Guinness World Records Ceases Recognition Of A Dangerous Record
The Guinness World Records is known for recognizing some of the most incredible feats, from the tallest man to the fastest marathon time. However, there is one record that the organization has stopped monitoring due to the inherent dangers associated with it. The Guinness world Records ceases recognition of a dangerous record, and it's the longest time spent awake.
Guinness World Records Ceases Monitoring Record For Longest Time Awake Due To Dangers
The record on the longest time spent awake, which was most held by Robert McDonald, who managed to go without sleep for 453 hours and 40 minutes in 1986. Since then, the Guinness World Records has ceased recognizing the record, and for good reason.
In an interview with the BBC, Bruce McAllister, one of two students who attempted to break the record in 1963, revealed the dangers of staying awake for long periods of time.
“„We were idiots, you know young idiots.- Bruce McAllister
He explained that he and Randy Gardner had decided to embark on the challenge to see how the brain would react to sleep deprivation. Gardner managed to break the record with the help of a sleep researcher from Stanford University, but it came at a great cost.
Gardner experienced moodiness, concentration issues, short-term memory loss, paranoia, and hallucinations. Brain scans also later found that Gardner's brain had been "catnapping the entire time… parts of it would be asleep parts of it would be awake."
The Guinness World Records eventually stopped monitoring the record due to the inherent dangers associated with sleep deprivation. In a statement on their website, they explained that the decision was made after "considerable discussion with sleep specialists."
They added that they "would never encourage anyone to attempt to break this record due to the significant risks involved." Despite this, no one has managed to beat McDonald's record since 1986.
While it may be tempting to try and break a Guinness World Record, it is important to remember that some records are simply too dangerous to attempt. The Guinness World Records exists to celebrate achievements, not to put people's lives at risk. As McAllister stated in his interview with the BBC, "Plenty of others to try and beat, eh."
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the Guinness World Records recognizes some of the most incredible achievements, there are some records that are simply too dangerous to attempt.
The record for the longest time spent awake was last broken in 1986, and since then, the organization has stopped monitoring the record due to the significant risks involved. It is important to remember that the Guinness World Records exists to celebrate achievements, not to put people's lives at risk. As such, it is crucial that individuals do not attempt to break dangerous records.