An associate professor at the University of South Florida will attempt to live underwater for 100 days, with the aim of breaking the world record and investigating the effects of extreme pressure on the human body. The aim of the experiment is the search for treatments that guarantee longer-lasting youth and slower aging.
Conquering the world record
The current record for staying underwater is 73 days. Joseph Dituri, the professor protagonist of the experiment, will live 9 meters deep in a habitat of approximately 9 square meters located at the Jules' Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, in the USA.
Due to his "pro-youth record" Dituri will be constantly monitored by a medical team who will carry out regular dives to subject him to various tests including psychosocial, psychological and medical tests, as well as blood tests, ultrasounds, electrocardiograms and stem cell tests.
The thesis
Dituri based the experiment on a study that showed that cells exposed to higher pressure doubled within five days. This suggests that increased blood pressure could help humans live and maintain youth for longer, preventing blood-related diseases.aging. “Maybe I'll come out superhuman!”, jokes the professor.
Even if, if you look closely, he already is a bit Superman (or at least super expert). Prior to this ambitious project, Dituri served for 28 years in the U.S. Navy as a saturation diving officer. After retiring in 2012, he enrolled at the University of South Florida to earn a doctorate and learn more about traumatic brain injury, a problem that plagues many of his former comrades.
Youth and technology
During his submarine mission, Dituri will also test new technologies. Among them, an artificial intelligence tool developed by a colleague, capable of analyzing the human body for diseases and determining whether drugs are needed.
The professor believes that the ocean may hide secrets useful for medicine and human health. “Everything we need for the longevity it is found on our planet,” he says in a statement on the American University website. “I suspect that the cure for many diseases may be found in yet unknown marine organisms.”
A challenge that could inspire further research
The Dituri experiment represents an important step towards understanding the potential offered by the marine environment for improving human health.
If he can successfully complete his feat of living underwater for 100 days and demonstrate the beneficial effects of pressure on the human organism, he could open up new horizons in the field of medicine and marine biology, opening up new avenues for the discovery of cures. and revolutionary treatments.
