Can you go 11 days without sleep?

Tony Wright is trying to break the 43-year-old world sleep deprivation record. To do so, he'll have to stay awake for more than 264 hours (11 days). His experiment began on Monday, May 14, so he's only 1 1/2 days into his quest, but -- believe it or not -- it might be possible for him to succeed.

How will he do it? Firstly, he's been preparing. Wright believes that by eating what he calls "a primate like diet -- one similar to that of our rain forest dwelling ancestors," he'll have what he needs for his brain to "develop its full potential." Other than that, it appears he'll just be hanging out at The Studio Bar in Penzance, Cornwall, playing pool and making conversation with whoever wants to stop by.

Wright thinks that by going without sleep, he'll be able to "access more refined and functional consciousness states." This may seem odd, but people have held this belief for thousands of years, and scientific research has shown that while some parts of the brain function poorly when sleep deprived, others compensate, and are actually more active than they are normally.

Interested? Think he's crazy? You can see for yourself by following his progress on this live webcam.

[via MetaFilter]