(TheDailyHorn.com) – Try to imagine for one moment what it would be like to lose your concept of time or regular patterns of life. A group of researchers in France wants to learn about the cognitive, psychological, and emotional experience of being without natural factors such as sunlight.
In a first-of-its-kind experiment, eight men and seven women agreed to participate in an analysis that put them underground in a cave for 40 days. They will not be exposed to natural light and will have no access to watches, phones, or any other technology.
15 People Have Been Sealed In A Dark, Isolated Cave For Controversial 40-Day "Deep Time" Experimenthttps://t.co/qegGPxh3FY pic.twitter.com/Oxz4KdBtOk
— IFLScience (@IFLScience) March 17, 2021
If participants want the use of their eyes, they’ll need to work for it. Researchers provided the group with a pedal-driven dynamo that creates electricity for light in the cave. Participants had to pre-stock their food, and they must also collect running water from the cave, which is at a constant 54 degrees and 95% humidity. Researchers created three different living spaces—one each for living, sleeping, and research of the cavern.
Organizers chose participants based on a variety of factors. First and foremost, they needed to be physically and mentally healthy. Their ages are between 27 and 50, and occupations include teachers, jewelers, and biologists. The researchers chose the professions to ensure compatibility in the cave.
Creators of the experiment say it has many practical applications, including submarine life and future space travel.
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