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These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated: 1 00:00:01,958 --> 00:00:04,059 The ability to survive freezing temperatures 2 00:00:04,083 --> 00:00:06,667 through sheer force of will. 3 00:00:06,792 --> 00:00:08,708 Ancient traditions 4 00:00:08,875 --> 00:00:11,292 that protect the body from pain. 5 00:00:11,417 --> 00:00:13,792 And extraordinary adventurers 6 00:00:13,875 --> 00:00:17,333 who risk their lives to defy the limits. 7 00:00:19,292 --> 00:00:22,667 How are certain individuals able to perform 8 00:00:22,792 --> 00:00:27,958 incredible physical feats of strength, speed, or stamina 9 00:00:28,083 --> 00:00:30,667 that most of us could never dream of doing? 10 00:00:30,792 --> 00:00:35,125 Is it simply a combination of natural talent and training? 11 00:00:35,208 --> 00:00:38,833 Or do some people tap into mysterious forces 12 00:00:38,958 --> 00:00:41,375 when they achieve things that seem almost 13 00:00:41,500 --> 00:00:43,000 superhuman? 14 00:00:44,083 --> 00:00:46,792 Well, that is what we'll try and find out. 15 00:01:02,208 --> 00:01:04,792 Central Iceland. 16 00:01:04,875 --> 00:01:07,458 Here, not far from a massive glacier 17 00:01:07,583 --> 00:01:10,583 where temperatures average just above freezing, 18 00:01:10,708 --> 00:01:14,583 a man has decided to sit outside in the cold 19 00:01:14,708 --> 00:01:16,167 for over an hour, 20 00:01:16,250 --> 00:01:18,583 wearing only a pair of shorts. 21 00:01:20,167 --> 00:01:22,333 His name is Wim Hof. 22 00:01:22,458 --> 00:01:24,417 And although most people would die 23 00:01:24,542 --> 00:01:29,167 if they attempted such a feat, he finds it quite relaxing. 24 00:01:29,292 --> 00:01:31,500 Wim has made a great impression on the world 25 00:01:31,667 --> 00:01:33,333 because of his extraordinary ability 26 00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:36,458 to withstand freezing temperatures. 27 00:01:36,583 --> 00:01:40,708 His exploits have earned him the nickname "The Iceman." 28 00:01:42,208 --> 00:01:43,328 The most challenging 29 00:01:43,375 --> 00:01:47,458 aspect of going into the cold 30 00:01:47,542 --> 00:01:49,583 is your fear. 31 00:01:51,042 --> 00:01:52,542 Control your fear 32 00:01:52,667 --> 00:01:56,042 and let the body do what the body is capable of. 33 00:01:56,208 --> 00:01:59,125 All the doctors said, "You are the Iceman. 34 00:01:59,250 --> 00:02:01,000 "You are a freak of nature. 35 00:02:01,125 --> 00:02:02,875 "You are an abnormality. 36 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,250 You are a superhuman." 37 00:02:05,375 --> 00:02:08,083 But I'm as human as any person, 38 00:02:08,208 --> 00:02:11,458 only I am challenging my body and mind 39 00:02:11,583 --> 00:02:12,708 in nature. 40 00:02:14,792 --> 00:02:17,750 Wim has performed a number of feats that, on the surface, 41 00:02:17,875 --> 00:02:18,917 seem impossible, 42 00:02:19,042 --> 00:02:21,042 such as climbing Mount Everest 43 00:02:21,167 --> 00:02:23,667 wearing nothing but shorts and shoes, 44 00:02:23,750 --> 00:02:28,625 and spending nearly two hours fully immersed in an ice bath. 45 00:02:28,708 --> 00:02:32,542 But what motivated Wim to learn how to brave the cold, 46 00:02:32,708 --> 00:02:34,625 in the first place? 47 00:02:34,708 --> 00:02:36,250 As a young kid, 48 00:02:36,375 --> 00:02:40,667 I was very interested in anything that was strange... 49 00:02:41,667 --> 00:02:45,125 and stories and deeds of people 50 00:02:45,208 --> 00:02:48,292 going into the unknown, so-called. 51 00:02:48,375 --> 00:02:53,458 And when I was 17, I began to go in freezing temperatures. 52 00:02:53,583 --> 00:02:57,208 And there I found a deep connection 53 00:02:57,375 --> 00:03:01,333 with my body, with my god, with a depth. 54 00:03:01,458 --> 00:03:05,708 And that is now 45 years ago. 55 00:03:05,875 --> 00:03:07,208 And since then, 56 00:03:07,375 --> 00:03:10,833 I have never skipped a day going into the cold. 57 00:03:12,208 --> 00:03:15,208 In these ungodly, below-freezing temperatures, 58 00:03:15,375 --> 00:03:17,250 your average person can freeze to death 59 00:03:17,375 --> 00:03:18,958 in less than 30 minutes. 60 00:03:19,042 --> 00:03:22,500 It's not an environment that's suitable for humans. 61 00:03:23,750 --> 00:03:27,875 So with Wim Hof, his ability to withstand cold 62 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,125 is really extraordinary. 63 00:03:30,208 --> 00:03:33,667 It just makes absolutely no sense. 64 00:03:34,958 --> 00:03:36,667 For an ordinary person, 65 00:03:36,750 --> 00:03:39,542 attempting these feats would result in almost certain death. 66 00:03:39,708 --> 00:03:43,833 And yet Wim Hof doesn't just survive 67 00:03:43,958 --> 00:03:47,458 in frigid temperatures, he seems to thrive in them. 68 00:03:47,583 --> 00:03:48,958 But how? 69 00:03:49,042 --> 00:03:52,125 Well, according to Wim Hof, 70 00:03:52,250 --> 00:03:54,875 this ability doesn't come from his body 71 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,833 but rather from his mind. 72 00:03:59,375 --> 00:04:01,375 If we follow the breath... 73 00:04:08,958 --> 00:04:10,875 then the mind begins to cease. 74 00:04:12,375 --> 00:04:15,125 I learned how to tap into my brain, 75 00:04:15,250 --> 00:04:17,542 to have a much greater control 76 00:04:17,667 --> 00:04:20,375 than doctors thought was possible. 77 00:04:20,542 --> 00:04:24,292 When I go in a brain scan or in a fMRI, 78 00:04:24,417 --> 00:04:28,083 and they put cold water upon my skin 79 00:04:28,208 --> 00:04:29,667 with a skin temperature 80 00:04:29,833 --> 00:04:30,958 measurement device, 81 00:04:31,083 --> 00:04:32,750 I'm able to raise... 82 00:04:34,042 --> 00:04:37,625 my skin temperature so much that the cold water 83 00:04:37,750 --> 00:04:40,708 is making my skin temperature not going down. 84 00:04:40,875 --> 00:04:43,167 That means that through the psychology, 85 00:04:43,292 --> 00:04:46,000 I caused something physiologically. 86 00:04:48,708 --> 00:04:50,333 Wim Hof's work is being 87 00:04:50,500 --> 00:04:53,833 widely studied right now in academic settings... 88 00:04:55,417 --> 00:04:57,875 and what's being found is that 89 00:04:58,042 --> 00:05:03,292 he can get into a kind of transpersonal mental state 90 00:05:03,375 --> 00:05:06,375 where the body is freed from perceived limitations, 91 00:05:06,542 --> 00:05:09,042 making him more resilient 92 00:05:09,208 --> 00:05:11,750 and capable of acts of greater stamina. 93 00:05:12,917 --> 00:05:15,792 We're coming to a whole new realization 94 00:05:15,875 --> 00:05:18,667 of the powers of the mind over the body. 95 00:05:20,542 --> 00:05:23,375 Could Wim Hof's mind be able to regulate 96 00:05:23,542 --> 00:05:26,833 his body's ability to withstand freezing temperatures? 97 00:05:28,375 --> 00:05:30,542 Many experts believe it's possible. 98 00:05:32,250 --> 00:05:34,125 And as evidence, they point to 99 00:05:34,250 --> 00:05:37,333 an ancient Tibetan breathing technique known as "tummo," 100 00:05:37,458 --> 00:05:40,208 which, if done properly, 101 00:05:40,333 --> 00:05:42,958 can raise a person's body temperature. 102 00:05:45,208 --> 00:05:46,226 Tummo was first 103 00:05:46,250 --> 00:05:48,292 described in the 11th century 104 00:05:48,375 --> 00:05:51,625 and what it translates to is "inner fire." 105 00:05:53,708 --> 00:05:57,292 And the practice is meditation guided breathing 106 00:05:57,375 --> 00:05:59,542 where they literally imagine 107 00:05:59,708 --> 00:06:03,208 that their spine is on fire and they can feel this flame 108 00:06:03,333 --> 00:06:05,375 going from their deep inside 109 00:06:05,542 --> 00:06:07,292 all the way to the top of their head. 110 00:06:07,417 --> 00:06:08,917 And it's believed 111 00:06:09,042 --> 00:06:11,458 that they can raise their core body temperature 112 00:06:11,542 --> 00:06:13,375 and feel that heat 113 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:16,417 by practicing this meditation and breathing strategy. 114 00:06:16,542 --> 00:06:19,000 Tummo gave them control 115 00:06:19,125 --> 00:06:24,000 to be able to withstand elements and inner control 116 00:06:24,125 --> 00:06:26,958 amidst this external chaos. 117 00:06:28,083 --> 00:06:29,518 Through this meditative practice, 118 00:06:29,542 --> 00:06:32,667 you're literally able to heat up your body 119 00:06:32,792 --> 00:06:34,875 so you can withstand cold temperatures. 120 00:06:36,167 --> 00:06:39,333 Harvard scientists were able to document Tibetan monks 121 00:06:39,417 --> 00:06:42,292 doing their tummo meditation. 122 00:06:42,417 --> 00:06:45,417 So here they are, stripped naked to the waist, 123 00:06:45,542 --> 00:06:47,458 with sheets over them 124 00:06:47,542 --> 00:06:50,625 in a very, very cold room 125 00:06:50,708 --> 00:06:53,625 and the body heat that they're able to generate 126 00:06:53,708 --> 00:06:56,417 literally makes steam come off the sheets. 127 00:06:56,542 --> 00:06:59,583 It's as if they're covered in a hot, wet blanket, 128 00:06:59,708 --> 00:07:02,500 but they're doing it internally. 129 00:07:02,625 --> 00:07:05,792 It's a technique developed about a thousand years ago 130 00:07:05,875 --> 00:07:08,458 among Tibetan monks in the Himalayas, 131 00:07:08,583 --> 00:07:10,625 but it's a technique that anyone can use. 132 00:07:10,750 --> 00:07:13,167 Anyone can be taught how to do this. 133 00:07:15,042 --> 00:07:17,000 If tummo can unlock the mind's capacity 134 00:07:17,125 --> 00:07:18,500 to control body temperature, 135 00:07:18,625 --> 00:07:21,375 then it naturally begs the question, 136 00:07:21,542 --> 00:07:26,125 what other incredible abilities do our minds possess? 137 00:07:26,250 --> 00:07:28,708 Well, in the case of Wim Hof, 138 00:07:28,833 --> 00:07:31,792 it appears that he has taken his mental powers 139 00:07:31,917 --> 00:07:36,667 to the next level in order to actually heal his body. 140 00:07:38,125 --> 00:07:41,833 15 years ago, Wim ran a half marathon barefoot in the snow. 141 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,500 After the half marathon, 142 00:07:43,667 --> 00:07:46,208 one of the medics, um, examined his foot and said, 143 00:07:46,333 --> 00:07:47,708 "Hey, this is, this is pretty bad." 144 00:07:47,875 --> 00:07:50,875 And said, "He has irreparable damage: 145 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:52,375 third-degree frostbite." 146 00:07:52,500 --> 00:07:57,125 And Wim just was so mad. 147 00:07:57,208 --> 00:08:00,583 He just felt like he could do something to heal it. 148 00:08:02,083 --> 00:08:05,958 So Wim was able to start healing his frostbitten foot 149 00:08:06,042 --> 00:08:08,250 by doing his normal breathing exercises 150 00:08:08,375 --> 00:08:09,917 that he had been doing for years 151 00:08:10,042 --> 00:08:13,208 and focusing and visualizing his foot being healed. 152 00:08:13,375 --> 00:08:14,958 And over a month and a half... 153 00:08:16,167 --> 00:08:17,250 it did get better. 154 00:08:17,375 --> 00:08:19,458 The skin healed completely. 155 00:08:19,583 --> 00:08:21,167 The "irreparable damage," 156 00:08:21,250 --> 00:08:23,375 that he was not supposed to come back from, was gone. 157 00:08:25,667 --> 00:08:26,867 Is it really possible 158 00:08:26,958 --> 00:08:29,458 that Wim Hof is simply using his mind 159 00:08:29,542 --> 00:08:31,875 to perform these superhuman feats? 160 00:08:32,875 --> 00:08:34,833 While that idea may sound far-fetched, 161 00:08:34,958 --> 00:08:38,375 Wim is just the latest in a long line of people 162 00:08:38,542 --> 00:08:41,667 possessing such remarkable abilities. 163 00:08:42,833 --> 00:08:46,958 The concepts that Wim Hof is using 164 00:08:47,042 --> 00:08:48,583 go back to ancient yogic 165 00:08:48,708 --> 00:08:51,750 practices within Vedic or Hindu tradition... 166 00:08:53,125 --> 00:08:55,333 that are sometimes called siddhis. 167 00:08:55,417 --> 00:08:58,333 For example, in yogic literature, 168 00:08:58,458 --> 00:09:01,167 you will find records of 169 00:09:01,292 --> 00:09:03,542 different yogis or meditators 170 00:09:03,708 --> 00:09:08,125 who are able to lift enormous weights... 171 00:09:09,125 --> 00:09:13,333 or go for extraordinary periods of time 172 00:09:13,458 --> 00:09:15,667 without food, without water, 173 00:09:15,792 --> 00:09:17,667 without breathing. 174 00:09:17,792 --> 00:09:20,042 There are some yogic traditions 175 00:09:20,167 --> 00:09:22,667 in which people are able to pierce the body 176 00:09:22,750 --> 00:09:24,875 or lay on beds of nails 177 00:09:25,042 --> 00:09:29,042 or walk across coals without experiencing pain 178 00:09:29,167 --> 00:09:32,667 or without being disabled by injury. 179 00:09:33,708 --> 00:09:36,083 Could the ability to suppress pain 180 00:09:36,208 --> 00:09:37,833 or even to heal our bodies 181 00:09:37,958 --> 00:09:40,458 be connected to our thoughts? 182 00:09:40,542 --> 00:09:42,667 It's an exciting notion. 183 00:09:42,792 --> 00:09:44,500 And it also makes you wonder 184 00:09:44,625 --> 00:09:48,667 is it possible for anyone to unlock such powers? 185 00:09:49,875 --> 00:09:51,167 I don't think everything Wim does 186 00:09:51,333 --> 00:09:52,667 can be explained by science... 187 00:09:52,833 --> 00:09:53,833 yet. 188 00:09:55,458 --> 00:09:58,500 But he is superhuman, 189 00:09:58,583 --> 00:10:03,458 in a way that he challenges us to 190 00:10:03,583 --> 00:10:06,167 find that part in us, too. 191 00:10:08,167 --> 00:10:11,375 We have a much more possible control 192 00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:13,667 over our mind and body 193 00:10:13,833 --> 00:10:15,208 than meets the eye. 194 00:10:16,583 --> 00:10:20,667 We can learn to raise our capacity to endure 195 00:10:20,792 --> 00:10:24,542 pain and to tackle biological stress. 196 00:10:24,667 --> 00:10:26,833 And that is there for anybody. 197 00:10:27,833 --> 00:10:30,583 Through your mind, you are able to go 198 00:10:30,708 --> 00:10:34,208 further than you have ever been before. 199 00:10:35,500 --> 00:10:38,125 So, if we all just figured out 200 00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:41,250 how to unlock the power of our minds, 201 00:10:41,375 --> 00:10:44,250 would there be no limit to what our bodies could do? 202 00:10:45,708 --> 00:10:48,542 Well, what if I told you there are people out there 203 00:10:48,708 --> 00:10:52,000 who can push themselves to run hundreds of miles 204 00:10:52,083 --> 00:10:59,000 without stopping? 205 00:10:59,125 --> 00:11:02,833 In this small town, in the heart of Marin County, 206 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,792 lives world-renowned ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes. 207 00:11:07,917 --> 00:11:10,125 And by all accounts, 208 00:11:10,250 --> 00:11:12,250 he was born to run. 209 00:11:13,917 --> 00:11:16,167 My earliest childhood recollections 210 00:11:16,292 --> 00:11:19,167 are running home from school when I was in kindergarten. 211 00:11:19,292 --> 00:11:22,667 Uh, literally, I remember sitting in the classroom 212 00:11:22,833 --> 00:11:24,458 just waiting for the bell to ring. 213 00:11:24,583 --> 00:11:26,667 And as soon as that jingle went off, 214 00:11:26,833 --> 00:11:28,000 I was out of there. 215 00:11:29,042 --> 00:11:30,500 I felt like, when I was running, 216 00:11:30,625 --> 00:11:33,042 I felt most alive, like, most complete. 217 00:11:34,208 --> 00:11:36,708 It's hard to describe, but I just remember the way 218 00:11:36,833 --> 00:11:38,833 the air used to feel on my skin 219 00:11:38,917 --> 00:11:40,500 and the leaves changing color. 220 00:11:40,583 --> 00:11:43,042 I just started relating to the world through running. 221 00:11:44,375 --> 00:11:47,208 Dean's somewhat of an icon in the running community 222 00:11:47,333 --> 00:11:51,500 in the sense that he can do things other people can't. 223 00:11:51,583 --> 00:11:53,167 Dean's definitely a superman 224 00:11:53,292 --> 00:11:57,708 in terms of being able to run long distances 225 00:11:57,875 --> 00:12:00,125 repetitive days, back-to-back. 226 00:12:01,875 --> 00:12:03,083 Among Dean's many 227 00:12:03,208 --> 00:12:05,125 record-breaking running achievements 228 00:12:05,250 --> 00:12:09,167 are completing 50 marathons in 50 consecutive days, 229 00:12:09,250 --> 00:12:12,667 running 135 miles across Death Valley... 230 00:12:12,792 --> 00:12:15,167 One of the hottest regions on Earth... 231 00:12:15,292 --> 00:12:20,875 And accomplishing a 75-day, 3,000-mile run 232 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,333 across the entire United States. 233 00:12:25,792 --> 00:12:27,792 But perhaps his most incredible achievement 234 00:12:27,917 --> 00:12:30,792 occurred on October 12, 2005... 235 00:12:31,875 --> 00:12:36,792 when Dean ran 350 miles without stopping. 236 00:12:37,958 --> 00:12:41,708 I think I decided to run 350 miles nonstop out of curiosity. 237 00:12:41,875 --> 00:12:43,208 I want wanted to see 238 00:12:43,375 --> 00:12:45,292 how far I could push my body and my mind. 239 00:12:45,417 --> 00:12:47,083 And I completed it. 240 00:12:47,208 --> 00:12:50,833 It took me 80 hours and 44 minutes of continuous running. 241 00:12:52,042 --> 00:12:54,417 Three days straight without stopping to eat or sleep. 242 00:12:56,875 --> 00:12:59,167 Dean's feats are astounding, 243 00:12:59,250 --> 00:13:02,375 and he's arguably the greatest athlete in the history 244 00:13:02,542 --> 00:13:05,083 of what is called ultrarunning. 245 00:13:05,208 --> 00:13:08,250 Ultrarunning is any distance running 246 00:13:08,375 --> 00:13:10,667 that goes further than the marathon. 247 00:13:10,792 --> 00:13:13,542 So it could be anything from 30 miles 248 00:13:13,667 --> 00:13:15,000 all the way up to races 249 00:13:15,125 --> 00:13:17,875 that are hundreds or even thousands of miles. 250 00:13:18,833 --> 00:13:20,958 The six-day race was the precursor 251 00:13:21,083 --> 00:13:23,042 to modern ultramarathon running. 252 00:13:23,167 --> 00:13:26,542 It originated in the 1700s in England. 253 00:13:26,708 --> 00:13:28,208 These athletes tried to cover 254 00:13:28,375 --> 00:13:31,958 as much distance as they possibly could in six days. 255 00:13:32,042 --> 00:13:35,167 So they would sleep as little as possible, 256 00:13:35,333 --> 00:13:39,167 often only getting an hour or two of sleep during each day, 257 00:13:39,292 --> 00:13:42,042 to try and cover as much distance as possible. 258 00:13:43,208 --> 00:13:46,333 Early on, these athletes would run 400 and 500 miles. 259 00:13:47,417 --> 00:13:51,167 But in 1888 George Littlewood set a new record 260 00:13:51,292 --> 00:13:55,000 for the six-day challenge, covering 623 miles. 261 00:13:55,125 --> 00:13:59,917 So that's over 100 miles a day of running or walking. 262 00:14:00,875 --> 00:14:02,708 That was so good 263 00:14:02,833 --> 00:14:05,417 that that record almost stood 100 years, 264 00:14:05,542 --> 00:14:07,333 until Yiannis Kouros, 265 00:14:07,458 --> 00:14:09,417 a Greek runner who was one of the best 266 00:14:09,542 --> 00:14:12,542 ultrarunners in history, finally broke it. 267 00:14:12,667 --> 00:14:16,167 So that gives you an indication of how good these athletes are. 268 00:14:18,042 --> 00:14:19,500 But it's not just athletes 269 00:14:19,625 --> 00:14:23,042 who choose to run such mind-boggling distances. 270 00:14:23,208 --> 00:14:25,958 In fact, there's an entire community 271 00:14:26,042 --> 00:14:29,292 that runs just as far as ultramarathoners do... 272 00:14:30,542 --> 00:14:34,500 and they've been doing it for thousands of years. 273 00:14:40,292 --> 00:14:43,708 Here in this harsh region of 10,000 foot plateaus, 274 00:14:43,833 --> 00:14:46,833 far from modern civilization, 275 00:14:46,958 --> 00:14:50,583 live a group of people known as the Rarámuri. 276 00:14:52,125 --> 00:14:53,708 Descended from a prehistoric society 277 00:14:53,833 --> 00:14:55,375 of foragers and hunters, 278 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:59,500 the Rarámuri still live in relatively primitive conditions. 279 00:14:59,583 --> 00:15:04,792 But incredibly, they possess a unique ability to run 280 00:15:04,875 --> 00:15:08,042 for hundreds of miles in a single day. 281 00:15:08,167 --> 00:15:11,500 The name Rarámuri seems to be derived from 282 00:15:11,625 --> 00:15:13,833 meaning "those who run fast." 283 00:15:13,917 --> 00:15:16,833 So, not surprisingly, the Rarámuri are known 284 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,083 as exceptional long-distance runners, 285 00:15:19,208 --> 00:15:21,667 far in excess of what most people think 286 00:15:21,750 --> 00:15:23,333 people should be able to do. 287 00:15:24,583 --> 00:15:26,667 They have running competitions and running rituals 288 00:15:26,792 --> 00:15:30,375 that would put a lot of other long-distance runners to shame. 289 00:15:31,417 --> 00:15:33,750 They don't have the modern accoutrements 290 00:15:33,875 --> 00:15:34,958 or modern sneakers. 291 00:15:35,042 --> 00:15:36,500 They tend to run in either sandals 292 00:15:36,625 --> 00:15:38,167 or barefoot. 293 00:15:38,292 --> 00:15:42,250 And they do this as a big part of their culture. 294 00:15:44,792 --> 00:15:46,250 Since the dawn of mankind, 295 00:15:46,375 --> 00:15:48,458 our ability to run for a long period of time 296 00:15:48,583 --> 00:15:51,375 has given humans a great advantage... 297 00:15:52,708 --> 00:15:54,893 especially when it came to hunting and searching for food. 298 00:15:54,917 --> 00:15:58,000 Humans are one of the best long-distance runners 299 00:15:58,167 --> 00:15:59,708 in the entire animal kingdom. 300 00:15:59,875 --> 00:16:04,958 We could actually run down things like deer and antelope. 301 00:16:05,042 --> 00:16:07,125 We're not as fast in the short run, 302 00:16:07,208 --> 00:16:09,000 but in terms of long-distance running, 303 00:16:09,083 --> 00:16:11,208 a human being could, theoretically, 304 00:16:11,333 --> 00:16:14,208 run down just about any animal on Earth. 305 00:16:15,708 --> 00:16:17,292 In ancient times, 306 00:16:17,417 --> 00:16:21,042 running was not only used as a means of stalking prey. 307 00:16:21,167 --> 00:16:25,667 It was also a method of long-range communication. 308 00:16:27,042 --> 00:16:29,583 Running served a vital purpose for the Ancient Greeks. 309 00:16:29,708 --> 00:16:32,500 They served as couriers or messengers. 310 00:16:32,583 --> 00:16:35,042 They were essentially the ancient mail system 311 00:16:35,208 --> 00:16:36,833 for the Greeks, 312 00:16:36,958 --> 00:16:41,708 and it was vital for military strategy in particular. 313 00:16:43,208 --> 00:16:46,833 In antiquity, the best way to convey messages, 314 00:16:46,958 --> 00:16:48,833 especially matters of war, 315 00:16:48,958 --> 00:16:50,667 matters of religion, and so forth, 316 00:16:50,792 --> 00:16:53,250 was to send a "hemerodromos." 317 00:16:53,375 --> 00:16:55,583 So that's the Greek word for a day runner. 318 00:16:55,708 --> 00:16:57,500 It was a special class 319 00:16:57,667 --> 00:17:02,208 of people specifically trained for this and specifically 320 00:17:02,333 --> 00:17:04,500 equipped physiologically 321 00:17:04,583 --> 00:17:07,583 not only to deliver a message in a timely fashion, 322 00:17:07,708 --> 00:17:08,917 but to do it 323 00:17:09,042 --> 00:17:12,125 over very rugged terrain, 324 00:17:12,250 --> 00:17:13,750 over several hundred miles. 325 00:17:15,042 --> 00:17:16,500 So, in that regard, 326 00:17:16,625 --> 00:17:20,000 the extent to which the hemerodromos can perform 327 00:17:20,167 --> 00:17:22,167 these amazing feats would suggest 328 00:17:22,250 --> 00:17:25,708 that it requires a kind of superhuman ability. 329 00:17:27,042 --> 00:17:29,000 In the case of Dean Karnazes, 330 00:17:29,167 --> 00:17:31,750 his superhuman running ability 331 00:17:31,875 --> 00:17:36,167 may be due to the fact that he is actually of Greek descent. 332 00:17:36,292 --> 00:17:39,417 I think my ability to run long distances 333 00:17:39,542 --> 00:17:41,708 is influenced, definitely, by my Greek heritage. 334 00:17:41,833 --> 00:17:43,458 I'm 100% Greek 335 00:17:43,542 --> 00:17:45,184 and Greece is the birthplace of long-distance running, 336 00:17:45,208 --> 00:17:46,667 and I've known that for a long time. 337 00:17:48,208 --> 00:17:50,458 I think I have the natural ability 338 00:17:50,583 --> 00:17:53,792 to run long distances from my heritage. 339 00:17:53,917 --> 00:17:56,000 But having the will to do it is another thing. 340 00:17:56,083 --> 00:17:58,792 And I think I just have the will to do it. 341 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,750 Is the ability to run for days on end actually hereditary? 342 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,500 Well, even if that's true, 343 00:18:06,667 --> 00:18:10,583 it doesn't explain another superhuman ability: 344 00:18:10,708 --> 00:18:13,833 the ability to swim hundreds of feet underwater 345 00:18:13,958 --> 00:18:16,292 without taking a single breath. 346 00:18:24,542 --> 00:18:26,625 Lying within the coastal mountains 347 00:18:26,708 --> 00:18:28,167 of this frigid landscape 348 00:18:28,292 --> 00:18:29,917 is Lake Qorlortoq. 349 00:18:31,167 --> 00:18:33,500 Covered beneath a million tons of ice, 350 00:18:33,625 --> 00:18:36,708 its crystal blue waters hover at a hypothermia-inducing 351 00:18:36,875 --> 00:18:38,833 33 degrees Fahrenheit. 352 00:18:38,917 --> 00:18:40,792 One degree above freezing. 353 00:18:42,125 --> 00:18:44,292 Wearing only a pair of swim trunks, 354 00:18:44,417 --> 00:18:48,333 four-time world champion free diver Stig Severinsen 355 00:18:48,458 --> 00:18:50,333 plunges into the icy water 356 00:18:50,500 --> 00:18:52,917 in an attempt to set a new record 357 00:18:53,042 --> 00:18:55,583 for the longest swim under ice. 358 00:18:57,208 --> 00:19:00,125 Without an oxygen tank and unable to surface, 359 00:19:00,208 --> 00:19:03,000 he risks unconsciousness and death 360 00:19:03,125 --> 00:19:06,583 as he swims 250 feet underwater, 361 00:19:06,708 --> 00:19:10,333 or nearly the length of a football field. 362 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,917 When most people 363 00:19:13,042 --> 00:19:14,542 jump in ice-cold water... 364 00:19:14,667 --> 00:19:17,750 they start gasping and they panic. 365 00:19:19,083 --> 00:19:20,167 Within minutes, 366 00:19:20,292 --> 00:19:23,167 you become icy cold to the core, 367 00:19:23,250 --> 00:19:27,125 and your body can simply shut down. 368 00:19:27,208 --> 00:19:30,042 I understand that people think it's crazy or wild 369 00:19:30,208 --> 00:19:32,000 or stupid, even. 370 00:19:32,083 --> 00:19:33,917 You know? Unbelievable. 371 00:19:34,042 --> 00:19:35,333 But I love to challenge science. 372 00:19:35,458 --> 00:19:37,792 I love to challenge the human physiology. 373 00:19:37,917 --> 00:19:39,333 Human potential. 374 00:19:44,542 --> 00:19:46,208 - That is great. - Wow. 375 00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:48,333 Stig's swim beneath the ice 376 00:19:48,458 --> 00:19:51,333 wasn't the first time he went to extremes. 377 00:19:53,708 --> 00:19:56,917 In May of 2012, he also held his breath 378 00:19:57,042 --> 00:20:00,750 for an astonishing 22 minutes. 379 00:20:00,875 --> 00:20:04,250 But what would compel someone to push themselves to the limit, 380 00:20:04,375 --> 00:20:07,417 risking death just to pull off a stunt? 381 00:20:08,333 --> 00:20:09,625 Some of us 382 00:20:09,708 --> 00:20:12,208 seem to be hardwired to push the limits. 383 00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:15,000 Some of us seem to crave 384 00:20:15,125 --> 00:20:19,250 excitement, intensity, euphoria. 385 00:20:19,375 --> 00:20:22,875 There seem to be a certain fraction of people 386 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,458 in need of physical activities 387 00:20:26,542 --> 00:20:29,333 or other kinds of activities that push the limits of 388 00:20:29,417 --> 00:20:32,667 safety or human possibility or perseverance. 389 00:20:32,792 --> 00:20:36,458 Now, it's a question as to whether 390 00:20:36,542 --> 00:20:38,500 these people are seeking euphoria 391 00:20:38,667 --> 00:20:41,708 or whether they're seeking some greater, 392 00:20:41,833 --> 00:20:43,833 more visceral connection with themselves. 393 00:20:45,042 --> 00:20:48,875 Humans have this drive and this need to seek novelty, 394 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,542 to see what's on the other side of the unknown. 395 00:20:52,667 --> 00:20:56,500 And it's something that is incredibly dangerous, 396 00:20:56,625 --> 00:21:01,667 but also makes us able to do insanely difficult things. 397 00:21:02,833 --> 00:21:04,833 In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, 398 00:21:04,875 --> 00:21:07,708 a new breed of thrill seekers popularized 399 00:21:07,833 --> 00:21:11,875 the public display of pushing the limits of human ability, 400 00:21:12,042 --> 00:21:15,667 risking life and limb to perform death-defying feats 401 00:21:15,792 --> 00:21:17,833 in pursuit of fame and fortune. 402 00:21:17,958 --> 00:21:20,458 And the first of these daredevils 403 00:21:20,542 --> 00:21:23,833 was a man named Sam Patch. 404 00:21:23,958 --> 00:21:25,917 Sam Patch was the Evil Knievel 405 00:21:26,042 --> 00:21:27,542 of the early 19th century. 406 00:21:27,667 --> 00:21:29,333 They called him "the Jersey Jumper," 407 00:21:29,417 --> 00:21:30,625 "the Yankee Leaper." 408 00:21:30,708 --> 00:21:32,500 He liked to jump off things. 409 00:21:32,667 --> 00:21:37,417 Famously, they had a platform erected in Niagara Falls 410 00:21:37,542 --> 00:21:39,000 so that he could jump into the water, 411 00:21:39,083 --> 00:21:43,125 but from a really high level: 75 or 100 feet. 412 00:21:43,208 --> 00:21:45,500 Unfortunately, it's risky business, 413 00:21:45,583 --> 00:21:48,333 and in 1829, on Friday the 13th, 414 00:21:48,458 --> 00:21:51,833 he either slipped or fell awkwardly 415 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,417 and didn't go in feet first as he normally did. 416 00:21:55,625 --> 00:21:57,667 The audience of several thousand heard a splat, 417 00:21:57,833 --> 00:21:59,542 and he was never seen from again. 418 00:22:00,875 --> 00:22:02,875 But Sam Patch's tragic demise 419 00:22:03,042 --> 00:22:06,542 did not deter other would-be daredevils. 420 00:22:06,667 --> 00:22:09,333 Over the next century, countless more 421 00:22:09,458 --> 00:22:11,375 followed in his footsteps, 422 00:22:11,542 --> 00:22:14,417 increasing the danger with every attempt. 423 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:19,875 Including one who went to the next level 424 00:22:20,042 --> 00:22:22,417 by taking to the skies. 425 00:22:22,542 --> 00:22:25,250 Clem Sohn was an aerialist, 426 00:22:25,375 --> 00:22:29,625 one of the first, maybe the first to build for himself 427 00:22:29,708 --> 00:22:31,167 a kind of gliding suit. 428 00:22:32,417 --> 00:22:34,000 He would jump out of airplanes 429 00:22:34,125 --> 00:22:38,458 with the wings attached and a kind of tail structure. 430 00:22:38,542 --> 00:22:41,000 One of his nicknames was "the Birdman." 431 00:22:41,083 --> 00:22:43,583 He would glide for thousands of feet 432 00:22:43,708 --> 00:22:46,167 and then eventually pull the ripcord 433 00:22:46,292 --> 00:22:48,667 and parachute to safety, 434 00:22:48,750 --> 00:22:51,333 and he did this on both sides of the Atlantic. 435 00:22:51,458 --> 00:22:54,750 Unfortunately, outside of Paris in 1937, 436 00:22:54,875 --> 00:22:57,708 in front of a crowd of as many as 100,000 people... 437 00:22:58,667 --> 00:22:59,875 he glided through the air, 438 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,750 and then his first chute failed to open... 439 00:23:04,167 --> 00:23:08,000 and then the second one, and he plunged to his death. 440 00:23:14,417 --> 00:23:15,833 The practice of performing 441 00:23:15,917 --> 00:23:19,000 thrill-seeking feats is alive and well today, 442 00:23:19,125 --> 00:23:22,333 even if not all daredevils survive their attempts 443 00:23:22,417 --> 00:23:24,042 to push the limits. 444 00:23:25,208 --> 00:23:27,000 But why do so many human beings 445 00:23:27,083 --> 00:23:29,958 feel the need to pursue incredible feats, 446 00:23:30,083 --> 00:23:32,583 even if it means risking our lives? 447 00:23:33,833 --> 00:23:35,708 Pushing boundaries and pushing limits 448 00:23:35,833 --> 00:23:37,750 is part of our human nature. 449 00:23:38,833 --> 00:23:40,792 You would think that would be counterintuitive. 450 00:23:40,917 --> 00:23:44,500 Seeking pain seems like not the brightest thing to do 451 00:23:44,625 --> 00:23:47,167 because we're going against our survival. 452 00:23:48,250 --> 00:23:52,125 If you look at any animal in the animal kingdom, 453 00:23:52,208 --> 00:23:54,500 none of them really do things that go against 454 00:23:54,583 --> 00:23:56,167 survival instincts. 455 00:23:56,292 --> 00:23:57,875 They just want to survive. 456 00:23:58,875 --> 00:24:00,542 Human beings, on the other hand... 457 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,542 we will seek out things that put us 458 00:24:04,667 --> 00:24:09,250 at immense risk and not for any external reward, 459 00:24:09,375 --> 00:24:13,000 but really for the internal reward of doing it. 460 00:24:13,167 --> 00:24:16,667 Seeking something difficult, something hard, 461 00:24:16,792 --> 00:24:19,833 often makes people feel alive. 462 00:24:22,208 --> 00:24:25,042 Is it possible that by risking death, 463 00:24:25,208 --> 00:24:29,917 people can unlock the ability to perform superhuman feats? 464 00:24:30,042 --> 00:24:32,542 Well, there's a famous story from American folklore 465 00:24:32,667 --> 00:24:35,500 which suggests that might be true. 466 00:24:35,667 --> 00:24:38,375 It's the tale of someone who defied the odds 467 00:24:38,500 --> 00:24:41,042 in a competition that pitted man 468 00:24:41,167 --> 00:24:44,208 against machine. 469 00:24:47,875 --> 00:24:49,667 For centuries, mankind 470 00:24:49,792 --> 00:24:51,500 has told stories about people 471 00:24:51,667 --> 00:24:54,042 who have the ability to perform feats 472 00:24:54,167 --> 00:24:58,458 that require extraordinary physical strength. 473 00:24:58,542 --> 00:25:00,875 But why are we so fascinated 474 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:03,667 by these superhuman characters? 475 00:25:04,667 --> 00:25:06,333 We love stories 476 00:25:06,417 --> 00:25:10,875 about humans that push the boundaries of exceptionalism. 477 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:15,625 And history is full of this kind of folk hero... 478 00:25:16,708 --> 00:25:20,083 who is stronger than any other human. 479 00:25:20,208 --> 00:25:23,375 We have characters like Hercules who are half god. 480 00:25:23,542 --> 00:25:25,250 That's the source of his strength. 481 00:25:26,333 --> 00:25:28,458 There's someone like Samson, from the Bible, 482 00:25:28,583 --> 00:25:30,500 whose hair gives him strength 483 00:25:30,667 --> 00:25:33,125 beyond what a normal human might have. 484 00:25:33,208 --> 00:25:36,292 And nowadays, we have superheroes: 485 00:25:36,375 --> 00:25:41,000 Batman, Spiderman, characters who similarly are human, 486 00:25:41,083 --> 00:25:44,333 but a little bit better than other humans. 487 00:25:44,458 --> 00:25:46,667 All these stories 488 00:25:46,792 --> 00:25:50,000 let us talk about the possibilities 489 00:25:50,083 --> 00:25:52,833 of human endurance and human capability. 490 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,125 How far can we push ourselves? 491 00:25:55,208 --> 00:25:58,042 How much faster and stronger can we be? 492 00:26:03,250 --> 00:26:06,833 Here, at the foot of the Allegheny Mountains, 493 00:26:06,958 --> 00:26:09,000 lies a decommissioned railroad tunnel 494 00:26:09,125 --> 00:26:12,375 known as the Great Bend Tunnel. 495 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:14,500 According to folklore, 496 00:26:14,583 --> 00:26:16,458 this was the site of a famous legend 497 00:26:16,542 --> 00:26:18,125 from the 1870s 498 00:26:18,250 --> 00:26:20,292 about a superhuman railroad worker 499 00:26:20,375 --> 00:26:23,458 named John Henry. 500 00:26:24,708 --> 00:26:28,458 The legend is that John Henry was six-six, 280 pounds, 501 00:26:28,583 --> 00:26:30,833 muscular, solid, glistening. 502 00:26:30,958 --> 00:26:33,208 You could see him half a mile away. 503 00:26:34,417 --> 00:26:36,833 The legend has it that he was born in enslavement, 504 00:26:36,917 --> 00:26:38,833 and he had all these goals for his family 505 00:26:38,958 --> 00:26:40,708 coming out of enslavement. 506 00:26:40,875 --> 00:26:42,875 And he says, "I want a good job. 507 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:44,875 I want to provide for my family." 508 00:26:45,042 --> 00:26:48,833 And he saw the C&O railroad laying track 509 00:26:48,958 --> 00:26:51,792 and John Henry shows up and says, "I'm your guy." 510 00:26:53,375 --> 00:26:57,208 The fable has it that any man who signed up to work 511 00:26:57,333 --> 00:27:02,000 would get 50 acres of land if they completed the railroad. 512 00:27:02,125 --> 00:27:03,667 And sometimes this railroad 513 00:27:03,750 --> 00:27:05,833 had to be completed through a mountain. 514 00:27:05,958 --> 00:27:09,125 And so John Henry not simply laid rail, the railroad track, 515 00:27:09,208 --> 00:27:12,042 but he had to drive a stake into the rock, 516 00:27:12,208 --> 00:27:15,708 which creates enough space to then load dynamite. 517 00:27:16,792 --> 00:27:19,000 John Henry was the best steel driver, 518 00:27:19,083 --> 00:27:22,000 and then here comes a man with a steam drill. 519 00:27:23,042 --> 00:27:25,708 The legend speaks of this race taking place 520 00:27:25,833 --> 00:27:28,333 between John Henry and the machine. 521 00:27:30,667 --> 00:27:32,708 As the story goes, 522 00:27:32,875 --> 00:27:34,351 there was a competition between John Henry 523 00:27:34,375 --> 00:27:37,042 and the machine to see which of them 524 00:27:37,167 --> 00:27:39,333 could drill farthest into the side of the mountain 525 00:27:39,417 --> 00:27:41,208 in a single day. 526 00:27:41,375 --> 00:27:43,000 During the contest, 527 00:27:43,125 --> 00:27:45,292 the strength of John Henry was reportedly so powerful, 528 00:27:45,375 --> 00:27:47,667 that the blows from his twin sledgehammers 529 00:27:47,792 --> 00:27:50,500 shook the mountain itself. 530 00:27:52,375 --> 00:27:53,750 The story is that 531 00:27:53,875 --> 00:27:56,000 the steam drill only went nine feet. 532 00:27:56,083 --> 00:27:58,375 John Henry went 14. 533 00:27:59,542 --> 00:28:01,667 And so John Henry is superhuman 534 00:28:01,833 --> 00:28:03,167 and more supreme than the machine. 535 00:28:04,375 --> 00:28:05,625 John Henry 536 00:28:05,708 --> 00:28:08,917 beats the machine in this competition. 537 00:28:10,667 --> 00:28:12,417 But he passes away: 538 00:28:12,542 --> 00:28:14,167 he dies of a heart attack. 539 00:28:15,542 --> 00:28:18,000 He dies from overexertion. 540 00:28:18,125 --> 00:28:20,625 And what we have here 541 00:28:20,708 --> 00:28:24,208 is John Henry begins to symbolize 542 00:28:24,333 --> 00:28:28,625 this overpowering physique of a muscleman 543 00:28:28,708 --> 00:28:31,667 and the ability to achieve 544 00:28:31,833 --> 00:28:34,292 in the face of extreme odds. 545 00:28:35,708 --> 00:28:39,458 The legend of John Henry represents this Black man, 546 00:28:39,583 --> 00:28:41,667 this hero who did superhuman feats, 547 00:28:41,792 --> 00:28:43,542 from the 19th century. 548 00:28:43,667 --> 00:28:47,333 It overshadows the harshness of the Reconstruction period, 549 00:28:47,458 --> 00:28:48,958 but it also shows us how 550 00:28:49,042 --> 00:28:50,750 Black men who were able-bodied, 551 00:28:50,875 --> 00:28:52,875 who had that spirit of 552 00:28:53,042 --> 00:28:55,375 willing to do anything they needed to do 553 00:28:55,542 --> 00:28:57,458 to provide for their families. 554 00:28:59,667 --> 00:29:03,917 Most of us know about John Henry from a literary work. 555 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,167 Like so many folk heroes 556 00:29:07,292 --> 00:29:10,667 from the same time period in American history, 557 00:29:10,750 --> 00:29:15,958 Paul Bunyan, Joe Magarac, Pecos Bill, 558 00:29:16,083 --> 00:29:19,083 they are all compatriots of John Henry in this 559 00:29:19,208 --> 00:29:22,500 larger-than-life, super capable 560 00:29:22,583 --> 00:29:25,208 American folk hero model. 561 00:29:25,333 --> 00:29:29,708 And what they capture is the spirit of industry 562 00:29:29,833 --> 00:29:33,083 that our nation so badly wanted to embody 563 00:29:33,208 --> 00:29:35,417 and project to the rest of the world 564 00:29:35,542 --> 00:29:37,000 at this point in history. 565 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,375 The legend of John Henry's battle against the steam drill 566 00:29:45,542 --> 00:29:49,292 was first immortalized in an African American folk ballad, 567 00:29:49,375 --> 00:29:52,958 and since then, the inspirational story 568 00:29:53,042 --> 00:29:55,833 has also been celebrated numerous times 569 00:29:55,958 --> 00:29:59,292 in magazines, plays, and books. 570 00:30:00,958 --> 00:30:02,958 Another superhuman feat of John Henry 571 00:30:03,083 --> 00:30:05,792 is that he was able to inspire so many. 572 00:30:05,917 --> 00:30:08,167 And so whether it's inspiring 573 00:30:08,292 --> 00:30:10,583 in terms of actually working on the railroad 574 00:30:10,708 --> 00:30:14,292 or other industries, John Henry was a beacon of that. 575 00:30:14,375 --> 00:30:17,000 Also, in terms of him losing his life, 576 00:30:17,125 --> 00:30:19,083 that's a sacrifice 577 00:30:19,208 --> 00:30:21,958 that those who came after him could appreciate, 578 00:30:22,083 --> 00:30:25,333 as they strive to be as good as John Henry. 579 00:30:26,333 --> 00:30:28,250 There also is an overlap, 580 00:30:28,375 --> 00:30:30,417 certainly, with John Henry and superheroes. 581 00:30:31,875 --> 00:30:36,500 In the early 1990s, Superman passed away, 582 00:30:36,583 --> 00:30:38,125 and that set up a situation 583 00:30:38,250 --> 00:30:42,000 for the comic book version of John Henry 584 00:30:42,125 --> 00:30:44,000 to come in and save the day... 585 00:30:45,083 --> 00:30:47,333 as the character of Steel 586 00:30:47,458 --> 00:30:50,750 in order to save the citizens of Metropolis. 587 00:30:50,875 --> 00:30:56,167 He builds a suit, encased in steel, 588 00:30:56,292 --> 00:30:59,417 and carries, of all things... Would you believe it? 589 00:30:59,542 --> 00:31:01,000 A sledgehammer. 590 00:31:02,083 --> 00:31:03,375 And that speaks to kind of, like, 591 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:05,625 the reinterpretation of John Henry 592 00:31:05,708 --> 00:31:09,375 within the framework of the superhero afro-futuristic 593 00:31:09,542 --> 00:31:10,958 sci-fi version. 594 00:31:12,417 --> 00:31:16,042 The idea that John Henry is a superhero, 595 00:31:16,208 --> 00:31:20,083 standing firmly in that space of post-enslavement 596 00:31:20,208 --> 00:31:22,458 and Reconstruction, is really phenomenal. 597 00:31:22,542 --> 00:31:25,750 The legend of John Henry proves that human strength 598 00:31:25,875 --> 00:31:28,500 is inherent in all of us. 599 00:31:28,625 --> 00:31:33,750 Was John Henry's victory over the steam drill just a myth, 600 00:31:33,875 --> 00:31:35,792 or did it actually happen? 601 00:31:35,875 --> 00:31:39,333 Either way, the story suggests that people can perform 602 00:31:39,417 --> 00:31:43,208 incredible feats when placed in dire circumstances. 603 00:31:44,208 --> 00:31:45,875 Like in the case of two teenage girls 604 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,208 who saved their father from certain death 605 00:31:48,333 --> 00:31:51,250 with a sudden burst of superhuman strength. 606 00:31:59,250 --> 00:32:02,000 While clearing the grounds of his property, 607 00:32:02,083 --> 00:32:04,667 Jeff Smith loops a chain around a tree stump... 608 00:32:06,208 --> 00:32:08,333 and attaches the other end to his tractor. 609 00:32:09,583 --> 00:32:11,292 But when he throws 610 00:32:11,375 --> 00:32:15,208 the 3,000-pound vehicle into reverse, disaster strikes. 611 00:32:17,875 --> 00:32:19,917 My boots were fairly muddy, 612 00:32:20,042 --> 00:32:22,375 and my foot slipped off the clutch. 613 00:32:24,583 --> 00:32:28,333 And the whole tractor just tipped flat back over on me. 614 00:32:28,417 --> 00:32:30,042 Ah! 615 00:32:30,167 --> 00:32:33,167 The steering wheel ended up burying into my chest 616 00:32:33,292 --> 00:32:36,292 right about where my heart is, 617 00:32:36,417 --> 00:32:39,042 and pinned me in between the tractor and the ground. 618 00:32:40,792 --> 00:32:42,833 Pinned beneath 3,000 pounds of steel, 619 00:32:42,958 --> 00:32:44,458 Jeff screams out in agony. 620 00:32:46,333 --> 00:32:48,000 His anguished cries draw the attention 621 00:32:48,167 --> 00:32:50,250 of his teenage daughters, Hannah and Haylee. 622 00:32:51,500 --> 00:32:54,167 But with the nearest town 20 minutes away, there's no time 623 00:32:54,333 --> 00:32:55,833 to wait for help to arrive. 624 00:32:57,583 --> 00:33:00,500 While my dad was under the tractor, he was... 625 00:33:00,667 --> 00:33:01,667 He couldn't breathe, 626 00:33:01,708 --> 00:33:03,833 his oxygen was really low. 627 00:33:04,000 --> 00:33:07,042 He kept going in and out of consciousness. 628 00:33:07,167 --> 00:33:11,292 He was pale, his lips were kind of blue. 629 00:33:11,375 --> 00:33:13,000 Me and my sister knew at that point 630 00:33:13,125 --> 00:33:14,500 that we were the only ones 631 00:33:14,625 --> 00:33:16,500 and the only chance that my dad had. 632 00:33:18,250 --> 00:33:19,393 I was just like 633 00:33:19,417 --> 00:33:22,375 so frozen and just so shocked. 634 00:33:24,542 --> 00:33:27,083 And I go and I look at my dad. 635 00:33:27,208 --> 00:33:30,125 He's just like, could not talk, 636 00:33:30,250 --> 00:33:32,250 and his blood vessels in his eyes, 637 00:33:32,375 --> 00:33:34,542 you could see them popping one by one. 638 00:33:34,708 --> 00:33:36,917 And it was just horrible. I had no idea what to do. 639 00:33:37,042 --> 00:33:39,333 So my sister says... 640 00:33:39,458 --> 00:33:41,667 "Come help me lift it." 641 00:33:43,542 --> 00:33:46,125 As their father gasps for breath, 642 00:33:46,208 --> 00:33:48,000 the two sisters frantically grab the front 643 00:33:48,083 --> 00:33:50,000 of the massive tractor, 644 00:33:50,167 --> 00:33:52,583 set their heels into the ground, 645 00:33:52,708 --> 00:33:54,458 and lift. 646 00:33:56,042 --> 00:33:57,542 When we tried to lift it, 647 00:33:57,667 --> 00:33:59,542 it did not move. 648 00:34:01,167 --> 00:34:03,667 I was just done, and Hannah was just screaming, 649 00:34:03,750 --> 00:34:05,670 "We have to do it again, we have to do it again." 650 00:34:07,208 --> 00:34:08,768 And I just remember putting my hands up, 651 00:34:08,833 --> 00:34:09,625 and I was just like, 652 00:34:09,708 --> 00:34:11,417 "How?" 653 00:34:12,583 --> 00:34:16,125 And she just said, "Count." And so we counted. 654 00:34:16,208 --> 00:34:18,333 And I just remember thinking, like, "God, help me. 655 00:34:18,458 --> 00:34:20,167 Give me the strength to do this." 656 00:34:21,333 --> 00:34:24,667 And she said, "One, two, three" and we lifted it. 657 00:34:27,375 --> 00:34:29,458 Together, the two teenage girls 658 00:34:29,542 --> 00:34:32,833 managed to hoist the tractor one foot off the ground... 659 00:34:35,458 --> 00:34:39,417 allowing their father enough room to wiggle out and escape. 660 00:34:41,417 --> 00:34:43,875 My girls lifted a 3,000-pound tractor off me 661 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:45,125 and saved my life. 662 00:34:45,250 --> 00:34:47,500 So, I mean, if my girls had not have 663 00:34:47,625 --> 00:34:50,167 shown that kind of mysterious strength 664 00:34:50,250 --> 00:34:53,708 of being able to lift that off my chest... 665 00:34:55,042 --> 00:34:57,375 I don't think I would have lasted another five minutes. 666 00:34:57,542 --> 00:34:59,500 What boggles my mind to this day, 667 00:34:59,667 --> 00:35:03,667 which is almost ten years later, is that... 668 00:35:03,792 --> 00:35:05,333 they were able to do it. 669 00:35:05,458 --> 00:35:07,750 It's just, to be able to lift that much weight and... 670 00:35:07,875 --> 00:35:09,583 and save my life is... 671 00:35:10,750 --> 00:35:12,333 incredible. 672 00:35:12,458 --> 00:35:16,208 It's insane to think that that was even a possibility. 673 00:35:17,208 --> 00:35:19,250 How did two teenagers... 674 00:35:19,375 --> 00:35:22,125 Each weighing no more than 125 pounds... 675 00:35:22,250 --> 00:35:25,750 Find the strength to lift a massive tractor? 676 00:35:26,708 --> 00:35:28,667 Scientists believe the source of their 677 00:35:28,792 --> 00:35:31,333 superhuman strength may have actually been 678 00:35:31,458 --> 00:35:33,583 a surge of adrenaline. 679 00:35:33,708 --> 00:35:36,625 There's many stories that you hear about 680 00:35:36,750 --> 00:35:41,375 of people doing superhuman feats of strength... 681 00:35:42,500 --> 00:35:45,000 and this usually is driven by adrenaline. 682 00:35:45,125 --> 00:35:47,000 Adrenaline is that hormone 683 00:35:47,125 --> 00:35:51,000 that can tap into resources of strength that you might have 684 00:35:51,125 --> 00:35:53,333 when you need it in that split second 685 00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:56,667 to drive your whole body 686 00:35:56,833 --> 00:35:58,000 to push to the limits 687 00:35:58,083 --> 00:36:01,250 and do whatever is necessary. 688 00:36:02,375 --> 00:36:04,458 You see it in battle. 689 00:36:04,542 --> 00:36:08,333 You hear about it in an emergency. 690 00:36:08,458 --> 00:36:11,583 Adrenaline can make the body do amazing things. 691 00:36:13,167 --> 00:36:14,393 Scientists have been studying 692 00:36:14,417 --> 00:36:16,500 the remarkable effects of adrenaline 693 00:36:16,583 --> 00:36:19,583 since it was first discovered in 1901. 694 00:36:20,750 --> 00:36:23,792 Jokichi Takamine was a Japanese chemist 695 00:36:23,875 --> 00:36:27,167 who spent most of his career in the United States, 696 00:36:27,333 --> 00:36:29,667 and he's the first person to identify, 697 00:36:29,792 --> 00:36:33,292 purify, and eventually trademark adrenaline. 698 00:36:34,542 --> 00:36:38,458 And he was able to isolate the naturally occurring hormone 699 00:36:38,583 --> 00:36:40,625 adrenaline in sheep and oxen 700 00:36:40,708 --> 00:36:43,542 and to withdraw it and to purify it. 701 00:36:44,875 --> 00:36:46,708 Jokichi Takamine described 702 00:36:46,833 --> 00:36:49,333 the whole idea of the adrenaline rush 703 00:36:49,458 --> 00:36:51,167 as a harnessing of reservoirs 704 00:36:51,292 --> 00:36:53,500 of power and a violent sort of 705 00:36:53,625 --> 00:36:55,875 explosion of energy that occurs in people 706 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,458 who are in crisis situations. 707 00:37:00,083 --> 00:37:03,500 Did a rush of adrenaline allow Hannah and Haylee Smith 708 00:37:03,625 --> 00:37:06,708 to lift a 3,000-pound tractor? 709 00:37:06,833 --> 00:37:09,292 It's a fascinating possibility, 710 00:37:09,375 --> 00:37:12,958 and suggests that we all have untapped strength 711 00:37:13,042 --> 00:37:15,792 that can be unlocked at a moment's notice. 712 00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:19,125 I feel like that their love 713 00:37:19,250 --> 00:37:23,125 granted them enough power to be able to do what they had to do. 714 00:37:23,250 --> 00:37:25,167 But when it comes down to it, 715 00:37:25,250 --> 00:37:26,684 I think everybody's got a little bit of 716 00:37:26,708 --> 00:37:28,833 that kind of superhuman ability in them. 717 00:37:28,958 --> 00:37:30,917 It's just a matter of tapping into it 718 00:37:31,042 --> 00:37:34,417 and finding the right situation where it drives them to do it. 719 00:37:36,375 --> 00:37:38,500 The idea that a shot of adrenaline 720 00:37:38,583 --> 00:37:41,375 can give an ordinary person the ability to perform 721 00:37:41,542 --> 00:37:44,083 remarkable feats is fascinating. 722 00:37:44,208 --> 00:37:47,667 Believe it or not, there are scientists who are currently 723 00:37:47,833 --> 00:37:52,833 trying to harness other kinds of natural powers 724 00:37:52,917 --> 00:37:54,667 to turn us all into 725 00:37:54,792 --> 00:37:57,083 superhumans. 726 00:38:15,750 --> 00:38:17,750 At the University of Connecticut's 727 00:38:17,875 --> 00:38:20,458 Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, 728 00:38:20,583 --> 00:38:23,167 there is a lab that is home to 729 00:38:23,250 --> 00:38:25,583 dozens of genetically altered mice. 730 00:38:25,708 --> 00:38:28,542 While these rodents might appear quite ordinary, 731 00:38:28,667 --> 00:38:31,375 their DNA has actually been modified 732 00:38:31,500 --> 00:38:35,083 to make them 30% stronger than normal mice. 733 00:38:36,292 --> 00:38:39,333 Researchers have found ways to increase muscle mass, 734 00:38:39,417 --> 00:38:40,792 muscle tissue 735 00:38:40,875 --> 00:38:44,500 in ordinary mice to demonstrate 736 00:38:44,625 --> 00:38:47,167 extraordinary endurance. 737 00:38:47,333 --> 00:38:50,167 It's a kind of Mighty Mouse effect. 738 00:38:50,333 --> 00:38:54,458 And so the question becomes whether this can be translated 739 00:38:54,542 --> 00:38:56,167 to the human form. 740 00:38:56,333 --> 00:38:59,500 The possibility that DNA manipulation 741 00:38:59,625 --> 00:39:02,917 might enable people to enjoy heightened strength and stamina 742 00:39:03,042 --> 00:39:04,500 is intriguing. 743 00:39:04,667 --> 00:39:07,000 And in fact, humans have been searching for ways 744 00:39:07,125 --> 00:39:09,000 to enhance our natural abilities 745 00:39:09,083 --> 00:39:10,667 for thousands of years. 746 00:39:10,750 --> 00:39:12,351 If you go back to the ancient Greeks, 747 00:39:12,375 --> 00:39:13,667 the original Olympics, 748 00:39:13,792 --> 00:39:16,208 there are historical records of them 749 00:39:16,333 --> 00:39:18,292 working with wine potions 750 00:39:18,417 --> 00:39:19,750 and various herbs 751 00:39:19,875 --> 00:39:22,292 to give themselves performance enhancement. 752 00:39:22,375 --> 00:39:23,667 And then, in terms of 753 00:39:23,792 --> 00:39:26,333 modern use of performance-enhancing drugs, 754 00:39:26,417 --> 00:39:27,542 it's the Cold War. 755 00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:29,167 The Soviet Union had 756 00:39:29,292 --> 00:39:32,333 a massive drug doping program 757 00:39:32,417 --> 00:39:35,708 as part of its sports programs 758 00:39:35,833 --> 00:39:39,500 in efforts to defeat the West in every level, 759 00:39:39,625 --> 00:39:42,667 militarily as well as in sport. 760 00:39:42,792 --> 00:39:46,500 So the urge to do that, to outcompete 761 00:39:46,667 --> 00:39:48,500 everyone else on the playing field 762 00:39:48,667 --> 00:39:50,750 has been with us for, uh, forever. 763 00:39:52,292 --> 00:39:56,917 Since the early 1980s, the military has been interested 764 00:39:57,042 --> 00:40:00,750 in researching the creation of super soldiers... 765 00:40:01,708 --> 00:40:04,375 using exoskeletons 766 00:40:04,500 --> 00:40:08,125 or robotic assists to limbs, 767 00:40:08,208 --> 00:40:11,250 or using magnetic waves 768 00:40:11,375 --> 00:40:14,667 to help people overcome the problems 769 00:40:14,792 --> 00:40:18,583 of fatigue associated with sleep deprivation, 770 00:40:18,708 --> 00:40:21,833 or increasing strength, increasing sight, 771 00:40:21,958 --> 00:40:25,500 increasing the ability to see around corners, 772 00:40:25,625 --> 00:40:29,083 see in the dark, see behind you, 773 00:40:29,208 --> 00:40:31,125 to allow them to perform 774 00:40:31,250 --> 00:40:34,917 incredible feats that are otherwise impossible. 775 00:40:35,042 --> 00:40:37,917 Our desire always to improve ourselves 776 00:40:38,042 --> 00:40:40,500 is at the source of so much of what we do. 777 00:40:40,667 --> 00:40:42,458 At a very elementary level, 778 00:40:42,583 --> 00:40:46,542 human beings want to distinguish themselves. 779 00:40:46,667 --> 00:40:49,625 We want to do what others haven't done. 780 00:40:49,750 --> 00:40:52,750 We're always restless, questing for something else, 781 00:40:52,875 --> 00:40:55,333 pursuing something else, 782 00:40:55,417 --> 00:40:58,542 and it's somewhat of a perverse need. 783 00:40:59,750 --> 00:41:01,833 Will technology push human performance 784 00:41:01,958 --> 00:41:03,833 beyond its natural limits? 785 00:41:04,000 --> 00:41:06,500 Many scientists believe it's possible. 786 00:41:06,667 --> 00:41:09,167 But the truth is that human beings already possess 787 00:41:09,292 --> 00:41:11,375 extraordinary capabilities 788 00:41:11,500 --> 00:41:14,917 that we are only beginning to understand. 789 00:41:15,042 --> 00:41:16,083 I think, 790 00:41:16,208 --> 00:41:17,833 in some cases, 791 00:41:17,958 --> 00:41:19,833 people don't know that they have 792 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:21,833 these talents and capacities... 793 00:41:22,917 --> 00:41:24,833 until they're put in the right situation 794 00:41:24,958 --> 00:41:27,042 where they have to call on them. 795 00:41:27,208 --> 00:41:31,500 And as we start understanding more about the science of genes, 796 00:41:31,625 --> 00:41:35,917 we'll realize that there may be talents 797 00:41:36,042 --> 00:41:39,375 and potentials that we can unlock 798 00:41:39,542 --> 00:41:41,250 that we didn't otherwise know about. 799 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,375 Just when we think we know the limits of our mental 800 00:41:45,542 --> 00:41:47,167 and physical capabilities, 801 00:41:47,333 --> 00:41:49,417 another extraordinary person 802 00:41:49,542 --> 00:41:51,125 comes along and performs 803 00:41:51,208 --> 00:41:53,500 a superhuman feat that breaks the boundaries 804 00:41:53,625 --> 00:41:55,250 of what is possible. 805 00:41:55,375 --> 00:41:57,333 So, perhaps in the future, 806 00:41:57,417 --> 00:42:01,708 mankind will unlock even more incredible abilities 807 00:42:01,833 --> 00:42:04,083 that, for now, remain... 808 00:42:05,458 --> 00:42:06,667 unexplained. 809 00:42:06,792 --> 00:42:08,867 >>>>oakislandtk<<<<< www.opensubtitles.org 62161

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