Do you know what an Autotroph is?

[nisucy]

Who has some theories about this?

http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/14815_autotroph.html

has anyone ever tried it? I might give it a shot.

[no_leaf_clover]

I saw that recently, too. I don't really trust that news source on some things,  so I did a Google search and couldn't really find any other sources for that besides Pravda. I believe some deeply spiritual people might be able to something like that, like the guy who Pravda said was observed in a hospital for not eating for years (I didn't Google that one but it's something I would be more likely to believe). But I don't think it would necessarily be smart for 99.9% of everybody else to try it.

[nisucy]

you're right, it may not be the best of ideas.  

there is a group of people called breatherians who attempt to live like this.

[karnautrahl]

It doesn't feel like it makes a lot of sense LOL. I can't see a solid process for this to work. Plants have photosynthesis and the nutrients in the soil. There isn't an organism I know of that doesn't take in minerals etc from somewhere external. Unless someone is proposing it is possible for a human being to actual be so efficient at recycling breakdown products and reusing them? This is one time where I'm really really skeptical.

[nisucy]

it is hard to believe, but there is documented medical evidence on multiple cases.  I'm skeptical about many things, but too many times has documented fact or personal experience trump my skepticism.  for the most part i leave everything on the table to be proved or disproved, and this is such a case.  supposedly they can get all the nutrients they need from air.  pure air that is, i doubt it would work in many areas of the industrialized world, fortunately.

[clandestino]

has anyone ever tried it? I might give it a shot.

Hi Nisucy ! Take a commonsense approach to this......If you try it, & it goes wrong, you could seriously damage your physical and / or mental health.

However, if it works (lets be fair - the chances of it working are probably zero), then....good for you.

I'm reading "stalingrad" by Anthony beevor at the moment. It tells the story of the battle between the Russians & Germans during late 1942. The German 6th Army was surrounded, with no food or water. Let me tell you, they came to a very unpleasant end.

Kind regards,
Mark

[karnautrahl]

I know I certainly cannot reconcile the fact that I know of no process by which a living being can live on only air and light. Whether it be rocks, ocean water (full of nutrients),soil or by eating everything seems to need matter in some form
Since air in it's natural state doesn't carry the minerals and other things life needs, just oxygen, nitrogen and some noble gases (and pollutants) I just can't see it working.