A US professor was recently proclaimed as the only person in the world to stay underwater for more than 74 days. The previous record was set in 2014, when another scientist lived underwater for 73 days, 2 hours and 34 minutes.
"The record is a small bump and I really appreciate it," Dituri said. "I’m honored to have it, but we still have more science to do."
The explorer has been living in the Jules underwater capsule off the coast of Florida since March 1, 2023, with a goal to spend 100 days underwater, that is, until June 9. Since the start of March, Dituri has conducted daily experiments and collected a variety of medical data - changes in weight, muscle structure, blood pressure, vision and hearing, recording all observations in a diary. He also keeps sleep and stress logs.
Additionally, from his temporary underwater accommodation, where he has internet access, the professor teaches his own course at the University of South Florida and gives public lectures about the current project.
"The thing that I miss the most about being on the surface is literally the sun," he told media. "The sun has been a major factor in my life – I usually go to the gym at five and then I come back out and watch the sunrise."
University officials believe the experiment has the potential to prove that life under water is indeed possible and may even prevent diseases associated with aging. Scientists attribute this to Dituri's own findings: he noticed that cells doubled in size within five days under high pressure.