Is willpower real? An Australian sailor on a 6,000km-long voyage has been rescued from the Pacific Ocean after drifting helplessly for weeks — with an important companion.
One man and his dog survive two months at sea
Is willpower real? An Australian sailor on a 6,000km-long voyage has been rescued from the Pacific Ocean after drifting helplessly for weeks - with an important companion.
It looked like a normal day's fishing for the Maria Delia. The Mexican trawlerA boat that pulls a large net to catch fish. had set off in search of tuna when the helicopter helping it scout the seas radioed an extraordinary report. It had spotted a damaged catamaranA type of boat with two parallel hulls. far from land. On board was a wild-looking man and the only member of his crew: his pet dog.
Tim Shaddock had set out from the Mexican port of La Paz in April, hoping to reach French PolynesiaA group of more than 100 islands in the Pacific which are attached to France. . But not long after the start of his voyage his boat hit a storm. All the electronics on board were put out of action.
Shaddock survived by catching fish which he ate raw. He drank rainwater and used a canopy to protect him from the sun.
Mike Tipton, a professor at Portsmouth University, says his survival was down to a mixture of luck and skill. He was lucky that there was enough rain to provide the water he needed - but he showed skill in catching fish and rationing it carefully.
According to Guinness World Records, the longest anyone has survived at sea is 484 days. In October 1813 a ship was damaged by a storm off the Japanese coast and drifted in the Pacific until spotted in March 1815.
Luckily it had a cargo of soy beans that the crew could eat. Unfortunately 12 of the 14 men on board died of scurvyA disease caused by a lack of Vitamin C - most often caused by not eating enough fruits or vegetables. .
During World War Two, a Chinese sailor from a British ship that had been torpedoed survived for 133 days. He was lucky enough to find a life raft in the ocean. At one point he caught a shark and drank its blood to keep him going.
Some believe that it all comes down to willpower. According to one expert, "I've known of people who have been in a perfectly survivable situation who have basically thrown it away and given up... so the will to live is key."
But writing in Huffington Post, Dr Ali Binazir argues that there is no such thing as willpower.
<h5 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper" id="question"><strong>Is willpower real?</strong></h5>
Yes: In 2012 two Mexicans were left helpless in a storm-damaged boat. After four months one gave up, stopped eating and died. The other had the will to keep going for another 10 months and survived.
No: There is no actual evidence that it exists. According to Dr Binazir, you do not resist temptation by willpower, but by keeping away from the things that tempt you.
Or... Survival in these accounts has been attributed to willpower, luck and skill. The only one whose existence everyone can agree on is skill - so that must be the most important of the three.
Trawler - A boat that pulls a large net to catch fish.
Catamaran - A type of boat with two parallel hulls.
French Polynesia - A group of more than 100 islands in the Pacific which are attached to France.
Scurvy - A disease caused by a lack of Vitamin C - most often caused by not eating enough fruits or vegetables.
One man and his dog survive two months at sea

Glossary
Trawler - A boat that pulls a large net to catch fish.
Catamaran - A type of boat with two parallel hulls.
French Polynesia - A group of more than 100 islands in the Pacific which are attached to France.
Scurvy - A disease caused by a lack of Vitamin C — most often caused by not eating enough fruits or vegetables.