The final card reveals ''why'' he's transformed so horrifically: [[spoiler:he's unknowingly tapped into the power of the [[EldritchAbomination Eldrazi]]]]. |
| 205 | * In the dark, gritty {{cyberpunk}} {{urban fantasy}} world of ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'', the physical world operates on three layers: meatspace (the physical world), {{cyberspace}}, and [[SpiritWorld Astral space]]. Cyberspace and Astral space overlap the same place at the same time, but are essentially invisible to each other. [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Dragons]], naturally, are physical creatures with a massive magical presence in both physical and astral space. So, Emerging Futures, a subsidiary of the MegaCorp Ares, kidnapped the young dragon Eliohann to test him for compatibility with a net connection. Eliohann himself was interested in the experiment. It was some years, but Eliohann went from the golden guinea pig to having earned a controlling interest in Emerging Futures. It was, after Eliohann negotiating with Ares for the greenlight and keeping Eliohann on as the CEO of Emerging Futures, but Eliohann agreed to be fitted with the standard [[BrainComputerInterface datajack]]. As a creature of magic, not technology, Eliohann temporarily went insane, but the result was deemed a success, and Eliohann became a noteworthy techy, something unheard of for dragons. He would later be one of the victims of Crash 2.0 (a minor apocalypse, a "mere" [[ApocalypseHow/Class1 Class 1]] where the world pick up the pieces and move on). Eliohann, however, flatlined. His body remained comatose, but his consciousness didn't dip into the Astral, but dipped into cyberspace, a known, if rare and very mysterious phenomenon. |
| 206 | * ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Fabius Bile]], a mad scientist sworn to Chaos who not only experiments on others but is also said to have used his own body as his most extensive testing ground. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Theatre]] |
| 210 | * ''Theatre/SpiderManTurnOffTheDark'' sees Dr. Norman Osborn, bereft of funding for his experiments and against the objections of his wife, test his DNA-splicing equipment on himself. It turns him into the Green Goblin. |
| 211 | * In Noah Smith's stage version of ''Theatre/TheStrangeCaseOfDrJekyllAndMrHyde'', Jekyll does at least spend several months testing his serum on animals before considering human testing, but he's his own first and only human test subject. |
| 212 | [[/folder]] |
| 213 | |
| 214 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 215 | * In the ''VideoGame/AnotherCode'' games, Richard ends up having the Another machine tested on himself [[spoiler:twice -- both times, it was done involuntarily by the villains]]. |
| 216 | * ''VideoGame/AtlasReactor'': |
| 217 | ** Doctor Finn used himself as a subject in order to finalize his human-fish-hybridization procedure because he had run out of willing test subjects. Downplayed in that it's mentioned that he ''did'' test parts of the procedure on others first, but he was the first person to go through the finished process (which was performed by a whole team of geneticists and doctors). |
| 218 | ** Orion is a less benign example; he used the reactor merging technology that created him on himself first because [[ItsAllAboutMe he didn't want to risk anyone else becoming superpowered by it before he could]]. Having the procedure [[GoneHorriblyWrong go horribly wrong]], absorb his entire research group and the building they were in was a stroke of luck for him, really. |
| 219 | * Over the course of her 71 years of life which became immortal at 15, Beatrix from ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' has constantly experimented on herself, a thing which she has no qualms about. |
| 220 | * In ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', a [[EliteMooks Brute Splicer]] in the diner at Pauper's Drop turns out to have been Leo Hartwig, a scientist for Sinclair Solutions who put together a cocktail of strength- and speed-boosting plasmids and gene tonics and injected it into himself, turning him into one of the first Brutes. You find this out after listening to [[ApocalypticLog an audio log]] found on his corpse of him taking the serum and HulkingOut. |
| 221 | * ''VideoGame/{{Bugsnax}}'': Floofty Fizzlebean can't convince any of the other grumpuses on Bugsnax Island to help with their bizarre and dangerous experiments, so they end up testing on themselves. This includes [[AnArmAndALeg cutting off their own snakified leg]] (and [[{{Autocannibalism}} eating it]]!) and then trying to regenerate it with an experimental device. |
| 222 | * The BigBad of ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' manages to produce a highly concentrated form of the game's PsychoSerum. When you confront him, he explicitly states that his new invention will drive him insane before testing it on himself. Though in his defense, he ends up going OneWingedAngel multiple times and is completely lucid by the final battle, so it must have worked out for him. |
| 223 | * Done by Dr. Nitrus Brio in ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot1996'' at the end of the boss battle. Before that, he spends time throwing the beakers at you. The red beakers, properly mixed, become highly volatile, exploding when smashed, while the green ones release semi-alive brains that chase after you. Naturally drinking a mixture of both [[OneWingedAngel turns him into a giant green muscleman]]. |
| 224 | * In ''VideoGame/CryingSuns'', you can stumble upon an abandoned Akee space station where a Dr. Akara used herself as a test subject for her experiments. If you send some commandos to investigate the place, they will be slaughtered by a monstrous creature. If you then send in a fighting specialist to kill the beast, the specialist will identify it as Dr. Akara from its eyes. |
| 225 | * ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'': The Hag was once an ordinary young woman with a strong interest in medicine and herbology, who helped the Ancestor with his research. However, her insistence on sampling various strange plants and fungi, and concoctions derived from them, turned her into a hideous, cannibalistic madwoman whom the Ancestor eventually banished to the depths of the Weald. |
| 226 | * ''VideoGame/DrMuto'' has one as its protagonist, capable of collecting DNA from various creatures to mutate himself into various beasts. |
| 227 | * Professor Hojo in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. When the player party (some of its members being his former test subjects) finally confronts him, [[spoiler:he injects himself with TheVirus, claiming that he has, once more, succumbed to [[ForScience his desire for knowledge]]. As you'd expect from the dad of the {{Trope Namer|s}}, he pulls a OneWingedAngel afterward]]. |
| 228 | * In ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar 3'', [[spoiler:Adam Fenix turns out to have injected himself with Imulsion in order to study how the Lambent infection spreads and build his Lambent-killing weapon accordingly, knowing full well that becoming infected would mean the weapon would kill ''him'' as well. Granted, it's not like there was anyone else around for him to experiment on instead]]. |
| 229 | * ''VideoGame/IWasATeenageExocolonist'': Sol gets at least two separate opportunities to be their own test subject: |
| 230 | ** If they assist Instance and Tangent with finding the Shimmer cure, one option they have is infecting themself with the disease, then trying the cure. In fact, in loops in which they know the cure works due to being a GroundhogPeggySue, but need to convince the colony's scientists, the option is encouraged. |
| 231 | ** If they come up with a new variety of blep tea while working in the xenobotany lab, their choice of testers are Tangent, Cal, or themself. |
| 232 | * In ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'', Singed, Mundo, and Heimerdinger are all scientists who have experimented on themselves, and as a result have gone terribly disfigured. Singed is now covered in burns and most of his body is wrapped up in bandages, but he has also been strengthened by self-testing. Mundo, although he used to be human, is now a giant, purple Frankensteinesque monster who talks in the third person. Heimerdinger, in the effort to become smarter, expanded his brain so much that now his entire head is shaped like one. |
| 233 | * Purah from ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'' developed a FountainOfYouth rune with Ancient Sheikah technology so that the elderly warriors of Hyrule could once again be robust enough to fight Ganon's forces. She tested it on herself and [[GoneHorriblyRight quickly went from elderly to physically six years old]]. Naturally, she didn't bring it into mass use after that. ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom Tears of the Kingdom]]'' has her do it again, this time with an aging rune to cure the previous, and it works, bringing her back into her prime. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' features [[EvilutionaryBiologist Moira]]; her [[{{Backstory}} intro cinematic]] and a couple of her sprays show her experimenting on herself. |
| 235 | * In ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'', the Pokémon researcher Bill, working on a Pokémon teleporter, has a TeleporterAccident, and combines himself with a Clefairy while working on it. Luckily for him, it's a fairly quick fix: the player just has to run the machine while he's inside so he can return to human form. Seems to be an homage to ''Literature/TheFly''. |
| 236 | * ''VideoGame/Portal2'' reveals that Cave Johnson, the [[PointyHairedBoss lunatic founder]] of [[ResearchInc Aperture Science]], was not above testing his inventions on himself. This resulted in his death by Conversion Gel (moon dust) poisoning. Somewhat related, when his recruitment of [[DisposableVagrant street bums]] as test subjects had less than ideal results, he began encouraging his own employees to test the company's products, which had a negative effect on morale and retention. The next evolution of this seems to have occurred only after his death, with "Bring Your Daughter to Work Day". |
| 237 | * The PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/Prey2017'', Morgan Yu, is Vice President of [=TransStar=] and chief researcher among Talos I. To advance research on [[PowersAsPrograms Neuromod]] technology in faith that it'll guide humanity towards transhumanism, they tested Neuromods on themselves. However, due to the nature of Neuromods resetting the user's memory back to when they were first installed whenever they're removed, Morgan suffers severe memory and brain problems from extensive Neuromod testing to the point they consider their past selves as a fundamentally different person. |
| 238 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 239 | ** Scientist William Birkin from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' injects himself with his experimental monster-making formula, which not only mutates him into an unrecognizable, gigantic, grotesque monster -- but also drives him to [[ParentalIncest impregnate his 10-year-old daughter]]. He had a better excuse than most, mind you -- [[EvilMinions Umbrella goons]] had just repeatedly shot him in the chest. Injecting the serum was a [[EmergencyTransformation last-ditch attempt to keep himself alive]]/[[TakingYouWithMe fuck those goons over]]. The resulting abomination was mostly, if not entirely mindless aside from its considerable killing expertise. |
| 240 | ** Alexia Ashford from ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilCodeVeronica'' did the same thing, though only because she'd already messed around with her father and needed a new subject. |
| 241 | * The scientists in the Bio Research Lab in ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'' have used themselves as the testbeds for their experiments. They frequently crow about achieving "a disease-free, immortal body", but their tendency to transform into monsters speaks to the downsides of such a procedure. The Remastered version reinserts cut content from Asellus's story which reveals that [[spoiler:they're experimenting on captured Mystics to gain the knowledge they then apply to themselves]]. |
| 242 | * In ''VideoGame/ShovelKnight'', the MiniBoss of [[MadScientistLaboratory Explodatorium]] is an alchemist who doesn't mind chugging down a potion to turn himself into a hulking beast. Or rummaging through shelves for said potion so violently bottles fly exploding everywhere, for that matter. |
| 243 | * ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'': Pop Fizz is a crazed alchemist who drinks the potions he creates (which he seemingly is unaware of the effects of), which has caused various changes to his body, the most notable of which is [[HulkingOut turning him into a maniacal monster]]. |
| 244 | * Implied in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII''. If you choose to help Selendis for the "Safe Haven"/"Haven's Fall" mission, Dr. Ariel Hanson will swear to find a cure for the Zerg nanovirus before the heroes can destroy the colony. Partway through the mission, Captain Horner calls you, reporting that Dr. Hanson has locked herself in the lab. After the mission, [[spoiler:Hanson is found to be suffering the effects of the Zerg nanovirus (major BodyHorror and NightmareFuel involved), and she has to be killed before she can do any damage.]] Given that this doesn't happen if you choose to help Dr. Hanson by protecting the colony, it's implied that she injected herself [[spoiler:not only with the supposed cure but with the nanovirus it's supposed to be effective against. That, or she had an accident brought on by her haste; either way, she locked herself in the lab to protect the rest of the crew.]] |
| 245 | * ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': |
| 246 | ** TheMedic apparently did this during the Halloween 2013 update, replacing his ''entire head'' with that of his pet dove, Archimedes. Exclusive lines for wearing the item reveal he isn't quite sure whether this is awesome, or whether he regrets it. Even earlier, though, he was implied to have performed open-heart surgery on himself so he could utilize the Übercharge function he designed. |
| 247 | ** The Engineer (Dell Conagher) did this as well, testing out his new [[ArtificialLimbs robotic hand design]] by ''willingly chopping one of his hands off''. Of course, the Engineer was suffering from [[TestosteronePoisoning Australium exposure]] at the time, so at least ''he'' had an excuse. |
| 248 | * At the end of ''VideoGame/{{Vessel}}'', Arkwright [[spoiler:decides to use the Accelerator on himself, believing that as the creator of the Fluros and [[TheAtoner indirectly responsible for the havoc they've caused]], it's his duty to take the first step into the next phase of human evolution. He runs the machine with himself inside and becomes a {{Transhuman}} made from protoplasm]]. |
| 249 | * ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}'': |
| 250 | ** Grineer scientist Tyl Regor is noted to have experimented on himself to the point that, unlike most other Grineer, he's able to speak English very clearly. He also proves to be WickedCultured and a GeniusBruiser. |
| 251 | ** The ''Veilbreaker'' update introduces former Corpus-turned-Solaris worker Chipper, who is noted to be quite experienced in modifications, including to himself (and considering that part of being a Solaris is the removal of one's organic limbs and ''head''...). |
| 252 | * PlayedForHorror in the "Mimi's Little Project" challenge of ''VideoGame/WorldOfHorror'', as Mimi [[BodyHorror inflicts rather gruesome bodily alterations upon herself]]. |
| 253 | [[/folder]] |
| 254 | |
| 255 | [[folder:Webcomics]] |
| 256 | * In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Dr. Birding tested his formula to transform into a super-strong giant on himself, with dubious success. While it does accomplish this, it doesn't cure his paralysis, which was presumably the purpose behind the experiment. |
| 257 | * Sage from ''{{Webcomic/Castoff}}'', a firm believer in SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic and the closest the continent of Alveria has to a MadScientist, used to try out healing spells by cutting himself and casting the spells on the cut. He has lots of scars on his arms. |
| 258 | * In ''Webcomic/DeadOfSummer'', Alan Stone is this, testing [[spoiler:a 'cure' for zombiism on himself. When it fails, turning him into a monster, [[MoralEventHorizon he uses it on his wife]]]]. |
| 259 | * The members of the Val'Jaal'darya clan in ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', specialists in bio-magical technology and experimentation, often use themselves for their experiments, such as outfitting themselves with ArtificialLimbs -- or even wings and tails -- of real flesh. Their leader, Asira'malika, owes her [[TechnicolorEyes dark-scleraed, white-irised eyes]], and the bleached-looking skin around them, to a failed attempt at turning herself into a dark elf. |
| 260 | * In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', Tedd [[http://egscomics.com/comic/2002-06-07 tends]] to test his transformation tech on himself. |
| 261 | * The VillainProtagonist of ''Webcomic/EvilPlan'' did the human testing on his telekinesis chip on himself. |
| 262 | * The Sparks of ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'' have a habit of "self-augmentation" just as much as experiments on other (often unwilling) patients. |
| 263 | * Hakase from ''Webcomic/NextSoundOfTheFuture'' is one of the only doctors around willing to do voice modifications on androids (due to them being illegal), and they also happen to have a line of stitches around their throat heavily suggesting they've modified their own. Not to mention all the other stitches on their body, which seems to serve more than just an aesthetic purpose given that their hand is a different skin tone than the rest of them. |
| 264 | * In ''Webcomic/{{Noblesse}}'', this is the difference between the mostly evil Union, who got their data and progress by experimenting on countless innocents, and the mostly good [[spoiler:Frankenstein]], who did the same using only himself as a test subject. |
| 265 | * Ladies and Gentlemen, [[http://nonadventures.com/2007/04/14/shark-and-shark-alike/ Dr. Shark]] of ''Webcomic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella''. |
| 266 | * ''Webcomic/{{SSDD}}'' has [[MadDoctor Dr. Ashmore]]. He was working on new [[ElectronicEyes eye implants]], and paperwork on live test subjects was slow. He'd test it on himself, but he had ''two'' [[EyeScream healthy eyes]]... |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 270 | * ''WebVideo/CinemaSins'' frequently adds a sin for this. |
| 271 | -->'''Jeremy:''' Scientist running out of time and/or funding tests his theories on himself cliché. ''[ding]'' |
| 272 | * ''Website/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids'': It is revealed in ''Revenge of the Old Queen'' that [[MadScientist Doctor Curious]], amateur mad scientist and Crown Prince of Triskadeckia, experimented on himself and ended up accidentally mutating himself into a half-snake humanoid, forcing him to flee the palace in disgrace. |
| 273 | * In ''WebAnimation/DingoDoodles'', Emperor Goddrick III has a grand plan to evolve the [[spoiler:Foreclaimers]] into a higher form of being by [[spoiler:stealing the sun's power]]. To prove his plan could work, he implanted himself with two power crystals, something Gothi says should be impossible. |
| 274 | * ''Website/SCPFoundation'': Researchers in the Foundation often test their artefacts of their own accord, although they prefer to leave the more dangerous ones to the expendable "D Class" prisoners. |
| 275 | * ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': A recurring problem with the devisers and gadgeteers of [[SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy]] (and out of it too, if Dr Venus and Lady Havoc are any indication). Hazmat was lucky; all his treatment did was burn all his hair off his head. Compiler wasn't quite so fortunate -- while she did manage to become a faux-Exemplar and speedster through her nanite treatment, she ended up locked in her dorm room most of the time because she couldn't control her new powers. As for [[BodyHorror Migraine]]... well, she should have known better than to mix two ''different'' devisor projects when she wasn't even a Devisor herself. Then there are the MadScientist types like Jobe, who uses other students as his guinea pigs. Sometimes he even tells them this ahead of time. Sometimes. |
| 276 | [[/folder]] |
| 277 | |
| 278 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 279 | * ''WesternAnimation/{{Archer}}'': |
| 280 | -->'''Krieger:''' I call it "Formula K".\ |
| 281 | '''Archer:''' And it turns you temporarily gay?\ |
| 282 | '''Krieger:''' Dunno. I just started human testing. By dosing Danny the intern's coffee.\ |
| 283 | '''Danny:''' Danny's definitely feeling something!\ |
| 284 | '''Archer:''' I'll pass.\ |
| 285 | '''Krieger:''' Suit yourself. ''[pops a pill]'' Just means more for me and Danny. |
| 286 | * One of the enemies of ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'' did this: Reginald Bushroot, Ph. D. finds his funding cut. He tries his experimental procedure on a duck and ends up with a mutant plant-duck. The duck is, of course, himself. Once the science lab bullies ridicule him in front of the girl of his dreams, then the body count starts. |
| 287 | * ''Franchise/DCAnimatedUniverse'': |
| 288 | ** The first episode of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'', "[[Recap/BatmanTheAnimatedSeriesE1OnLeatherWings On Leather Wings]]", involves a professor who drank serum with bat DNA and became the Man-Bat. |
| 289 | ** In the ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' story "[[Recap/JusticeLeagueS1E8And9InjusticeForAll Injustice for All]]", Batman wrangles this sort of confession out of Cheetah while a "captive" of the Injustice Gang. She was desperate and didn't have the funding to conduct controlled experiments, so... |
| 290 | ** The villain of the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "[[Recap/BatmanBeyondS2E3Splicers Splicers]]" is Dr. Able Cuvier, the inventor of modern [[BioAugmentation splicing]] technology -- and like his forerunners above, he used himself as the first test subject. Funnily enough, while Cuvier's splicing is easily reversible and completely painless, [[spoiler:he's the only one of these guys to be HoistByHisOwnPetard]]. |
| 291 | * Mocked in ''WesternAnimation/MaryShelleysFrankenhole'' when Victor tells Doctor Jekyll that only an idiot would use himself as the test subject for an untested formula. |
| 292 | * ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'': As stated above, Dr. Curt Connors created a serum with lizard DNA that he believed would grow his arm back. [[GoneHorriblyRight It worked...and turned him into a giant lizard monster.]] |
| 293 | * ''WesternAnimation/StretchArmstrongAndTheFlexFighters'' reveals the BigBad Stretch Monster as the alter ego of a scientist who attempted to find a cure for all diseases, and injected an early sample into himself, while disregarding the other scientists' warnings not to test it on humans so soon. |
| 294 | -->''"Never underestimate my tolerance for risk."'' |
| 295 | [[/folder]] |
| 296 | |
| 297 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 298 | * The inventors of several incarnations of the BulletProofVest (including the modern Kevlar vest) tested their inventions on themselves. Downplayed, though, in that the vests had already passed proof-of-concept tests, and the self-"tests" were more publicity stunts than actual tests. |
| 299 | * Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine. |
| 300 | * The creator of LSD, Albert Hoffman, took some himself after a handful of inconclusive animal trials. From his lab notebook: |
| 301 | -->Last Friday ... I had to interrupt my laboratory work in the middle of the afternoon and go home, because I was seized with a feeling of great restlessness and mild dizziness. At home, I lay down and sank into a not unpleasant delirium, which was characterized by extremely excited fantasies. In a semi-conscious state, with my eyes closed (I felt the daylight to be unpleasantly dazzling), fantastic visions of extraordinary realness and with an intense kaleidoscopic play of colors assaulted me. After about two hours this condition disappeared. |
| 302 | ** [[http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/LIBRARY/studies/cu/CU46.html#Anchor-49575 Read more here.]] |
| 303 | * The inventor of cardiac catheterization did the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Forssmann first one to himself,]] with an x-ray to prove it. A nurse volunteered to be the Guinea Pig so he sedated her, turned around, and then did the procedure on himself. [[{{Website/Cracked}} That's right. The man stabbed himself in the heart as a sleight-of-hand trick, thereby permanently upstaging David Copperfield years before he was even born.]] And then he walked all the way to the X-ray room while holding the cable. When one of his colleagues tried to pull it out as he thought the man was crazy, Werner kicked him in the chest. |
| 304 | * [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stapp Colonel John Paul Stapp]] (M.D., Ph.D.) was an aeronautics expert involved in testing the limitations of the human body in high-speed flight at the dawn of the jet age. Due to the lack of crash test dummies that could accurately model the human body or report on how they felt, Col. Stapp offered his services as a substitute. In 1947, conventional wisdom held that forces greater than 18G would prove fatal. After numerous tests in [[RocketRide rocket-powered contraptions,]] Col. Stapp shattered this barrier and eventually reached 46.2G, a record which stands to this day as the highest g-forces ever '''''voluntarily''''' experienced by a human being. Predictably, Stapp suffered repeated and various injuries including broken limbs, ribs, detached retina, and miscellaneous traumas which eventually resulted in lifelong lingering vision problems caused by permanently-burst blood vessels in his eyes. |
| 305 | ** The only way to get motion pictures of Stapp's test was to chase the rocket sled in a plane. The chase plane for several tests was piloted by [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger Air Force pilot Joseph Kittinger,]] and Stapp recommended him for greater responsibilities in Air Force R&D. He became the test director of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excelsior Project Excelsior,]] to research high-altitude parachute jumps, and made all three jumps himself. In the first jump lines from the drogue parachute caught his neck and caused him to spin so fast he passed out (the main chute deployed automatically), but the other two jumps were successful, with the third setting a new record for highest parachute jump and a still-standing record for [[IFellForHours longest time in free-fall.]] |
| 306 | * UsefulNotes/IsaacNewton was a real-life example of this trope. In addition to looking into the Sun through a telescope, he also forced blood to his head until he passed out, and ''jammed a bodkin'' ''[[EyeScream behind his eye]]'' to check if squashing it would make what he saw go blurry by changing the distance between the back of the eyeball and the front to confirm the front was a lens. |
| 307 | * Giles Brindley, inventor of [[http://alignmap.com/2006/11/06/presentation-is-not-really-everything-the-giles-brindley-show/ early drug treatments]] for impotence. Link may be NSFW.[[note]]No, not like ''[[{{Fanservice}} that]]''.[[/note]] Link may also be [[ShareTheMalePain disturbing to male readers]]. |
| 308 | ** Sex researchers in general have tended to resort to this trope, as openly soliciting volunteers for their research is likely to incite accusations of puerile motives, loss of funding, and a slew of applicants whose only interest is in the sex, ''not'' the science. |
| 309 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Scott_Haldane John Scott Haldane]] was a british physiologist and father of J. B. S. Haldane who self-experimented on himself, locking himself in sealed chambers and breathing in gases and recording the results. |
| 310 | * [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Hurtubise Troy Hurtubise]], who prior to his accidental death in June 2018 had perhaps the best claim of anyone in the early 21st century to being a genuine MadScientist. He even aspired to be a real-life ScienceHero. As such, he predictably -- and cheerfully -- tested his inventions on himself. The more notable of these being: Project Grizzly, a bear-proof suit (the bears were too intimidated by its appearance, and walked away. Stood up to a biker gang quite well though); Fire Paste, a light, spreadable material that hardens into an insulating shell (he put a mask on the back of his skull made of the paste and had a few ''thousand'' degrees of blowtorch pointed at it); and "Trojan" Armor, an approximately forty-pound armor suit with various useful attachments. And before you ask, he died in a car accident, not one of his experiments gone wrong. |
| 311 | * Pellagra, a disease caused by vitamin B3 (niacin) deficiency, used to be thought of as contagious until Joseph Goldberger discovered that it was, well, just a vitamin deficiency. He noticed that most cases happened in poor areas with people grouped tightly together. While that does obviously make it seem contagious, a closer look revealed that younger children, with weaker immune systems, seemed to be free of the condition. The answer was that they got supplies of milk for growth while others did not. However, where this trope comes into play is when Goldberger published his findings in addition to the results of an experiment of treating test subjects with pellagra with niacin-rich foods. He was rejected because the scientific community refused to believe that pellagra just ''couldn't'' be infectious. So he, his wife, and twelve additional colleagues obtained the snot, vomit, feces, urine, sweat, saliva, and blood of pellagra victims, created pills of them, and swallowed them all. That proved their point. |
| 312 | * In order to prove that Irukandji syndrome was caused by the Irukandji jellyfish (and no, wisecrackers, the syndrome and the jellyfish did not at that time have the same name...), Jack Barnes caught one and deliberately stung himself, his son, and a lifeguard who happened to get the wrong shift that day. [[http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-14.html "Note the outstanding Darwin potential demonstrated."]] |
| 313 | * Meet [[http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200212/200212_popsicle_splash.html Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht,]] AKA Professor Popsicle. He believes that the best way to study the effects of hypothermia on the human body is to subject himself to it. Repeatedly. By doing things like falling into frozen lakes, fully dressed. |
| 314 | * [[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882304575465313342139200.html Dr. Stephane Huberty]] has myasthenia gravis, a condition too rare to get much attention from researchers. He found out about a possible vaccine, only tested on animals, and set up a company to produce it. But clinical trials were several years and millions of dollars away -- so he injected himself. Apparently, he's feeling better. (The article lists a few more examples of this trope, not all encouraging.) |
| 315 | * In a humorous example, writer [[http://www.ajjacobs.com/content/home.asp A.J. Jacobs]] has become known for the single gimmick behind most of his books: live some unconventional way for a period of time, then write about it. His experiments include trying to live every word of the Bible literally, trying to follow George Washington's favorite code of etiquette, and outsourcing every aspect of his life to India. The results are, predictably, hilarious. |
| 316 | * The Nuremberg Code, formulated after the trials of the concentration camp "doctors", expressly forbids any form of human experimentation unless the doctors in question experiment on themselves -- and treats even that exception as being ethically and morally dubious. No country has ever adopted the Nuremberg Code in its entirety. However, all countries did adopt the Declaration of Helsinki, as mandated by the WHO, which is more practical and easier to work with for scientists and doctors. |
| 317 | * August Beir experimented with spinal anesthesia by getting his assistant August Hildebrandt to inject him with cocaine and kick him in the shins. |
| 318 | * Henry Cavendish, an 18th-century physicist/chemist who did pioneering research on the nature of electricity, measured the strength of electric currents by shocking himself and estimating the amount of pain. |
| 319 | * In 1982, Australian physicians [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Warren Robin Warren]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Marshall Barry Marshall]] were certain that gastric ulcers (which are extremely painful and can easily be fatal if untreated) were caused by microorganism ''Helicobacter pylori'', a massive shift from the prevailing opinion that stress, spicy food, and excess stomach acid caused ulcers. To finally prove the hypothesis, Marshall took a sample of ''H. pylori'' from his patient, cultivated it on nutrient broth, and drank the whole beaker. Five days later, he developed a case of gastritis. He was then able to treat it with antibiotics. Marshall and Warren, who developed a non-invasive breath test for the presence of ''H. pylori'', received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. |
| 320 | * Dr. James Young Simpson discovered the general anesthetic chloroform in 1847 when he and his colleagues were sniffing their way through the chemist's catalog of gases (they were looking for a new anesthetic that didn't irritate the lungs or explode like extant ones). It was a miracle that the dosage he took didn't kill him. |
| 321 | * Sucralose (the artificial sweetener Splenda) was invented when a researcher mistook his supervisor's instructions. He was asked to "test" the new compound, but he mistakenly thought he was supposed to "taste" it. |
| 322 | * Hugh Herr lost both his lower legs to hypothermia in a mountain climbing accident. He responded by pursuing a career in academia and eventually became a professor of biomechatronics at MIT. He tries out new bionic limbs on himself as well as volunteers. |
| 323 | * UsefulNotes/CharlesDarwin studied the effects of assassin bug bites by letting them bite him. He got Chagas disease from it, and some believe it contributed to his death. |
| 324 | * Naturalist Farley Mowat, endeavoring to prove that Arctic wolves weren't to blame for declining caribou numbers in subarctic Canada, noted that the wolf family he was studying were living exclusively on rodents for most of the year. To confirm that such a large animal could survive on tiny prey, he proceeded to [[ReducedToRatburgers catch and eat nothing but rodents]] for protein himself. |
| 325 | * It is said that in the past, a finished mail was usually tested by the armorer putting it on, and the client stabbing it a few times with a dagger. If there was no one left to get the payment, then none was given. |
| 326 | * [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Blair Dr. Allan Walker Blair]] of the University of Alabama deliberately allowed himself to be bitten by a black widow spider to study the effects. He had originally planned to undergo a second bite to see whether he had [[AcquiredPoisonImmunity gained any resistance to the venom]], but after several days of painful recovery from the first bite he decided not to go through with that part |
| 327 | * [[https://www.theguardian.com/education/2007/oct/02/highereducation.research Dr. Robert Lopez,]] a veterinarian, wanted to know if ear mites (a type of arachnid that infests the ear canals of cats and dogs) could parasitize humans. So he swabbed the ear of a cat, then swabbed his own ear. He found out the hard way that the answer to his question was 'Yes, and it hurts like the dickens'. |
| 328 | * The CEO of a corporation that retrofits cars with bulletproof windows and other armor made a very famous commercial by sitting behind a polycarbonate windscreen bolted to a frame and having one of his employees fire three rifle rounds into it. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZzoB6xBWOI See it in its entirety here.]] |
| 329 | * Elisha Otis demonstrated the new elevator safety brake he'd invented by building a several-story elevator in the middle of an exhibition hall, riding it to the top, and having his assistant take an axe to the elevator's cable. |
| 330 | * Stubbins Ffirth was a scientist who went a long way to try to prove that yellow fever was not contagious. He cut himself and smeared infected vomit into the wounds (!) and drank it, along with blood, spit, and urine. He was not infected, but the samples were from people who were no longer contagious. |
| 331 | * Paul Quinton, the researcher who identified the basic defect that causes Cystic Fibrosis, a chloride transport problem in cells, has CF himself. He experimented on his own sweat glands, comparing them to the sweat glands of people without Cystic Fibrosis. |
| 332 | * Ryoichi Naito was a Japanese scientist who helped found Midori Juji (Green Cross), Japan's leading blood products company. In his earlier days, he worked for the infamous Unit 731. However, in his final years, when he sought to test an artificial blood substitute, he tested it on himself. (While the substitute did not work, he at least did not suffer any ill effects.) |
| 333 | * Edwin Katskee tested the effects of cocaine on himself, with his last words being "Advise all inquisitive [=MDs=](Medical Doctors) to lay off this stuff." |
| 334 | * Demonstrating that TropesAreTools, the pseudoscience of homeopathy, the belief that you can cure illness by giving people a non-existent quantity of poison, was developed by Samuel Hahnemann. Hahnemann heard that malaria was treated in South America by making a tea from the bark of the cinchona tree. Curious, he ordered some bark, made some tea, drank it, and suffered an allergic reaction similar to the symptoms of malaria. From there to a not medicine popular in much of Europe. |
| 335 | ** The cinchona tree works, by the way. [[RightForTheWrongReasons Hahnemann's logic, though, is bollocks]]. |
| 336 | [[/folder]] |
| 337 |
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