General, Research, Technology

Dangerous experiment: people will live 40 days in a deep cave

On the territory of France there is a Lombrivs cavewhich is very popular with tourists. A hike to this place itself is not something extreme, so people can easily go on excursions up to 7 hours long. However, recently a group of 15 people sank into the depths of this cave to spend more than a month there without any connection with civilization. They will have to independently extract water from a depth of 45 meters and generate electricity, and all this without smartphones and other technological benefits. The experiment is carried out in order to find out how living in complete isolation and extreme conditions affects the human body. We already know the most interesting facts about this unusual project: who organized it, what people will be doing for 40 days, what to eat, and so on. The experiment is interesting, so let's figure it out.

Deep Time Experiment Participants

Is it possible to live in a cave?

The experiment is called Deep Time.It is organized by the Swiss adventurer Christian Clot. He invested his own money in the project and went down to the depths of the cave with a group of volunteers. A man has been studying the influence of the environment on human health for a long time, so it is not the first time for him to survive in dangerous conditions. In the past, this daredevil walked the mountains of Iran and Yakutia, and also traveled through the forests of Brazil.

Christian Clot - Adventurer

Christian Clot is well prepared for the experiment,which can not be said about the rest of the group. Yes, they are completely healthy, have good physical fitness and are between 27 and 50 years old. Volunteers come from different countries and come from different professions. But, of course, they do not have such experience as Christina Klot. And she could well be useful to them, because they will have to get used to the 12-degree temperature, air with 95% humidity and lack of sunlight. They will also be forced to independently obtain drinking water. And the volunteers will use a dynamo as an artificial light source. To put it simply, someone will pedal and thereby generate electricity.

Dynamo machine on a bicycle. Just as an example

There are already 3 living quarters in the cave.The first is for living, the second is for sleeping, and the third is for research. Yes, people will conduct various observations and experiments so that their thoughts are always occupied and involved in the mission. The organizer of the experiment believes that volunteers should never get bored, because mental illness can affect the results of their work.

Experiment participants go to the cave

People will not have to starve, because the cavebrought 4 tons of food supplies. What exactly people will eat is unknown. But this is for sure canned food with a long shelf life. Volunteers will be warmly dressed and equipped with health sensors. The information will be constantly sent to the computers of the physicians on the surface. If something happens to the members of the group, they will quickly find out about it and go to help.

Volunteers inside the cave

Read also: 10 most important experiments that changed our world

Michel Siffre's experiment

According to Christian Klot,The experiment was inspired by the experience of the French geologist Michel Siffre. In 1972, he spent six (!) Months in a cave in complete isolation. He could not keep track of time, so during the experiment he began to stay awake and sleep longer. Observations showed that he was active for 36 hours a day, and slept for about 14 hours. Due to the fact that his "day" was longer than ours, it seemed to the researcher that time flew by very quickly. Being isolated without the ability to keep track of the clock greatly influenced his perception of time.

Michel Siffre documentary

The researchers believe that the results of such experiments will be very useful in the future. After all, someday people will go into space and will be forced to stay in complete isolation for some time.

Living in the depths of a cave without sunlight is like being in outer space and affects our biological clock, explained Christian Clot.

And don't think that this experiment isa thoughtless traveler project. The Deep Time project is supported by scientists from France, Switzerland and even China. Here is a list of questions that researchers want to answer:

  • How does the human brain perceive time and how does perception change during isolation?
  • How does isolation, the inability to keep track of time, and being confined with strangers affect people's psyche?
  • will being in isolation affect people's genes?
  • How does underground life affect human health?
  • how will volunteers interact with each other in a confined space?

When the experiment is over and scientists share their observations, we will definitely tell you about it. In order not to miss the article, subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen.

Such experiments are rare, but stillare held. In early 2019, I described how poker player Rich Alati sat in a room all alone for a month. There was nothing in this room except a bed, a refrigerator and a toilet. He was convinced from personal experience that in complete isolation people begin to sleep worse and even see hallucinations. You can read about what other difficulties he experienced and whether he managed to hold out until the end of the experiment at this link.