‘I’ll be superhuman’: Florida researcher will live 100 days underwater for scientific purposes

Associate Professor at the University of South Florida (USF) Joseph Dituri intends to live a hundred days immersed in water belonging Florida conduct medical and marine scientific research and study how the human body responds to prolonged exposure to extreme pressure.

Mission Project Neptune 100as Dituri called it, began on March 1st and will end, if all goes according to plan, on June 9th.

Dituri, 55, a retired U.S. Navy commander with a PhD in biomedical engineering, has been in the MarineLab underwater shelter, a Marine Resources Development Foundation facility, since Wednesday.

For 100 days below the sea surface, it will live at a depth of 9.4 meters in a 9.2-square-meter habitat located at Jules’ underwater lodge in Key Largo, Florida, the University of South Florida said in a statement.

The note explains that the medical team will document the researcher’s health by periodically diving into their habitat to conduct a series of tests.

Before, during and after the project, Dituri will undergo a series of psychosocial, psychological and medical tests, and a psychologist and psychiatrist will document the mental effects of being in an isolated and confined environment for an extended period similar to space travel.

“The human body has never been under water for so long, so I will be under close surveillance,” Dituri said in a statement.

The researcher believes that his health will improve after this attempt, and mentions that a recent scientific study showed that cells subjected to more pressure double in five days.

This suggests that increased blood pressure may allow people to live longer and prevent diseases associated with aging, the statement explains.

“So, we suspect that I’m going to become a superhuman!” Dituri said.

The ex-Marine also believes the results of his mission will be important for future long-term space travel, including missions to Mars, as well as underwater exploration, the Florida Keys news bureau said in a note.

Classes deeper than 9 meters

While I’m under waterthe professor will deliver regular online courses, including courses in hyperbaric medicine, which he already teaches at the University of South Florida, and college-level biomedical engineering courses for high school students.

The 100-day mission includes testing new technologies, such as an artificial intelligence tool developed by a colleague that can detect diseases in the human body and determine if drugs are needed.

They will also join him under water other scientists to discuss ways to conserve, protect and rejuvenate the marine environment.

“Everything we need to survive is on the planet,” he said.

“I suspect that the cure for many diseases can be found in unknown organisms in the ocean. To find out, we need more researchers,” he said.

Dituri found his passion for science while serving in the US Navy, where he spent 28 years as a diving officer.

After retiring in 2012 as a major, Dituri enrolled at USF to complete his PhD and learn more about traumatic brain injury.

“Many of my brothers and sisters in the army had traumatic brain injuries and I wanted to learn how to help them,” Dituri said.

“I was well aware that hyperbaric pressure can increase cerebral blood flow and suggested that it could be used to treat traumatic brain injury,” he added.

The record for a person to stay under water at atmospheric pressure is currently 73 days and was set in 2014 by American teachers Bruce Cantrell and Jessica Fane.. EFE

We recommend you METADATA, an RPP technology podcast. News, analytics, reviews, recommendations and everything you need to know about the tech world.