11 sleepless nights set new world record but why risk your health?
LYNDSAY MOSSHEALTH CORRESPONDENT
NEW parents, students and Margaret Thatcher may all boast of their ability to survive on very little sleep - in the former Prime Minister's case famously just four hours a night.
But even the Iron Lady will be left reeling by a new record set by a Cornish man who stayed awake for 11 days.
Tony Wright, 42, began his sleeplessness attempt at 6am on 14th May. By 6am yesterday he was still managing to keep his eyes open, beating the record of 264 hours without sleep set by American student Randy Gardner in 1964.
Mr Wright, a horticulturist, relied on a raw food diet including fruit, salad, seeds and nuts to help keep him awake. He also had the help of friends and playing pool to keep him awake, and kept an online diary of his attempt.
The record set by Mr Gardner in 1964 was verified by The Guinness Book of Records. Mr Wright's attempt will not receive the same backing as Guinness no longer accepts records related to sleep deprivation due to the possible health risks.
But he remained upbeat about his achievement.
"I feel pretty good but a bit shaky," he said. "I do not feel tired yet. There is a bit of adrenaline pumping around."
Before starting his attempt, Mr Wright carried out more than 100 experiments with sleep deprivation lasting between two and eight days. He said that with preparation, it was possible to stay awake for long periods.
But there were warnings for others contemplating any similar attempts.
Jessica Alexander, from The Sleep Council, said: "This type of experiment is not something we would recommend people try at home." She said that not sleeping could have symptoms such as feeling paranoid and finding it difficult to make decisions. Ms Alexander said for most people just having one night's bad sleep could affect their performance.
Vocabulary
risk
kockáztat, kockázat
sleepless
álmatlan, alvás nélküli
boast of something
dicsekszik valmivel
ability
képesség
survive
túlél, kibír
former
volt, régebbi
Prime Minister
miniszterelnök
Iron Lady
Vas Lady (Margaret Thatcher volt brit miniszterelnök gúnyneve)
reel
tántorog
Cornish
cornwalli (délnyugat Anglia)
sleeplessness
álmatlanság
attempt
próba, kísérlet valamire
manage to do something
sikerül valamit csinálnia
beat
megver, legyőz
horticulturist
kertművelő, kertészeti szakember
rely on something
valamire hagyatkozik, támaszkodik
raw
nyers
seed
mag
pool
biliárd
verify
igazol
no longer do something
már nem csinál valamit
related to something
valamivel kapcsolatos
due to something
valami miatt
remain
marad
upbeat
vidám
achievement
teljesítmény
experiment
kísérlet
last (some time)
tart (valamennyi ideig)
warning
figyelmeztetés
contemplate
fontolgat
symptom
tünet
Through fire and ice
Jonathan Glancey Monday May 7, 2007
Guardian
There's an old joke about Norwegians that goes as follows. Zoologists from around the world are at a conference about the elephant. The French expert enthuses on its love life. The German analyses the animal's teeth. The US delegate looks at warfare among rival herds. The English representative investigates elephant etiquette. And the Norwegian discusses ... Norway and the Norwegians. Norway is vast. The distance between its southern and northern tips is about the same as that between Oslo and Rome. It has extremes of climate and landscape, man-made wonders and sheer natural beauty. Its population is just 4.5 million. Norwegians enjoy the highest standard of living, according to the UN. Wealth is fairly evenly shared, equality between the sexes almost a given. To make a modern economy thrive in extreme climatic and geographical conditions, Norwegian architects, engineers and designers have had to be resourceful, matter-of-fact and highly inventive. Some of their most recent work can be seen in Extreme North, an exhibition at the AberdeenArtGallery abounding in everyday wonders of modern architecture and design. Norwegians like to say, "There's no bad weather, only bad clothes", and Extreme North appears to prove the point. As long as you are properly clad for the climate, extremes of nature can be not just endured but enjoyed. So, here's the AutoSock designed by Hareide Designmill. If the weather suddenly gets slippery, drivers can simply slip these neat garments over the wheels of their cars and drive off safely through the snow. Since AutoSocks fold into a small box, they are rightly popular.
The homes designed by Helen and Hard Arkitekter demonstrate how new homes can be added to old towns without destroying them. Inside, you might find such delightful things as the Red Lamp by Lars Ernst; what could make more sense in the winter gloaming than a soft, warm red lamp? Extreme North is unshowy, satisfying and quietly thrilling - as fresh and rewarding as the vast, crystal-clear Norwegian landscape itself.
Graffiti is the most prolific - and enduring - genre of public art. Although its association with vandalism tainted its early modern life, it is rapidly being accepted as a genuine form of art, exhibited in museums and even coming under the high-class hammer at Sotheby's in recent years.
But there are other kinds of street art, made by a new generation that is finding novel ways of making its mark. Last year, the artist "Slink" left a Hansel-and-Gretel trail of art around London. Walking around the capital, the 26-year-old left more than 50 miniature dolls on street corners, at traffic lights and in other places where they would be noticed only by those who glanced in their direction. Slink went on to place his tiny dolls around Manchester, and then Barcelona and Amsterdam, in the hope of waking passers-by from zombie-like inattention to their surroundings. Slink is part of a growing trend of anonymous street art projects. Last year, New Yorkers were puzzled to wake up to a number of artistic additions to their road crossings. Instead of the minimalist red and green men, t
