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Blind, Alone, and Confused for 24 Hours Challenge (2020)
- anthk 3y agoWith yasr, speech-dispatcher and Linux/BSD you could play some text games or browse HN with edbrowse :P Altough with Emacs and Emacspeak you could do nearly anything. https://blog.thechases.com/posts/bsd/setting-up-a-terminal-screen-reader-on-openbsd/ https://blog.thechases.com/posts/bsd/setting-up-a-terminal-s... For OpenBSD, but close for Linux. And, Emacspeak for Emacs: https://tvraman.github.io/emacspeak/manual/ https://tvraman.github.io/emacspeak/manual/ I'm not blind, but for this experiment it would be too easy to waste time.
- mtalantikite 3y agoIn Tibetan Buddhism there is a "dark retreat" where you spend the retreat time in total darkness [1]. Retreat times are generally 49 days iirc. A teacher I've done some practice with has guided some intro sessions for dark retreats and is planning on offering them at a retreat center in New York -- actually, it looks like he posted today about one coming up in NYC for those that are around: https://www.instagram.com/repadorje/p/C34rCaKOA3B/ https://www.instagram.com/repadorje/p/C34rCaKOA3B/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_retreat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_retreat
- stickfigure 3y agoBack in the 90s, about 20 friends and I did something roughly similar in a house. We sealed off all windows with aluminum foil, unscrewed every lightbulb, and covered every electronic display panel. The fridge was loaded with random sandwiches (actually random, since you couldn't read labels). One small room with an exterior door was turned into a light-lock so we could order pizza. The experiment lasted a whole weekend. The activities were basically long discussions, music/audiobooks/plays (before siri/assistant, so physical CDs - again random), psychedelics, and making out with your friends. I can't say I achieved any deep insights, but 20-something me thought it was pretty fun.
- sverhagen 3y ago>For the bathroom, I (a man) peed sitting down. I’m not ashamed to admit it. Rather the opposite, we (men) should be ashamed to pee standing up into anything that's not a urinal, it's gross. Also, relatedly, we should LISTEN when our cohabitants tell us any of that.
- replete 3y ago[flagged]
- defrost 3y agoThis goes agin the entire raison d'etre for planting lavender bushes in the garden.
- huytersd 3y agoI’m not sitting on a disgusting ass public seat when I don’t have to. I can aim.
- senkora 3y agoThere is significant country-to-country variation in how common this is. Germany is a world leader in percentage of sitzpinklers. https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45713-where-world-are-men-most-likely-sit-down-wee https://yougov.co.uk/society/articles/45713-where-world-are-...
- el_benhameen 3y ago> Why Am I Doing This? > I have no good reason. I just want to see if I am capable of doing it and what will happen. I laughed at that line. The whole thing sounded crazy enough that I figured there was some body hacking/hyper optimization angle to it. I’m glad that it was just for the hell of it! I probably wouldn’t try this particular experiment on myself, but I appreciate and share the “fuck it, why not?” ethos.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- glenstein 3y agoI appreciate it for the same reason. I feel like it's one of those things that you either just get or you just don't get. Like trying to explain to someone why you might like exploration for explorations sake, or things of that nature. You can be sold and incredibly expensive travel package, but I think if you can come up with creative ideas, there are frontiers in the sense of unusual experiences that give you the rare chance to bring out something different in you, which I think is the goal a lot of people have with travel. We're just socialized into understanding and accepting travel more.
- tacheiordache 3y ago> Why Am I Doing This? There some form of monetization in many of these challenges whether it translates to real money or attention, likes, traffic and so on. While reading this I was wondering why not interview blind people? They're in this for so long and a good picture of what it is to be blind.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- weinzierl 3y agoAs conscientious objector in the 90s in Germany we had to do an alternative basic training[1]. Part of the ordeal was a whole day - from bed to bed - in a wheelchair. We were divided in groups of two, one guy played the wheelchair user, the other the caretaker. We made a day trip by rail to the lovely town of Bamberg. Our task was to observe how people react to us and write it down in a report from the perspective of the wheelchair user and the caregiver respectively. The day after we discussed our reports in the group. One thing I remember is, how much physical strength it requires in your arms to drive up an incline and the fear of rolling backwards, maybe even toppling backwards and hitting the ground with your head. The other that trains and stations were completely unprepared for wheelchairs in the 90s. We did the blind experiment as well, but only for under an hour within our building. Here the caretakers were split into two groups and half of them were secretly told to let the blind guy run into a wall or over a step just once. Afterwards we had to discuss how that affected trust in the caregiver. [1] This was not really meant to prepare us for our duties on the frontlines at hospitals and homes for the elderly, though in my case it helped a bit. The real reason was to uphold the Wehrgerechtigkeit - the idea that consciousness objectors are subject to the very same conditions as conscripts. In practice this idea fell short, because places for training were few and people randomly selected for it.
- histories 3y ago>how much physical strength it requires in your arms to drive up an incline I'll take this as an opportunity to recommend to you all the manga "Real". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_(manga) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_(manga)
- koliber 3y agoEveryone should spend an hour or two in a wheelchair. It gives so much perspective and builds empathy. I am an able bodied adult. A couple of years ago I hurt my foot and went to the hospital. It was a minor fracture of a minor bone, but they ended up putting a cast on to make sure I would not put weight on it for some time. It was the middle of the day and I was alone when they discharged me from the ER. This was in Poland. The plus side is that the ER bill was $0. The downside is that I had no crutches and no one to help me. There was a medical supply store across the street and a wheelchair I could use at the entrance to the hospital. I hopped on over to the entrance and sat down in the wheelchair. Wheeling down the smooth floor was no problem. However, once I hit the pavement, things got tough. Every crack and uneven spot was a real obstacle. I got stuck all the time. Each pebble had the ability to stop me in my tracks. Conquering these minor challenges took more physical strength and tactical planning than I anticipated. Keep in mind, this is while rolling down some average pavement. Eventually, things got harder. Curbs. A proper curb was an impossible challenge. I imagine that someone who has more experience and body strength might be able to somehow get a wheelchair on the curb. I needed to wheel over to a spot where the curb was lower, at a crossing. This added distance but it was necessary. Not that a lower curb was easy. It still required careful planning, strength, and tactical positioning. Eventually I made it to the store. Walking on crutches was a blessing. Still needed to return the wheelchair to the hospital. This meant doing the same journey, but slightly uphill, while toting crutches. This was a while back, but I think of this experience regularly. The world is much different for someone in a wheelchair.
- petesergeant 3y ago> I’m investigating whether nicotine is an under-appreciated nootropic Don’t do this. And if you are going to do this, make sure you don’t vape one day when you can get access to the gum/lozenges you’ve become addicted to. Nicotine addiction is a real pain in the ass and the nootropic effects of it really aren’t worth the hassle.
- mock-possum 3y agoCounter anecdote! I did some experimenting with nicotine a couple years back, and after much disappointment I stumbled upon an effect that’s actually useful to me: pushing through mid-afternoon sleepiness. During a full work day, particularly when i haven’t had the best night’s sleep, I’ll find myself getting pretty drowsy for a period of an hour or so, generally soon after lunch. Previous my strategy had been to counteract that with coffee - now, when I catch myself nodding off at my desk, I’ll just pop a 2mg nicotine lozenge, and boom, back on track. Comes on quick, and goes away quick, doesn’t cause problems falling asleep if I take it too late in the day, doesn’t disrupt my flow state when I’m in the zone - it’s just right for me!
- westmeal 3y agoCareful, it will grab you if you're not cautious about it's use.
- petesergeant 3y agoI’m glad it’s working for you, but I would also note that anyone who’s ever been addicted to anything has had a great phase when they weren’t addicted to it, and the benefits of it were working out great for them! Admittedly it sounds like you’ve been maintaining this for a long time without issue, and the lozenges are next to harmless, but I would caution anyone reading this against assuming that they will be as lucky.
- hasbot 3y agoHave you continued taking an occasional nicotine? If so, have do you have any concerns with developing a dependency?
- dusted 3y agoThis struck me, is it so special? That's just the regular "eyes closed for a minute or two" mode for me ? It's interesting how we all seem capable of the same experiences but some have a really amazing ability to ignore what goes on in their nervous system.. I'm acutely aware of all of thees artifacts at all times, the floaters and the halos and afterimages. "I remember my entire vision filling up with white bubbles which then broke and briefly returned to black. Then white lightning bolt shapes stretched across my sight, expanded to make my vision purely white, and then slowly faded back to black. The strangest thing about it was the brightness. I literally felt like I was staring into lights despite being blindfolded in a dark room. Unfortunately, it only lasted about 30 seconds, but my heart was racing."
- jerlam 3y agoIt sounds a little similar to what some people experience in a sensory deprivation chamber. Some report seeing fantastic sights and sounds. Others like me, not so much. Felt like every other bout of insomnia.
- dusted 3y agoI've often wondered about that experience, but I've not really had the chance to try it out yet.
- sweetjuly 3y agoSince they spoke a lot about how hard it was to use their phone, it'd be interesting to see how the author feels using more precise assistive features like VoiceOver on iOS. You can do everything with it and at nearly the same speed with just an hour or so of practice. It'd probably make the experience less boring/isolating, which might ruin it though :)
- d--b 3y agoI don't know, I got Lasek surgery, and had to go through about the same amount of time blindfolded. I did have to take the blindfold off 1 sec to open my door, but it's not something you want to do as it's pretty painful to open your eyes. Maybe it's because I kind of had to do it that I didn't feel any of that stuff the guy is talking about. I did plan for it. Turned on Siri, bought a very long audio book. I mostly slept it off. I guess not having to write a blog post about it made me think about other things, and it was fine. Having a rotavirus infection that barely allowed me to leave the toilet for 4 days was a whole different level of annoyance.
- smokel 3y agoI love this reply. I get similar vibes when an artist copies the Mona Lisa in, say, 100,000 colored dice or Post-it notes. If you compare such efforts with road makers (pavers?) who lay millions of bricks in their lifetimes, such art suddenly seems less relevant. I guess the interesting context here is willpower, freedom of choice, or discipline, rather than a particular experiment.
- nicky0 3y agoIt's interesting that there is such a focus on distractions and entertainment. It almost reads like "I attempted to operate my iPhone blindfold for 24 hours". What would a similar experiment be like without a smartphone being involve, I wonder?
- giraffe_lady 3y agoYeah I was kind of disappointed when I realized this was largely just "catch up on my podcasts but inefficiently." If they had spent a few prep hours learning how the built in screenreader works they could have had a pretty normal albeit frustrating day. 24 hours is not that long biologically, you could take nothing but water and move only for the bathroom and be fine. I think there's a lot of value in intentionally experiencing understimulation but the focus on vision alone and not other forms of input undermines it.
- 65 3y agoThis would make a great Mr. Beast video.