Scientists are testing the endurance of humans and equipment in temperatures of around minus 50C at a laboratory in southern Poland.

The Taming the Freeze experiment is expected to go on for 100 hours. Survivalists and mountain climbers are locked in a lab filled with snow and wind generators at the Mechanical Department of Krakow Technical University as long as they can stand it.

Artur Gawlik, the experiment's technical chief, said the warmly clad participants have an igloo and food and perform tasks such as putting up a small tent, riding a bike or placing a flag atop the igloo. Their data is being collected by health and technology experts.

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