Man Spends One Year Without Internet... And Lives!
“I sure wish I could Like something right now...”
Like many of his generation, Paul Miller has spent most of his life connected to the internet. He ventured online at 12, and by age 14 he was working as a web designer. But by the age of 26, Miller felt he was “missing” something in life. So he decided to take a bold - and to some, even terrifying move of unplugging his ethernet cable and living entirely “offline” for one year! Of course, there were many ups and downs and a few interesting revelations along the way. I'll try not to spoil it for those that want to watch the mini-documentary or read his first-person account, but, safe to say, Paul won't be logging off again for extended periods any time soon.
A.J. Jacobs Lives Entire Life as “Experiment”
A.J. during his "Year of Living Biblically"
A.J. Jacobs, the editor-at-large at Esquire magazine is a thinker, tinkerer, and social experimenter. He has spent more than a decade asking himself unusual questions (“Can I outsource my entire life to India?”, “How Healthy Can I Get?”, and “Can I live by George Washington's rules of life?”) Over this time, he has published four books and numerous articles for magazines detailing his very unique challenges. His most famous collection is entitled appropriately enough “My Life as an Experiment” which is notable for his wife's rebuttal to his work.
Colin Wright - Extreme Nomadic Lifestyle
Talk about taking it over the top - 26-year-old Colin Wright seems to be living extreme in almost every way. He lives a nomadic lifestyle, picking up and moving to a different part of the world every 4 months, according to votes on his blog. He's gone “paperless” for a year and not worn black for 6 months as well. The idea behind all of his experiments is to encourage people to think differently, try new things, and be open to change. You can watch his inspiring TED talk below, or visit his blog and vote on the next place to which he should move.
Woman Lives Life Without Sugar
Sugar. It's wonderful, it's sweet. It's also highly addicting and, according to some research, responsible for diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, and a host of other problems. It's also an added ingredient in almost every food product we consume (look at the label.) Would you - or even COULD you - give it up? Since January 1, 2008, one woman has. She wishes to remain anonymous, but has created a blog with all kinds of surprising sugar facts, as well as recipes and tips for a sugar-free lifestyle. She challenges everyone who reads it to do the same.
Man Lives Off His Own Liquid Concoction
Liquid Lunch
Unlike our Yogi friend, Rob Rhinehart is not a spiritualist trying to achieve a higher state. Instead, he is an amateur chemist who has decided to tackle the problem of world hunger. So he sought out to create a cheaper alternative to solid food that could have all the same nutrients. Through trial-and-error, he created a liquid food he calls “Soylent” - named after Soylent Green, a fictional food from the movie of the same name that was made from dead human beings (Rhinehart's potion is corpse-free). He claims to have lived 30 days off Soylent alone, although there are many skeptics who say there is already “medical food” (such as Complan for people with dietary issues) and that his experiments are dubious, if not dangerous. Still, he remains undaunted, and plans on conducting trials on willing participants, as well as a Kickstarter campaign to fund the start-up he wants to create to feed the hungry, and, he hopes, make a little money in the process.
German Woman Lives Without Money for 16 Years
"You never give me your money..."
Heidemarie Schwermer had been through the boom-and-bust cycle of modern Capitalism. Her family were wealthy coffee roasters, losing it all in WWII. Throughout her life, her fortunes continued to go up and down. When she was in her 50s, she decided to do an experiment and see if she could live for one year without using any physical currency. She gave everything away, including her apartment, and kept only a small suitcase. She has been going for 16 years, doing a little bartering, a little scavenging, and a lot of public speaking. She stars in a documentary called “Living Without Money” - which, interestingly, or ironically, is not being giving away for free.
Daniel Suelo Quits Society, Starts “Tribe”
Daniel Suelo also lives without money, but, unlike Heidemarie, he has quit all the comforts of society, preferring to live in the Utah wilderness and forage for food. He accepts no barter and doesn't live off public assistance. He hasn't, however, given up his access to the internet, and blogs regularly and frequently about the “illusion” of money and is looking for members for his moneyless tribe. Are you ready to join him?
Yogi Lives 70+ Years Without Food or Water?
"Yummy yummy yummy I got love in my tummy"
If Prahiad Jani's claims are true, he has not only defied temptation, but also the entire biological cycle of life. Jani, who is also known as Chunriwala Mataji, says he stopping eating or drinking at the age of 12. He is now 85, lives as a hermit in a cave, and spends most of his time meditating. There were 2 studies at a hospital in India - 2003 and 2010 - to verify his assertions. The first experiment lasted 10 days and the second 15. Both times, he was kept in a sealed room with no toilet and allowed only to gargle. The doctors say he passed both tests with flying colors, neither eating nor defecating, but they have yet to submit their findings to a scientific journal for analysis. There was a lot of hoopla on the internet and further studies are planned, but presumably Jani remains in his cave, blissfully unaware of the controversy.
Family Spends Year Buying Nothing from China
It wasn't an idea based on protectionism or racial hatred - instead, Sara Bongiorni just wanted to make people aware of our dependence on the international trading system, and, specifically, China. In 2005, she vowed to purchase only items for her family not manufactured in the world's most populous country, whose cheap exports flood the US marketplace. As you might imagine, it was difficult to find anything, from lamps to shoes. This made everyday trips to the store much more involved than before. "Shopping became meaningful," she was quoted as saying.
Like many of his generation, Paul Miller has spent most of his life connected to the internet. He ventured online at 12, and by age 14 he was working as a web designer. But by the age of 26, Miller felt he was “missing” something in life. So he decided to take a bold - and to some, even terrifying move of unplugging his ethernet cable and living entirely “offline” for one year! Of course, there were many ups and downs and a few interesting revelations along the way. I'll try not to spoil it for those that want to watch the mini-documentary or read his first-person account, but, safe to say, Paul won't be logging off again for extended periods any time soon.
A.J. Jacobs Lives Entire Life as “Experiment”
A.J. Jacobs, the editor-at-large at Esquire magazine is a thinker, tinkerer, and social experimenter. He has spent more than a decade asking himself unusual questions (“Can I outsource my entire life to India?”, “How Healthy Can I Get?”, and “Can I live by George Washington's rules of life?”) Over this time, he has published four books and numerous articles for magazines detailing his very unique challenges. His most famous collection is entitled appropriately enough “My Life as an Experiment” which is notable for his wife's rebuttal to his work.
Colin Wright - Extreme Nomadic Lifestyle
Talk about taking it over the top - 26-year-old Colin Wright seems to be living extreme in almost every way. He lives a nomadic lifestyle, picking up and moving to a different part of the world every 4 months, according to votes on his blog. He's gone “paperless” for a year and not worn black for 6 months as well. The idea behind all of his experiments is to encourage people to think differently, try new things, and be open to change. You can watch his inspiring TED talk below, or visit his blog and vote on the next place to which he should move.
Woman Lives Life Without Sugar
Man Lives Off His Own Liquid Concoction
Unlike our Yogi friend, Rob Rhinehart is not a spiritualist trying to achieve a higher state. Instead, he is an amateur chemist who has decided to tackle the problem of world hunger. So he sought out to create a cheaper alternative to solid food that could have all the same nutrients. Through trial-and-error, he created a liquid food he calls “Soylent” - named after Soylent Green, a fictional food from the movie of the same name that was made from dead human beings (Rhinehart's potion is corpse-free). He claims to have lived 30 days off Soylent alone, although there are many skeptics who say there is already “medical food” (such as Complan for people with dietary issues) and that his experiments are dubious, if not dangerous. Still, he remains undaunted, and plans on conducting trials on willing participants, as well as a Kickstarter campaign to fund the start-up he wants to create to feed the hungry, and, he hopes, make a little money in the process.
German Woman Lives Without Money for 16 Years
Heidemarie Schwermer had been through the boom-and-bust cycle of modern Capitalism. Her family were wealthy coffee roasters, losing it all in WWII. Throughout her life, her fortunes continued to go up and down. When she was in her 50s, she decided to do an experiment and see if she could live for one year without using any physical currency. She gave everything away, including her apartment, and kept only a small suitcase. She has been going for 16 years, doing a little bartering, a little scavenging, and a lot of public speaking. She stars in a documentary called “Living Without Money” - which, interestingly, or ironically, is not being giving away for free.
Daniel Suelo Quits Society, Starts “Tribe”
Yogi Lives 70+ Years Without Food or Water?
If Prahiad Jani's claims are true, he has not only defied temptation, but also the entire biological cycle of life. Jani, who is also known as Chunriwala Mataji, says he stopping eating or drinking at the age of 12. He is now 85, lives as a hermit in a cave, and spends most of his time meditating. There were 2 studies at a hospital in India - 2003 and 2010 - to verify his assertions. The first experiment lasted 10 days and the second 15. Both times, he was kept in a sealed room with no toilet and allowed only to gargle. The doctors say he passed both tests with flying colors, neither eating nor defecating, but they have yet to submit their findings to a scientific journal for analysis. There was a lot of hoopla on the internet and further studies are planned, but presumably Jani remains in his cave, blissfully unaware of the controversy.
Family Spends Year Buying Nothing from China
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