1 00:00:01,875 --> 00:00:03,583 - [Dan] What you are about to see is not just unbelievable, 2 00:00:03,583 --> 00:00:05,292 it's also dangerous. 3 00:00:05,292 --> 00:00:07,750 Do not try this at home. 4 00:00:09,375 --> 00:00:12,083 (upbeat music) 5 00:00:17,042 --> 00:00:19,458 Imagine a suburban mom with super strength, 6 00:00:19,458 --> 00:00:22,167 more formidable than the world's strongest man. 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,792 - She starts lifting the car. 8 00:00:27,792 --> 00:00:29,542 (mom screaming) 9 00:00:29,542 --> 00:00:31,833 - It's something you see in a comic book, it's superhuman. 10 00:00:31,833 --> 00:00:35,750 - Or a man who is immune to lightning. 11 00:00:35,750 --> 00:00:37,042 (lightning strikes) 12 00:00:37,042 --> 00:00:39,375 - It burns through his shoe, 13 00:00:39,375 --> 00:00:42,708 but twice is apparently not enough. 14 00:00:42,708 --> 00:00:44,375 Roy struck again. 15 00:00:44,375 --> 00:00:46,208 - How about a mere mortal who's faster 16 00:00:46,208 --> 00:00:47,708 than a speeding bullet? 17 00:00:47,708 --> 00:00:51,417 - It's too small and too fast for the naked eye to see. 18 00:00:51,417 --> 00:00:52,375 (gunshot) 19 00:00:53,542 --> 00:00:55,083 (clang) 20 00:00:55,083 --> 00:00:56,208 - These are the humans so surprising. 21 00:00:56,208 --> 00:00:58,292 They are truly unbelievable. 22 00:01:00,792 --> 00:01:03,417 (spooky music) 23 00:01:11,417 --> 00:01:15,875 It's April, 1942 in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia 24 00:01:15,875 --> 00:01:19,417 and a violent thunderstorm has park ranger Roy Sullivan 25 00:01:19,417 --> 00:01:23,250 taking refuge in a fire tower when suddenly 26 00:01:23,250 --> 00:01:25,208 the tower is struck by lightning. 27 00:01:25,208 --> 00:01:27,292 (lightning and thunder crash) 28 00:01:29,542 --> 00:01:32,208 - After eight lightning strikes on that tower, 29 00:01:32,208 --> 00:01:35,375 it's now ablaze and Roy has to escape. 30 00:01:37,208 --> 00:01:42,083 Well, on his way down the tower he's struck. 31 00:01:42,083 --> 00:01:46,000 It burns through his shoe, yanks off his toenail, 32 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:47,583 but he lives through it. 33 00:01:48,542 --> 00:01:50,292 - When you are struck by lightning, 34 00:01:50,292 --> 00:01:54,292 an extremely large amount of electrical current flows 35 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,250 through your body to the ground. 36 00:01:58,583 --> 00:02:00,750 This is potentially lethal, for most people. 37 00:02:02,208 --> 00:02:04,000 - [Dan] The odds of being struck by lightning 38 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,750 are just one in 15,300, pretty low. 39 00:02:06,750 --> 00:02:11,625 But Ranger Roy is about to defy those odds again. 40 00:02:13,792 --> 00:02:17,625 - He is driving his pickup truck during an electrical storm 41 00:02:17,625 --> 00:02:22,000 and a tree adjoining his truck is struck. 42 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,375 (lightning and thunder strike) 43 00:02:23,375 --> 00:02:26,625 The lightning rebounds into the cab of his truck, 44 00:02:27,625 --> 00:02:29,375 setting his eyebrows and hair afire. 45 00:02:31,792 --> 00:02:34,708 - But twice is apparently not enough for Roy. 46 00:02:34,708 --> 00:02:37,708 The third time lightning bounces off of a transformer 47 00:02:37,708 --> 00:02:40,833 and strikes him, but this time it leaves its mark. 48 00:02:42,375 --> 00:02:45,208 It's a Lichtenberg figure, so called, across his back, 49 00:02:45,208 --> 00:02:47,750 in the shape of a lightning bolt. 50 00:02:47,750 --> 00:02:50,708 - [Dan] Roy is now tied with a man named Walter Summerford 51 00:02:50,708 --> 00:02:53,375 as the only known people who have been struck 52 00:02:53,375 --> 00:02:54,583 by lightning three times, 53 00:02:54,583 --> 00:02:57,708 for at least two years that is until- 54 00:02:58,208 --> 00:03:00,458 - Roy struck again. 55 00:03:00,458 --> 00:03:03,417 Fourth time, this time it sets his hair on fire 56 00:03:03,417 --> 00:03:05,542 and he's got to put that out. 57 00:03:06,583 --> 00:03:10,125 He takes a wet cloth, pats it on his head, 58 00:03:10,125 --> 00:03:11,292 puts his hair out. 59 00:03:12,833 --> 00:03:17,833 - So now Roy, the most struck by lightning man on earth, 60 00:03:19,375 --> 00:03:21,542 travels everywhere with a can of water at the ready, 61 00:03:21,542 --> 00:03:24,792 just in case he's struck and set upon fire again. 62 00:03:24,792 --> 00:03:27,375 - [Dan] Unfortunately, that can of water 63 00:03:27,375 --> 00:03:28,708 is going to come in handy. 64 00:03:30,375 --> 00:03:32,375 - He's driving down a mountain road. 65 00:03:32,375 --> 00:03:35,833 He sees evidence of a lightning storm on the horizon. 66 00:03:37,208 --> 00:03:38,833 He flees in the other direction. 67 00:03:40,167 --> 00:03:41,958 - He starts driving away as quickly as possible, 68 00:03:41,958 --> 00:03:43,417 a can of water at the ready, 69 00:03:43,417 --> 00:03:46,958 appearing to be at a safe distance from the ominous cloud 70 00:03:46,958 --> 00:03:48,500 that he feels is following. 71 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,750 He emerges from his pickup truck only to be struck again. 72 00:03:52,750 --> 00:03:56,083 Hair on fire, eyebrows on fire, can of water over the head. 73 00:03:56,083 --> 00:03:58,167 Roy was prepared this time. 74 00:03:58,167 --> 00:04:01,667 - It's the same show all over and over again. 75 00:04:01,667 --> 00:04:04,708 - [Dan] Incredibly, Roy has struck two more times, 76 00:04:04,708 --> 00:04:08,625 the last after he leaves what already was for him, 77 00:04:08,625 --> 00:04:10,250 a dangerous job. 78 00:04:10,250 --> 00:04:13,625 - When Roy finally retires from the park service, 79 00:04:13,625 --> 00:04:17,292 his seventh and final time happens while he is at leisure. 80 00:04:17,292 --> 00:04:18,417 (lightning and thunder crash) 81 00:04:18,417 --> 00:04:20,708 He gets struck while fishing. 82 00:04:20,708 --> 00:04:23,875 - Roy, in short, is a miracle man. 83 00:04:23,875 --> 00:04:26,000 The chance of being struck by lightning 84 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:29,875 seven different times is one out of 10 to the 28th power. 85 00:04:32,542 --> 00:04:35,667 The chances of being struck and surviving seven times 86 00:04:35,917 --> 00:04:37,292 put the odds even 87 00:04:37,292 --> 00:04:39,042 further off the margins 88 00:04:39,708 --> 00:04:42,208 and it would be considered impossible, 89 00:04:42,208 --> 00:04:46,375 but for the fact that it happens to Roy Sullivan. 90 00:04:47,542 --> 00:04:49,792 - So of course people want to investigate. 91 00:04:49,792 --> 00:04:52,625 They want to understand if there's something special 92 00:04:52,625 --> 00:04:54,583 about Roy's body or study the effects 93 00:04:54,583 --> 00:04:56,333 of all these lightning strikes. 94 00:04:56,333 --> 00:04:58,333 But when a doctor goes to examine him, 95 00:04:58,333 --> 00:05:00,208 lightning strikes happen nearby 96 00:05:00,208 --> 00:05:03,042 and the doctor is no longer interested. 97 00:05:03,042 --> 00:05:05,708 - [Dan] Even his own wife isn't safe around him. 98 00:05:05,708 --> 00:05:08,833 - It's no surprise that his wife would be dismayed 99 00:05:08,833 --> 00:05:11,417 because when she's hanging clothes one day 100 00:05:11,417 --> 00:05:13,250 when he's a hundred some feet away, 101 00:05:13,250 --> 00:05:15,208 (thunder rumbling) 102 00:05:15,208 --> 00:05:17,292 she herself gets struck by lightning. 103 00:05:17,292 --> 00:05:18,708 (thunder and lightning crash) 104 00:05:18,708 --> 00:05:22,042 - [Dan] Surprisingly, she doesn't file for divorce. 105 00:05:22,042 --> 00:05:25,375 - The way Roy chooses to deal with this attraction 106 00:05:25,375 --> 00:05:28,917 that he has for things that kill anybody else 107 00:05:28,917 --> 00:05:30,875 is he decides to own it. 108 00:05:30,875 --> 00:05:34,042 He becomes the Guinness World's record holder 109 00:05:35,375 --> 00:05:36,958 for the number of lightning strikes 110 00:05:36,958 --> 00:05:37,917 that someone can live through. 111 00:05:39,167 --> 00:05:41,208 He gives lectures, he has the artifacts 112 00:05:41,208 --> 00:05:43,208 from when he's been struck. 113 00:05:43,208 --> 00:05:48,375 He essentially becomes the human lightning rod, for real. 114 00:05:49,375 --> 00:05:51,458 - His superhuman ability is that he shows us 115 00:05:51,458 --> 00:05:55,000 that the word impossible should be used 116 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,708 very sparingly, if at all 117 00:05:57,917 --> 00:06:00,625 - Maybe Roy's most superhuman feat after all 118 00:06:00,625 --> 00:06:03,667 is that he was able to stay married. 119 00:06:03,667 --> 00:06:05,667 Must be his electric personality. 120 00:06:06,625 --> 00:06:08,833 But perhaps that phrase should belong 121 00:06:08,833 --> 00:06:10,958 to a guy in India known as Current Mohan. 122 00:06:13,500 --> 00:06:15,375 Kollam, India. 123 00:06:15,375 --> 00:06:18,583 A 7-year-old boy named Rajmohan Niar 124 00:06:18,583 --> 00:06:20,708 is reeling from a terrible tragedy. 125 00:06:20,708 --> 00:06:23,250 - His mother dies when he's a child 126 00:06:23,250 --> 00:06:25,625 and he simply can't bear it. 127 00:06:25,625 --> 00:06:27,333 So he attempts to kill himself. 128 00:06:28,417 --> 00:06:32,417 He climbs a utility pole and grabs a transformer. 129 00:06:32,417 --> 00:06:34,417 - [Dan] But something surprising happens, 130 00:06:34,417 --> 00:06:36,333 or should I say doesn't happen. 131 00:06:36,333 --> 00:06:38,708 - He's not electrocuted, he's not killed. 132 00:06:38,708 --> 00:06:41,042 (pulsing synthesizer music) 133 00:06:41,042 --> 00:06:42,333 - [Dan] Even more unbelievable, 134 00:06:42,333 --> 00:06:45,125 Mohan's survival isn't just good luck. 135 00:06:45,125 --> 00:06:49,375 He seems able to absorb any amount of electricity. 136 00:06:49,375 --> 00:06:51,625 (electrical current pulsing) 137 00:06:52,625 --> 00:06:55,583 - He can take electrical wire that's plugged into a wall, 138 00:06:55,583 --> 00:06:57,667 grab the open end of the wire 139 00:06:57,667 --> 00:06:59,542 and he serves sort of as a 140 00:06:59,542 --> 00:07:01,208 conduit for the electricity 141 00:07:01,208 --> 00:07:05,000 to run through his body and to power an appliance. 142 00:07:06,875 --> 00:07:10,417 - Blenders, toasters, lighting light bulbs. 143 00:07:10,417 --> 00:07:13,125 He runs all of those things by driving power 144 00:07:13,125 --> 00:07:14,458 through his body. 145 00:07:14,458 --> 00:07:16,667 - Raj becomes a local celebrity 146 00:07:17,875 --> 00:07:20,042 and he basically spends his life displaying 147 00:07:20,042 --> 00:07:23,417 these electrical shocks and running appliances. 148 00:07:26,375 --> 00:07:27,958 - [Dan] But how is this possible? 149 00:07:29,375 --> 00:07:32,042 - Some tests have been run on him, including hooking him up 150 00:07:32,042 --> 00:07:33,250 to a multimeter, 151 00:07:33,250 --> 00:07:34,708 which is going to measure the amount 152 00:07:34,708 --> 00:07:36,500 of current going through him 153 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:38,042 and the amount of electricity 154 00:07:38,042 --> 00:07:40,875 that he can handle is on average 10 times 155 00:07:40,875 --> 00:07:43,042 what a normal human being could handle. 156 00:07:43,042 --> 00:07:45,125 - Raj is sort of a mystery. 157 00:07:45,125 --> 00:07:48,542 No one knows if his organs are wired differently. 158 00:07:48,542 --> 00:07:52,792 If for some reason biologically he just is resistant 159 00:07:52,792 --> 00:07:56,750 to electricity, we really cannot ever actually know. 160 00:07:56,750 --> 00:07:59,042 - [Dan] Or can Mohan's gift be traced back 161 00:08:00,542 --> 00:08:00,875 to that fateful childhood day as just another 162 00:08:01,750 --> 00:08:01,833 to that fateful childhood day as just another 163 00:08:02,542 --> 00:08:03,792 superhero's origin story. 164 00:08:08,333 --> 00:08:10,417 - In 2020, Icelandic strongman, 165 00:08:10,417 --> 00:08:12,583 Hafthor Julius Bjornsson sets the world record 166 00:08:12,583 --> 00:08:16,125 for a deadlift when he hoists 1,105 pounds 167 00:08:16,125 --> 00:08:17,583 clear off the ground. 168 00:08:22,208 --> 00:08:23,875 (scream of triumph) 169 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:26,500 Impressive, yes, 170 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:29,208 until a suburban mom does something unbelievable. 171 00:08:31,583 --> 00:08:36,042 April 11th, 1982 starts off like any other spring day 172 00:08:36,042 --> 00:08:40,708 for Angela Cavallo inside her suburban Georgia home. 173 00:08:40,708 --> 00:08:42,958 - Angela is in her kitchen 174 00:08:42,958 --> 00:08:44,083 doing mom stuff 175 00:08:44,208 --> 00:08:46,708 and her son, who's a teenager, 176 00:08:46,708 --> 00:08:49,500 is out in the garage working on his Chevy Impala, 177 00:08:50,625 --> 00:08:52,083 and she hears a crash. 178 00:08:52,083 --> 00:08:53,875 (heavy impact of metal) 179 00:08:55,875 --> 00:08:57,625 - Angela rushes into the garage, 180 00:08:57,625 --> 00:09:00,833 she sees the Impala on top of her son. 181 00:09:03,625 --> 00:09:05,208 He is lying there, 182 00:09:05,333 --> 00:09:08,042 pinned under the car, immobile. 183 00:09:08,042 --> 00:09:11,958 Like any mother, she's terrified and she starts to scream 184 00:09:11,958 --> 00:09:13,208 for help. 185 00:09:13,208 --> 00:09:15,917 - [Dan] That's when 11-year-old Johnny Edwards, 186 00:09:15,917 --> 00:09:19,208 shows up, not exactly the muscle she was looking for. 187 00:09:19,208 --> 00:09:20,542 - Bless this kid's heart. 188 00:09:20,542 --> 00:09:23,042 He recognizes he's probably not gonna be much help. 189 00:09:23,042 --> 00:09:25,042 He starts running the neighborhood, knocking on doors, 190 00:09:25,042 --> 00:09:28,417 trying to get another adult or two to help, 191 00:09:28,417 --> 00:09:30,708 and then she tries to move the car. 192 00:09:30,708 --> 00:09:32,625 This is a 3000 pound vehicle. 193 00:09:32,625 --> 00:09:35,542 This is not something you can easily lift up. 194 00:09:36,750 --> 00:09:38,792 - [Dan] Is it possible that tiny Angela, 195 00:09:39,333 --> 00:09:41,583 can really best a strong man 196 00:09:41,583 --> 00:09:43,750 and lift a 3,300 pound car? 197 00:09:47,917 --> 00:09:50,208 (car creaks) 198 00:09:55,417 --> 00:09:59,125 - She starts lifting the car. 199 00:09:59,125 --> 00:10:01,875 (Angela screams) 200 00:10:02,625 --> 00:10:06,083 (dramatic music builds) 201 00:10:08,208 --> 00:10:12,042 - Angela is there alone holding up this car. 202 00:10:12,042 --> 00:10:15,875 If she lets it go, her son could be killed. 203 00:10:15,875 --> 00:10:18,583 - [Dan] She holds on for an agonizing five minutes 204 00:10:18,583 --> 00:10:19,583 and then- 205 00:10:20,708 --> 00:10:22,708 - The kid shows back up with two adults. 206 00:10:23,917 --> 00:10:25,583 Angela has been holding the car this whole time. 207 00:10:27,625 --> 00:10:30,708 (suspenseful music) 208 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:38,875 They managed to get Tony out from under the car. 209 00:10:38,875 --> 00:10:40,208 He is taken to the hospital. 210 00:10:40,208 --> 00:10:43,792 He's released a week later on Easter Sunday. 211 00:10:43,792 --> 00:10:47,542 - Powerlifters in gyms who train for competition, 212 00:10:47,542 --> 00:10:50,708 who put themselves through arduous routines 213 00:10:50,708 --> 00:10:53,958 are able to lift maybe a thousand pounds. 214 00:10:53,958 --> 00:10:59,000 What allows a everyday woman to not only lift 215 00:11:00,458 --> 00:11:05,708 but to hold a 3000 pound automobile for five minutes? 216 00:11:06,833 --> 00:11:08,917 - [Dan] Angela has just experienced a phenomenon 217 00:11:08,917 --> 00:11:11,417 called hysterical strength. 218 00:11:11,417 --> 00:11:14,708 Could this superhuman trait lie dormant within us all? 219 00:11:16,500 --> 00:11:18,542 - Everybody has the experience 220 00:11:18,542 --> 00:11:20,375 of a trigger of adrenaline 221 00:11:20,375 --> 00:11:22,375 and we know that it rushes 222 00:11:22,375 --> 00:11:24,625 oxygen and blood to the muscles 223 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,042 and it can improve physical performance. 224 00:11:27,042 --> 00:11:30,875 But at moments of life-threatening crisis, 225 00:11:30,875 --> 00:11:33,833 these biochemicals may actually give us 226 00:11:33,833 --> 00:11:36,333 a spurt of superhuman strength. 227 00:11:38,875 --> 00:11:41,167 - To lift up a vehicle is something way more superhuman 228 00:11:41,167 --> 00:11:44,583 than just your regular adrenaline dump. 229 00:11:44,583 --> 00:11:47,458 That's motherly love mixed into that. 230 00:11:47,458 --> 00:11:49,208 - Lifting a nearly two-ton car 231 00:11:49,208 --> 00:11:52,083 and holding it for five minutes, incredible. 232 00:11:52,083 --> 00:11:55,000 It's also a feat so far beyond the normal limits 233 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,208 of human strength that a few doubt Angela's story is true. 234 00:11:59,208 --> 00:12:02,667 Luckily, this next strange event was captured on film. 235 00:12:06,375 --> 00:12:09,833 - It is 1988 and the television show Magnum, P.I. 236 00:12:09,833 --> 00:12:12,333 is immensely popular and one of the icons 237 00:12:12,333 --> 00:12:16,042 of Magnum, P.I. alongside Magnum's Ferrari 238 00:12:16,042 --> 00:12:21,083 is the McDonnell Douglas Little Ball helicopter. 239 00:12:22,375 --> 00:12:24,375 - When the helicopter isn't featured on the show, 240 00:12:24,375 --> 00:12:27,958 it is sometimes used for commercial tourist flights. 241 00:12:27,958 --> 00:12:31,708 Other times it's used to help out the local utilities. 242 00:12:32,875 --> 00:12:36,208 So on this day of Friday the 13th, 243 00:12:36,208 --> 00:12:40,375 the helicopter is flying, hauling some equipment. 244 00:12:40,375 --> 00:12:44,125 There is an electrical problem with the flight system 245 00:12:44,125 --> 00:12:47,208 and the helicopter begins to lilt to one side 246 00:12:47,208 --> 00:12:50,875 and the pilot immediately decides to land. 247 00:12:50,875 --> 00:12:54,125 - [Dan] But just before touching down disaster strikes. 248 00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,792 (helicopter thrumming wildly) 249 00:12:59,750 --> 00:13:02,542 (dark pulsing music) 250 00:13:02,542 --> 00:13:06,042 - The pilot after the crash landing is trapped under 251 00:13:06,042 --> 00:13:10,250 this 3000 plus pound copter, 252 00:13:10,250 --> 00:13:13,333 - His leg is stuck, his leg is stuck. 253 00:13:13,333 --> 00:13:17,208 which is now taking on water from the drainage ditch 254 00:13:17,208 --> 00:13:21,375 and is leaking highly flammable fuel. 255 00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:25,417 - And as it slowly, slowly starts falling to its side, 256 00:13:25,417 --> 00:13:27,208 the water starts rising. 257 00:13:27,208 --> 00:13:30,042 It's getting pretty dire as the water fills the cabin. 258 00:13:30,042 --> 00:13:33,167 - The situation might be fatal were it not 259 00:13:33,167 --> 00:13:35,208 for the appearance on the scene 260 00:13:35,208 --> 00:13:39,667 of a local Vietnam vet named Warren Amaral, 261 00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:41,542 or as he's better known 262 00:13:41,542 --> 00:13:43,167 by his nickname, Tiny. 263 00:13:44,333 --> 00:13:45,917 The trapped pilot is a friend of Tiny's, 264 00:13:45,917 --> 00:13:47,708 a fellow Vietnam veteran. 265 00:13:47,708 --> 00:13:50,000 Tiny runs up to help. 266 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,875 He witnesses a scene that is out of a nightmare. 267 00:13:53,875 --> 00:13:57,292 - Initially, Tiny goes to pull the helicopter pilot 268 00:13:57,292 --> 00:14:00,708 from underneath the wreckage and his leg is stuck. 269 00:14:00,708 --> 00:14:02,333 - Get help. Get help. 270 00:14:02,333 --> 00:14:04,542 - So, he decides to take another course of action, 271 00:14:04,542 --> 00:14:07,375 which is lift up this 3000 pound helicopter 272 00:14:07,375 --> 00:14:09,625 and save the pilot, Steve. 273 00:14:09,625 --> 00:14:10,875 - Come on. 274 00:14:10,875 --> 00:14:12,667 Come on, Steve! 275 00:14:12,875 --> 00:14:14,708 Come on, Steve! 276 00:14:15,042 --> 00:14:16,500 Come on, Come on. 277 00:14:18,875 --> 00:14:21,875 Help me get his leg out of underneath the chopper. 278 00:14:21,875 --> 00:14:23,375 Okay, watch your hand. 279 00:14:24,875 --> 00:14:26,875 Get his leg out. 280 00:14:26,875 --> 00:14:28,208 Okay, two legs. 281 00:14:29,625 --> 00:14:30,500 Okay 282 00:14:32,500 --> 00:14:33,875 - They're both Vietnam buddies. 283 00:14:33,875 --> 00:14:35,417 They've both been to combat together. 284 00:14:35,417 --> 00:14:37,542 They share a bond that your average 285 00:14:37,542 --> 00:14:39,250 civilian couldn't fathom. 286 00:14:40,167 --> 00:14:42,292 - Alright, it's okay, my man. 287 00:14:42,292 --> 00:14:43,583 Just relax, chill. 288 00:14:45,375 --> 00:14:47,333 - But to be able to lift up that 3000 pound helicopter 289 00:14:47,333 --> 00:14:52,292 to save Steve, it's absolutely superhuman. 290 00:14:52,292 --> 00:14:54,542 - [Dan] While scientists understand the concept 291 00:14:54,542 --> 00:14:58,375 of hysterical strength, they still don't know exactly how 292 00:14:58,375 --> 00:14:59,125 it's triggered. 293 00:14:59,125 --> 00:15:00,875 - It would be very difficult 294 00:15:01,917 --> 00:15:03,083 to recreate the situation in a lab 295 00:15:03,083 --> 00:15:06,042 or to find drugs that induce that situation 296 00:15:06,042 --> 00:15:08,875 that don't have catastrophic side effects. 297 00:15:08,875 --> 00:15:11,083 So far we haven't found a trigger 298 00:15:11,083 --> 00:15:13,458 other than life threatening crisis. 299 00:15:14,958 --> 00:15:16,792 - Sounds like something out of Incredible Hulk, 300 00:15:17,208 --> 00:15:18,500 capable of lifting thousands of pounds. 301 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:19,292 capable of lifting thousands of pounds. 302 00:15:20,167 --> 00:15:21,417 It is something seriously straight out of a comic book. 303 00:15:28,042 --> 00:15:30,375 - Tales of great warriors defeating countless enemies 304 00:15:30,375 --> 00:15:32,208 with their razor-sharp swords are often thought 305 00:15:32,208 --> 00:15:34,500 to be exactly that, just stories. 306 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:38,083 But what if there were a modern samurai so skilled 307 00:15:38,083 --> 00:15:40,583 he'd give those legends a run for their money. 308 00:15:41,542 --> 00:15:43,167 (sword rings and clinks) 309 00:15:43,167 --> 00:15:46,417 - Machii is not only deadly with a sword, 310 00:15:46,542 --> 00:15:51,583 but he demonstrates super human speed with a sword. 311 00:15:52,792 --> 00:15:54,333 - [Dan] Among his most impressive feats, 312 00:15:54,333 --> 00:15:56,417 slicing a baseball flying towards him 313 00:15:56,417 --> 00:15:59,333 at a hundred miles an hour with ease. 314 00:15:59,750 --> 00:16:00,667 (sword slices) 315 00:16:01,958 --> 00:16:02,917 - Now if you ask anybody 316 00:16:02,917 --> 00:16:03,708 who covers sports, 317 00:16:03,708 --> 00:16:04,792 hitting a baseball 318 00:16:04,792 --> 00:16:05,875 is the single most 319 00:16:05,875 --> 00:16:07,333 difficult thing to do in sports. 320 00:16:07,333 --> 00:16:11,125 - Isao Machii was able to hit it with a samurai sword, 321 00:16:11,125 --> 00:16:13,583 not a baseball bat with a big fat barrel, 322 00:16:13,583 --> 00:16:17,042 a piece of steel that is millimeters thick. 323 00:16:17,042 --> 00:16:19,250 - So how does Machii become the ultimate 324 00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:21,250 21st century Samurai? 325 00:16:26,417 --> 00:16:29,208 - Isao Machii grows up in Kawanishi, 326 00:16:29,208 --> 00:16:32,708 a part of Japan that has a long, rich history 327 00:16:32,708 --> 00:16:35,667 of swords fighting, dating back to the 10th century. 328 00:16:37,167 --> 00:16:40,917 - The Samurai tradition no longer continues in Japan, 329 00:16:40,917 --> 00:16:44,083 but there is a tradition called Kendo, 330 00:16:44,083 --> 00:16:46,375 (sounds of combat) 331 00:16:46,375 --> 00:16:51,292 which is basically the inheritor of the Samurai tradition. 332 00:16:51,292 --> 00:16:53,083 - [Dan] Kendo is the art of fighting 333 00:16:53,083 --> 00:16:55,750 with bamboo swords developed as a non-lethal 334 00:16:55,750 --> 00:16:57,250 form of training. 335 00:16:57,250 --> 00:17:01,167 - And this is the practice in which he trains 336 00:17:01,167 --> 00:17:03,875 and excels starting at the age of six. 337 00:17:03,875 --> 00:17:05,458 (sword slices) 338 00:17:05,458 --> 00:17:08,542 - Then he gives the ancient practice of Tsujigiri a whirl. 339 00:17:09,958 --> 00:17:12,542 - So Tsujigiri basically the idea is you take a tatami mat 340 00:17:12,542 --> 00:17:16,250 and you place it vertically and you slice through it. 341 00:17:16,250 --> 00:17:17,625 (quick slices wth sword) 342 00:17:17,625 --> 00:17:19,625 And the reason you take the tatami mat 343 00:17:19,625 --> 00:17:22,042 is because it mimics the texture and the hardness 344 00:17:22,042 --> 00:17:24,250 and the resistance of a human limb. 345 00:17:24,250 --> 00:17:26,333 (quick slices wth sword) 346 00:17:26,333 --> 00:17:27,833 - You can imagine these 347 00:17:27,833 --> 00:17:29,042 tatami mats rolled up 348 00:17:29,042 --> 00:17:31,083 and as soon as you slice it, 349 00:17:31,083 --> 00:17:32,667 you impart a force on it 350 00:17:32,667 --> 00:17:35,333 that's going to destabilize the tatami mat 351 00:17:35,333 --> 00:17:36,583 and make it fall over. 352 00:17:38,083 --> 00:17:40,625 The quickness and the precision and the accuracy 353 00:17:40,625 --> 00:17:44,583 required to do that is mind blowing. 354 00:17:48,542 --> 00:17:52,125 - So Machii sets his first world record by slicing cleanly 355 00:17:52,125 --> 00:17:55,792 through the tatami mat seven times before a tips over. 356 00:17:55,792 --> 00:17:59,625 - [Dan] Then in 2007, Machii adds another record. 357 00:17:59,625 --> 00:18:03,542 1000 mat cuts in just over 36 minutes, 358 00:18:03,542 --> 00:18:06,667 slicing a full hour off his previous record 359 00:18:06,667 --> 00:18:08,208 like a human Cuisinart. 360 00:18:09,500 --> 00:18:13,083 - Imagine this master swordsman makes 1000 cuts, 361 00:18:13,083 --> 00:18:18,167 effectively severing 1000 limbs in 36 minutes. 362 00:18:19,167 --> 00:18:21,125 It's the stuff of legend and it's playing out 363 00:18:21,125 --> 00:18:22,500 in the 21st century. 364 00:18:24,292 --> 00:18:25,750 - [Dan] Over the next decade, 365 00:18:27,083 --> 00:18:28,292 he goes on to break six more records, 366 00:18:30,167 --> 00:18:34,292 but they're nothing compared to what he does in 2013. 367 00:18:34,292 --> 00:18:38,125 - He's going to slice a pea-sized, a six millimeter 368 00:18:38,125 --> 00:18:40,417 size pellet in two. 369 00:18:40,417 --> 00:18:43,833 He's going to stand 70 feet away from a BB gun 370 00:18:43,833 --> 00:18:46,375 and slice this tiny little thing, not just hit it, 371 00:18:46,375 --> 00:18:48,375 but slice completely through it 372 00:18:48,375 --> 00:18:51,250 as it's coming at him at 200 miles per hour. 373 00:18:53,167 --> 00:18:54,375 - [Dan] At that speed, a normal human 374 00:18:54,375 --> 00:18:56,333 wouldn't even be able to see the pellet 375 00:18:56,333 --> 00:18:58,250 much less slice it in two. 376 00:19:01,042 --> 00:19:02,958 (gunshot) (sword slices) 377 00:19:02,958 --> 00:19:05,292 - I watched this about five times 378 00:19:05,292 --> 00:19:06,833 'cause I could not believe it. 379 00:19:06,833 --> 00:19:10,250 - It's too small and too fast for the naked eye to see, 380 00:19:10,250 --> 00:19:12,583 (gunshot) (sword slices) 381 00:19:12,583 --> 00:19:15,292 but when you slow down the footage you see that he does it. 382 00:19:15,292 --> 00:19:16,833 - [Dan] How is this possible? 383 00:19:16,833 --> 00:19:20,083 Well, according to math and all logic, it's not. 384 00:19:20,083 --> 00:19:23,167 - The normal human reaction time 385 00:19:23,167 --> 00:19:25,250 is around a quarter of a second, 386 00:19:25,250 --> 00:19:27,625 which means if you receive a visual stimuli, 387 00:19:27,625 --> 00:19:29,708 it takes you about a quarter of a second 388 00:19:31,292 --> 00:19:33,333 before you're able to physically respond to it. 389 00:19:33,333 --> 00:19:36,792 In less time than that, the pellet travels from the gun 390 00:19:36,792 --> 00:19:41,375 to him and it's not just speed, it's also precision 391 00:19:41,375 --> 00:19:46,458 - Crazier still, he closes his eyes at the moment, 392 00:19:47,208 --> 00:19:49,125 he cuts the BB out of the air. 393 00:19:49,125 --> 00:19:50,708 That man is not of this earth. 394 00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:57,125 - In Machii, we're seeing a being who surpasses 395 00:19:57,125 --> 00:20:02,250 what we as human beings are understood to be capable of. 396 00:20:02,250 --> 00:20:05,333 He possesses superpowers, in fact. 397 00:20:06,625 --> 00:20:09,833 - [Dan] Isao Machii might be faster than a speeding bullet, 398 00:20:09,833 --> 00:20:12,417 but there's another superhuman whose superpowers 399 00:20:12,417 --> 00:20:14,792 might be even more impressive. 400 00:20:14,792 --> 00:20:17,625 No wonder they call him the Batman. 401 00:20:19,542 --> 00:20:21,417 - Daniel Kish may very well be one 402 00:20:21,417 --> 00:20:23,250 of the most remarkable human beings 403 00:20:23,250 --> 00:20:26,042 I've ever come across in my life. 404 00:20:26,042 --> 00:20:30,292 - Every superhero or every superhuman has an origin story. 405 00:20:30,292 --> 00:20:34,875 At 13 months old, Daniel is diagnosed with cancer 406 00:20:34,875 --> 00:20:39,417 of the retina in both eyes and Daniel's eyes 407 00:20:39,417 --> 00:20:40,958 have to be removed. 408 00:20:42,500 --> 00:20:45,833 - With blind infants, very often they will clap 409 00:20:45,833 --> 00:20:48,125 or stomp their feet or make a noise 410 00:20:48,125 --> 00:20:52,042 and it will elicit a response from the world around them. 411 00:20:52,042 --> 00:20:56,250 - Very quickly, Daniel develops a very specific sound, 412 00:20:56,250 --> 00:20:58,417 a click that you can make by pulling your tongue 413 00:20:58,417 --> 00:20:59,875 off the roof of your mouth. 414 00:20:59,875 --> 00:21:01,000 (tongue clicking) 415 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:01,792 Just like that. 416 00:21:03,375 --> 00:21:05,458 Thankfully his parents encourage him to keep doing this 417 00:21:05,458 --> 00:21:09,375 because they can see that he's using it as a tool. 418 00:21:09,375 --> 00:21:11,708 - [Dan] It's more than just a tool. 419 00:21:11,708 --> 00:21:15,250 Daniel is cultivating what will become his superpower. 420 00:21:15,250 --> 00:21:18,542 - Daniel developed, on his own, a technique 421 00:21:18,542 --> 00:21:22,667 known as echolocation, where you emit a sound 422 00:21:24,042 --> 00:21:27,458 and the sound wave bounces off of all the objects 423 00:21:27,458 --> 00:21:29,958 in the room and comes back to your ears. 424 00:21:29,958 --> 00:21:32,583 And different objects in different rooms 425 00:21:32,583 --> 00:21:35,167 will have different sound characteristics 426 00:21:35,167 --> 00:21:36,875 that you can learn. 427 00:21:36,875 --> 00:21:39,500 - [Dan] It's a technique not often seen in humans. 428 00:21:40,458 --> 00:21:43,375 - So bats use echolocation. 429 00:21:43,375 --> 00:21:46,000 They constantly emit sound waves 430 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,417 and allow those sound waves to bounce off of trees 431 00:21:49,417 --> 00:21:52,542 and insects, and then they listen for those reflections 432 00:21:52,542 --> 00:21:55,375 and they use that to navigate in the night. 433 00:21:55,375 --> 00:21:58,708 Daniel is doing the exact same thing. 434 00:21:58,708 --> 00:22:01,500 - [Dan] But how exactly does a human develop this gift? 435 00:22:01,500 --> 00:22:04,708 (Daniel clicking with tongue) 436 00:22:04,708 --> 00:22:07,625 - The visual cortex is a big part of our brains. 437 00:22:07,625 --> 00:22:11,250 Without having visual input that cortex 438 00:22:11,250 --> 00:22:12,833 is looking for a job. 439 00:22:12,833 --> 00:22:16,708 So in essence, that visual cortex 440 00:22:16,708 --> 00:22:21,708 is now gonna be rewired and his ears become his eyes. 441 00:22:22,875 --> 00:22:25,875 - He is able to not only tell spatial distance, 442 00:22:25,875 --> 00:22:29,000 he's able to tell what material something is made of. 443 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:30,333 If it's concrete, if it's wood. 444 00:22:30,333 --> 00:22:33,417 He can tell if someone is clothed or not. 445 00:22:33,417 --> 00:22:35,333 - [Dan] The Batman channels his gift 446 00:22:36,458 --> 00:22:38,125 to accomplish something even more unbelievable. 447 00:22:38,125 --> 00:22:42,708 - He takes his bike and goes against a brick wall 448 00:22:42,708 --> 00:22:46,375 and first trains himself to ride in a straight line. 449 00:22:46,375 --> 00:22:48,125 - And then he bikes to his friend's house 450 00:22:48,125 --> 00:22:49,500 and then a little bit further. 451 00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:54,083 And now he's able to confidently ride his bike 452 00:22:55,417 --> 00:22:57,833 through busy streets and unknown intersections. 453 00:22:57,833 --> 00:23:00,625 - I have two working eyes and I don't want to ride 454 00:23:00,625 --> 00:23:02,375 a bike around traffic. 455 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:05,667 He is the modern Batman and he is amazing, inspirational, 456 00:23:05,667 --> 00:23:08,792 He is the modern Batman and he is amazing, inspirational, 457 00:23:08,792 --> 00:23:11,042 and, without question, superhuman. 458 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,958 When people turn 30, they often take stock 459 00:23:19,958 --> 00:23:22,500 and try to make significant life changes. 460 00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:25,583 But how far do most of us actually go? 461 00:23:25,583 --> 00:23:28,333 In the case of this next superhuman, 462 00:23:28,333 --> 00:23:30,417 a lot further than you'd believe, 463 00:23:34,417 --> 00:23:36,333 - Dean Karnazes is out celebrating his 464 00:23:36,333 --> 00:23:38,083 30th birthday with some friends. 465 00:23:39,125 --> 00:23:42,667 Now he's a little bit bummed about turning 30, 466 00:23:42,667 --> 00:23:45,833 so he gets out of the bar and he starts running. 467 00:23:46,875 --> 00:23:48,375 I don't know about you, but when I've done 468 00:23:48,375 --> 00:23:50,542 a ton of tequila shots, my first instinct 469 00:23:50,542 --> 00:23:54,542 isn't to start running, but 10 miles later 470 00:23:54,542 --> 00:23:57,208 the tequila wears off and he's sober again. 471 00:23:57,208 --> 00:24:00,500 Most of us would've stopped by now, but he keeps going. 472 00:24:03,833 --> 00:24:08,708 - He ends up running over 30 miles in one night. 473 00:24:08,708 --> 00:24:12,833 30 miles is longer than a full marathon. 474 00:24:13,917 --> 00:24:16,208 - And the remarkable thing here is 475 00:24:16,208 --> 00:24:18,625 that Dean Karnazes was not a trained marathon runner. 476 00:24:18,625 --> 00:24:20,125 He was not a trained distance runner. 477 00:24:20,125 --> 00:24:23,833 He had run in high school but hadn't run in 15 years. 478 00:24:25,333 --> 00:24:26,167 - And he begins to wonder, 479 00:24:26,333 --> 00:24:27,208 what do I have here 480 00:24:27,208 --> 00:24:28,292 that I've been neglecting? 481 00:24:28,917 --> 00:24:30,917 - [Dan] Then this real life Energizer Bunny 482 00:24:30,917 --> 00:24:33,125 takes an incredible leap of faith. 483 00:24:33,125 --> 00:24:37,000 - He decides to quit his job in corporate marketing 484 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,083 and become a distance runner, to make this his life. 485 00:24:40,083 --> 00:24:41,458 - [Dan] Within three years, 486 00:24:42,542 --> 00:24:44,500 Dean isn't just running marathons, 487 00:24:44,500 --> 00:24:47,250 he's running a hundred mile ultra marathons 488 00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:48,875 and winning. 489 00:24:48,875 --> 00:24:50,583 (crowd cheering) 490 00:24:50,583 --> 00:24:53,625 - We can't overstate how difficult on the body 491 00:24:53,625 --> 00:24:56,750 ultra distance running is and the idea that he's able 492 00:24:56,750 --> 00:24:59,875 to withstand these beatings only having been training 493 00:24:59,875 --> 00:25:02,500 for a few years is really quite remarkable. 494 00:25:05,750 --> 00:25:09,167 - [Dan] In 2005, Dean tests the limits of human stamina 495 00:25:09,167 --> 00:25:13,417 and endurance, running distances that sound impossible. 496 00:25:13,417 --> 00:25:18,583 - He runs 350 miles in 81 hours. 497 00:25:21,083 --> 00:25:24,417 - 81 hours straight without sleep. 498 00:25:24,417 --> 00:25:26,125 That's more than three days. 499 00:25:26,125 --> 00:25:27,875 - The thing is he didn't stop running 500 00:25:27,875 --> 00:25:30,208 because he couldn't keep running physically. 501 00:25:30,208 --> 00:25:32,833 He stopped running because he couldn't stay awake 502 00:25:32,833 --> 00:25:33,958 for more than three days. 503 00:25:33,958 --> 00:25:35,625 He got sleepy. 504 00:25:35,625 --> 00:25:38,167 - [Dan] And Dean's record setting runs 505 00:25:38,167 --> 00:25:39,417 are just getting started. 506 00:25:39,417 --> 00:25:41,375 - In 2006 Dean runs 507 00:25:41,375 --> 00:25:43,417 50 marathons 508 00:25:43,417 --> 00:25:45,375 in 50 different states 509 00:25:45,375 --> 00:25:46,500 in 50 days, 510 00:25:46,500 --> 00:25:47,542 culminating in 511 00:25:47,542 --> 00:25:49,083 the New York City Marathon. 512 00:25:51,250 --> 00:25:54,458 - He ends up finishing in three and a half hours, 513 00:25:54,458 --> 00:25:57,917 which is about an hour faster than the average finish time. 514 00:25:57,917 --> 00:26:00,792 - 50 marathons, 50 days, 50 states right here. 515 00:26:00,792 --> 00:26:02,875 - Well, one, I wanted to see if it could be done. 516 00:26:02,875 --> 00:26:05,125 Two. I wanted to see is this bad for the body, 517 00:26:05,125 --> 00:26:07,375 good for the body, neutral for the body. 518 00:26:07,375 --> 00:26:08,875 - [Dan] So how does Dean keep on 519 00:26:08,875 --> 00:26:10,750 going and going and going? 520 00:26:11,708 --> 00:26:14,917 - Lactic acid is a byproduct of our normal 521 00:26:16,167 --> 00:26:16,958 metabolic functions. 522 00:26:17,917 --> 00:26:19,667 If you exert yourself too much, 523 00:26:19,667 --> 00:26:20,750 the lactic acid can build up in your muscles 524 00:26:20,750 --> 00:26:22,375 and this is what makes them feel sore 525 00:26:22,375 --> 00:26:24,875 after a serious workout. 526 00:26:24,875 --> 00:26:26,625 But Dean doesn't feel sore. 527 00:26:26,625 --> 00:26:29,875 - His ability to essentially metabolize 528 00:26:29,875 --> 00:26:32,708 lactic acid is better than most. 529 00:26:32,708 --> 00:26:35,958 - Dean estimates that he's run more than 100,000 miles 530 00:26:35,958 --> 00:26:38,208 enough to circle the earth four times, 531 00:26:38,208 --> 00:26:41,083 almost enough to get him halfway to the moon. 532 00:26:41,083 --> 00:26:44,208 But while he might be the ultra marathon man, 533 00:26:44,208 --> 00:26:48,625 even Dean would probably admit that he's not quite as cool 534 00:26:48,625 --> 00:26:50,000 as the Iceman. 535 00:26:52,542 --> 00:26:56,667 - Wim Hof is a Dutch madman. 536 00:26:57,708 --> 00:27:00,875 He can hold himself submerged in an ice bath 537 00:27:00,875 --> 00:27:02,958 for hours upon hours. 538 00:27:02,958 --> 00:27:05,792 - Wim Hof can hold his breath for 10 minutes. 539 00:27:05,792 --> 00:27:08,542 For reference, the average Navy Seal 540 00:27:08,542 --> 00:27:10,667 can hold their breath For three minutes. 541 00:27:12,708 --> 00:27:14,542 - He had the Guinness Worlds Record 542 00:27:14,542 --> 00:27:18,208 for swimming 188 feet under ice. 543 00:27:18,208 --> 00:27:19,500 (onlookers cheer) 544 00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:22,375 - [Dan] He even holds the Guinness World record 545 00:27:22,375 --> 00:27:26,667 for running the fastest half marathon in ice or snow, 546 00:27:26,667 --> 00:27:28,125 while barefoot. 547 00:27:28,125 --> 00:27:31,708 His time, two hours and 16 minutes, 548 00:27:31,708 --> 00:27:34,833 fast enough to make Dean Karnazes jealous. 549 00:27:34,833 --> 00:27:36,375 - Taking it to the other extreme, 550 00:27:36,375 --> 00:27:40,292 he runs a marathon in Namibia in the desert 551 00:27:40,292 --> 00:27:41,917 without drinking any water. 552 00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:47,333 - [Dan] So is the Iceman truly superhuman? 553 00:27:49,375 --> 00:27:52,583 - Wim Hof credits all of this to trauma suffered at birth. 554 00:27:52,583 --> 00:27:55,083 He was the second of identical twins 555 00:27:55,083 --> 00:27:57,208 and after his sibling came out, 556 00:27:57,208 --> 00:27:58,583 they found that he was still in there. 557 00:27:58,583 --> 00:28:01,292 He almost suffocated to death. 558 00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:04,458 By the time he was actually born, he was purple. 559 00:28:04,458 --> 00:28:06,583 - [Dan] His near death experience 560 00:28:06,583 --> 00:28:07,958 puts him on a strange path. 561 00:28:09,333 --> 00:28:11,583 - Later on as a young man, he sees ice on the river 562 00:28:11,583 --> 00:28:14,833 and he decides I should jump in 563 00:28:14,833 --> 00:28:16,667 and instead of freezing to death 564 00:28:16,667 --> 00:28:20,833 or even feeling cold, what he claims is that he feels power. 565 00:28:22,167 --> 00:28:24,042 - [Dan] But how is Wim tapping into this superpower 566 00:28:24,042 --> 00:28:28,125 at will in ways that defy logic and science? 567 00:28:28,125 --> 00:28:31,708 - Our brains like to keep us comfortable, 568 00:28:31,708 --> 00:28:35,417 and so anytime we have exposure to an unpleasant 569 00:28:35,417 --> 00:28:39,042 or a very painful stimulus, our brain will release 570 00:28:39,042 --> 00:28:41,375 its own pleasure giving chemicals. 571 00:28:41,375 --> 00:28:44,375 Some of these compounds are known as endocannabinoids, 572 00:28:44,375 --> 00:28:48,333 which basically make you feel high and euphoric. 573 00:28:48,333 --> 00:28:50,250 - [Dan] His incredible ability to unlock 574 00:28:50,250 --> 00:28:53,375 these chemicals allows him to barely even feel the cold. 575 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,042 - Experts find that his extremities have more heat 576 00:28:58,042 --> 00:28:59,500 than they naturally should. 577 00:28:59,500 --> 00:29:04,042 So is he willing his regulatory system to create heat 578 00:29:04,042 --> 00:29:08,167 where there isn't or is he just built differently? 579 00:29:08,167 --> 00:29:09,375 We can't tell. 580 00:29:09,375 --> 00:29:10,875 - The ultimate irony may be that Wim Hof 581 00:29:10,875 --> 00:29:13,708 actually doesn't enjoy what made him famous. 582 00:29:13,708 --> 00:29:15,083 In a 2022 interview, he said quote, 583 00:29:15,083 --> 00:29:16,000 In a 2022 interview, he said quote, 584 00:29:16,375 --> 00:29:19,167 "Please don't tell anyone, but I hate the cold." 585 00:29:23,875 --> 00:29:25,375 - If I asked you how many windows your house has, 586 00:29:25,375 --> 00:29:26,542 could you tell me? 587 00:29:26,542 --> 00:29:27,292 Maybe. 588 00:29:28,625 --> 00:29:29,833 How about the house across the street? 589 00:29:29,833 --> 00:29:31,292 Probably not. 590 00:29:31,292 --> 00:29:34,000 What about that office building on the way to work? 591 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,708 Not a chance, but what if I told you there's a man 592 00:29:37,708 --> 00:29:40,625 who can tell you every single intricate detail 593 00:29:40,625 --> 00:29:43,833 of a skyscraper he has seen only once? 594 00:29:43,833 --> 00:29:46,250 They call him the living camera. 595 00:29:48,250 --> 00:29:52,125 - One day artist Steven Wilshire boards a helicopter 596 00:29:52,125 --> 00:29:56,917 and flies around the city of New York for about 20 minutes. 597 00:29:58,208 --> 00:29:59,542 - After his 20 minute flyover, 598 00:29:59,542 --> 00:30:00,708 he goes into a studio 599 00:30:00,708 --> 00:30:02,375 in Brooklyn for five days with nothing 600 00:30:02,375 --> 00:30:05,167 but a pack of pencils, an 18-foot-long canvas, 601 00:30:05,167 --> 00:30:07,333 and his memory of the vision of the city. 602 00:30:08,417 --> 00:30:09,875 - [Dan] When Steven emerges, 603 00:30:10,917 --> 00:30:11,875 he's achieved something that friends 604 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,458 and acquaintances just can't explain. 605 00:30:14,458 --> 00:30:17,833 He's drawn an exact replica of the most complicated skyline 606 00:30:17,833 --> 00:30:21,000 on the planet from memory. 607 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,083 - It's not like he draws just shapes. 608 00:30:23,083 --> 00:30:25,167 It is exactly what he saw from the air 609 00:30:25,167 --> 00:30:28,125 down to the number of cables on the Manhattan Bridge. 610 00:30:28,125 --> 00:30:31,750 - It is as if he has taken a photograph, 611 00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:34,208 but it is all lodged in his memory. 612 00:30:35,167 --> 00:30:36,833 - [Dan] But how does he do it? 613 00:30:38,208 --> 00:30:40,958 His story begins in London, in the late 1970s. 614 00:30:42,208 --> 00:30:44,000 - Steven Wiltshire was mute as a kid 615 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:45,500 and when he was three years old, 616 00:30:46,625 --> 00:30:47,625 he was diagnosed with autism. 617 00:30:47,625 --> 00:30:48,833 One of the first ways he was able 618 00:30:48,833 --> 00:30:51,208 to express himself was through drawing. 619 00:30:51,208 --> 00:30:53,875 - Steven's parents sent him to a special school 620 00:30:53,875 --> 00:30:56,375 that is designed for the learning experience 621 00:30:56,375 --> 00:30:58,875 of children with autism. 622 00:30:58,875 --> 00:31:00,208 - And this is a place where 623 00:31:00,208 --> 00:31:01,667 his proclivity for drawing 624 00:31:01,667 --> 00:31:03,500 just flourishes. 625 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:05,875 - And more and more he's able to recreate things 626 00:31:05,875 --> 00:31:07,875 that he's only seen once on a field trip 627 00:31:07,875 --> 00:31:09,208 or on TV or in a magazine. 628 00:31:09,208 --> 00:31:12,917 He clearly has this incredible ability to recall things 629 00:31:12,917 --> 00:31:15,833 that he's seen and put it on paper perfectly. 630 00:31:15,833 --> 00:31:17,792 - So I've got lots of detail drawings 631 00:31:17,792 --> 00:31:20,708 on the St. Paul's Cathedral there. 632 00:31:20,708 --> 00:31:21,542 - And that was all just from memory? 633 00:31:21,542 --> 00:31:22,417 - Yeah. 634 00:31:23,667 --> 00:31:26,250 - [Dan] You've probably heard of photographic memory, 635 00:31:26,250 --> 00:31:28,875 but what Steven has is far more rare. 636 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,167 - One of the consequences of autism is that areas 637 00:31:33,250 --> 00:31:36,083 of the brain don't develop properly. 638 00:31:36,083 --> 00:31:38,417 Yet these are very sophisticated 639 00:31:38,417 --> 00:31:41,125 and computationally intense parts of the brain. 640 00:31:41,125 --> 00:31:43,333 As a result, certain people with autism 641 00:31:43,333 --> 00:31:46,625 develop a type of neuroplasticity 642 00:31:46,625 --> 00:31:48,167 where these areas 643 00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:52,333 of the brain are used in other and more unique ways. 644 00:31:52,333 --> 00:31:55,208 - And again, it presents us with the prospect 645 00:31:55,208 --> 00:31:57,708 of life's power of compensation. 646 00:31:57,708 --> 00:32:02,375 Our neuro systems will compensate for a difficulty 647 00:32:02,375 --> 00:32:06,333 or a challenge in one area by creating exceptional 648 00:32:06,333 --> 00:32:09,042 ability and capacity in another. 649 00:32:09,042 --> 00:32:11,167 - The New York taxis are from the memory 650 00:32:11,167 --> 00:32:12,500 just had in my head. 651 00:32:12,500 --> 00:32:15,208 - On any given day, I can't find my keys 652 00:32:15,208 --> 00:32:18,208 and Steven is able to recreate an entire city. 653 00:32:19,250 --> 00:32:21,875 - [Dan] While Steven was born with this gift 654 00:32:21,875 --> 00:32:24,208 for 39-year-old Derek Amato, 655 00:32:24,208 --> 00:32:26,458 all it took was a good whack to the head. 656 00:32:30,917 --> 00:32:32,625 - It's a normal summer day. 657 00:32:34,250 --> 00:32:36,875 Derek and some friends are playing football 658 00:32:36,875 --> 00:32:38,208 around the pool. 659 00:32:40,708 --> 00:32:42,958 Derek dives for a pass. 660 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:47,958 He lands in the shallow end of the pool. 661 00:32:49,250 --> 00:32:51,625 His head strikes the bottom. 662 00:32:52,625 --> 00:32:55,000 He suffers a severe concussion. 663 00:32:55,000 --> 00:32:58,083 (dramatic music builds) 664 00:33:01,417 --> 00:33:03,458 - He's floating in and out of consciousness 665 00:33:03,458 --> 00:33:06,167 for the next four days in a semi-coma. 666 00:33:07,458 --> 00:33:09,708 When he comes out of it, he's lost a significant amount 667 00:33:09,708 --> 00:33:12,625 of his hair, a significant amount of his memories. 668 00:33:13,875 --> 00:33:18,458 But while Derek's recovering, he's at a friend's house 669 00:33:19,708 --> 00:33:22,667 and he's suddenly, inexorably drawn to a piano. 670 00:33:23,625 --> 00:33:27,000 (gentle piano music) 671 00:33:28,958 --> 00:33:31,458 - Now Derek has played a little guitar, 672 00:33:31,458 --> 00:33:33,250 but he's never trained on the piano. 673 00:33:34,125 --> 00:33:35,667 - And out of nowhere 674 00:33:35,667 --> 00:33:37,125 he just starts playing 675 00:33:37,125 --> 00:33:39,208 and it's not bad. 676 00:33:39,917 --> 00:33:41,125 In fact, it's quite good. 677 00:33:44,208 --> 00:33:47,708 - He describes actually seeing black and white bars 678 00:33:47,708 --> 00:33:52,042 in his head, announcing to him the notes to play. 679 00:33:52,042 --> 00:33:55,875 - [Dan] Soon Derek surrenders 680 00:33:55,875 --> 00:33:58,167 to this strange new gift. 681 00:33:58,167 --> 00:34:00,167 - If he starts humming a tune, 682 00:34:00,167 --> 00:34:03,125 Derek immediately sees the sheet music in his head, 683 00:34:03,125 --> 00:34:04,625 not just for the main instrument, 684 00:34:04,625 --> 00:34:07,208 but for a whole orchestra, for percussion and horns 685 00:34:07,208 --> 00:34:09,542 and everything else to fill out that melody 686 00:34:09,542 --> 00:34:12,500 and overnight becomes a fully fledged composer. 687 00:34:13,875 --> 00:34:16,083 - [Dan] But what exactly happened 688 00:34:16,083 --> 00:34:17,708 that fateful day to turn Derek 689 00:34:17,708 --> 00:34:19,167 into an overnight Beethoven? 690 00:34:19,167 --> 00:34:21,583 (gentle piano music) 691 00:34:23,667 --> 00:34:26,000 - So one of the hypotheses 692 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,125 is where the head injury 693 00:34:28,125 --> 00:34:30,583 inhibits the left hand side of the brain, 694 00:34:30,583 --> 00:34:32,625 which is the logical side of the brain, 695 00:34:32,625 --> 00:34:35,167 thereby allowing the right hand side of the brain, 696 00:34:35,167 --> 00:34:39,458 which is the more creative side to take over 697 00:34:39,458 --> 00:34:42,708 and to function without any limitations. 698 00:34:42,708 --> 00:34:44,542 - There's another theory that says the injury 699 00:34:44,542 --> 00:34:47,208 can release new neurotransmitters 700 00:34:47,208 --> 00:34:48,792 that create completely new pathways in the brain 701 00:34:48,792 --> 00:34:51,542 that allow you to develop these new skills. 702 00:34:51,542 --> 00:34:56,542 - It's also possible that he has an extremely rare condition 703 00:34:57,292 --> 00:34:59,542 called Acquired Savant Syndrome. 704 00:35:01,208 --> 00:35:05,542 There are no more than 30 cases reported in the world. 705 00:35:05,542 --> 00:35:07,417 - In most instances, the new 706 00:35:07,417 --> 00:35:09,375 ability is something numeric. 707 00:35:09,375 --> 00:35:10,125 Some people have a 708 00:35:10,125 --> 00:35:10,958 sudden ability to say 709 00:35:10,958 --> 00:35:13,000 what day of the week it 710 00:35:13,000 --> 00:35:14,875 was on July 15th, 1972. 711 00:35:14,875 --> 00:35:17,625 Other people become really, really good at math. 712 00:35:19,125 --> 00:35:20,542 - [Dan] Whatever happened in that instant 713 00:35:20,542 --> 00:35:24,333 one thing is certain Derek's life changed forever. 714 00:35:25,833 --> 00:35:28,125 - To this day, he is traveling the world performing music 715 00:35:28,125 --> 00:35:30,458 for audiences on a global scale. 716 00:35:30,458 --> 00:35:33,208 I don't know if there's a superhero called Savant, 717 00:35:33,208 --> 00:35:35,583 but if there was, it'd be this guy. 718 00:35:35,583 --> 00:35:38,458 - It's the biggest mystery we could ever imagine. 719 00:35:38,458 --> 00:35:40,583 I cannot wait to see what the science 720 00:35:40,583 --> 00:35:44,542 on this learns in the coming 10, 20, 50 years. 721 00:35:44,542 --> 00:35:47,250 I hope I am around when we figure the whole puzzle out. 722 00:35:47,250 --> 00:35:47,417 I hope I am around when we figure the whole puzzle out. 723 00:35:47,833 --> 00:35:49,792 I hope I am around when we figure the whole puzzle out.s) 724 00:35:55,375 --> 00:35:57,417 - We have seen humans with superior reflexes, 725 00:35:57,417 --> 00:35:59,833 extreme mental fortitude, unparalleled strength, 726 00:35:59,833 --> 00:36:04,417 incredible memory, and just plain, unbelievable talent. 727 00:36:04,417 --> 00:36:08,542 What happens if you combine all these gifts into one person, 728 00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:11,500 meet the Birdman. 729 00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:14,417 (pulsing electronic music) 730 00:36:17,542 --> 00:36:19,708 - Wingsuit flying is about mimicking flight, 731 00:36:20,833 --> 00:36:22,583 but also pushing it to the edge. 732 00:36:22,583 --> 00:36:25,208 - People call it wingsuit flying, 733 00:36:25,208 --> 00:36:27,042 but let's just be honest. 734 00:36:27,042 --> 00:36:30,333 It's a controlled drop, that's what it is. 735 00:36:32,125 --> 00:36:34,083 - It's not like a thing where, like, 736 00:36:34,083 --> 00:36:35,542 oh, on the weekend I'm gonna go 737 00:36:35,542 --> 00:36:36,917 wingsuit flying or something like that. 738 00:36:36,917 --> 00:36:38,500 It's like, no, you either do this 739 00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:40,042 to absolute perfection 740 00:36:40,042 --> 00:36:40,958 or you die. 741 00:36:40,958 --> 00:36:42,375 - [Dan] In fact, roughly 742 00:36:42,375 --> 00:36:43,958 one in 500 wingsuit jumps 743 00:36:43,958 --> 00:36:45,458 ends in death. 744 00:36:46,875 --> 00:36:48,792 - Wingsuit flying is no joke. 745 00:36:48,792 --> 00:36:50,458 It is a dangerous sport. 746 00:36:50,458 --> 00:36:54,583 There's been some years where dozens of people have died. 747 00:36:56,208 --> 00:36:59,458 - Jokke Sommer, AKA, the Birdman is perhaps 748 00:36:59,458 --> 00:37:02,208 the most talented wingsuit pilot alive 749 00:37:02,208 --> 00:37:06,125 and the fact that he is still alive is superhuman in itself. 750 00:37:06,125 --> 00:37:09,375 - Jokke is an adrenaline junkie from birth. 751 00:37:09,375 --> 00:37:13,750 As a child, Jokke loved snowboarding and launching off 752 00:37:13,750 --> 00:37:18,208 of big cliffs and jumps just to get that feeling of air 753 00:37:18,208 --> 00:37:19,542 and that sensation. 754 00:37:19,542 --> 00:37:20,583 - Snowboarding isn't enough for him. 755 00:37:20,583 --> 00:37:23,042 So now he takes up motocross. 756 00:37:23,042 --> 00:37:25,208 And he's taking off into the air. 757 00:37:25,208 --> 00:37:26,792 Still not enough. 758 00:37:26,792 --> 00:37:30,333 So now he graduates from motocross into skydiving. 759 00:37:30,333 --> 00:37:32,375 He's an obsessed skydiver. 760 00:37:32,375 --> 00:37:37,250 - Jokke does 250 skydives in his first two months. 761 00:37:38,250 --> 00:37:40,333 Two months? It's crazy. 762 00:37:40,333 --> 00:37:42,333 - [Dan] But again, not enough. 763 00:37:42,333 --> 00:37:45,542 Apparently jumping out of a plane is too tame. 764 00:37:45,542 --> 00:37:49,458 - It is not long before he is attempting wingsuit flying 765 00:37:49,458 --> 00:37:53,500 and a very specific genre of that which is proximity flying. 766 00:37:53,500 --> 00:37:55,458 It's an incredibly dangerous activity 767 00:37:55,458 --> 00:37:56,750 where you're actually testing yourself, 768 00:37:56,750 --> 00:37:58,833 how close can I get to these surfaces? 769 00:37:58,833 --> 00:38:01,875 - Just jumping and jumping safely is kind 770 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:03,625 of considered being a bit of a wussy. 771 00:38:03,625 --> 00:38:07,542 You have to fly as close as you can to the rocks, 772 00:38:07,542 --> 00:38:10,542 the cliffs and the trees of the terrain. 773 00:38:12,708 --> 00:38:15,500 I like watching it from the safe distance of my couch. 774 00:38:16,583 --> 00:38:17,958 - In 2010, he has his 775 00:38:17,958 --> 00:38:19,458 closest brush with death 776 00:38:19,542 --> 00:38:22,042 when a wind gust sends him too close 777 00:38:22,042 --> 00:38:23,542 to the surface he's flying near 778 00:38:24,708 --> 00:38:27,208 and he just barely adjusts his trajectory 779 00:38:27,208 --> 00:38:30,333 to escape crashing into these jagged rocks. 780 00:38:30,333 --> 00:38:32,750 - [Dan] At speeds of more than 120 miles an hour, 781 00:38:32,750 --> 00:38:35,000 Jokke has just milliseconds to make 782 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,708 life and death decisions. 783 00:38:36,708 --> 00:38:40,583 - There is a high fatality rate in this sport. 784 00:38:40,583 --> 00:38:44,792 Jokke has thousands and thousands of proximity flights 785 00:38:44,792 --> 00:38:45,875 without incident. 786 00:38:45,875 --> 00:38:49,000 It's as if he's a bird. He is superhuman. 787 00:38:51,625 --> 00:38:53,042 - [Dan] And when we thought humans 788 00:38:53,042 --> 00:38:56,875 couldn't get any more daring, someone ups the Birdman. 789 00:38:58,667 --> 00:39:01,000 - Despite the fact that Jokke Sommer is our closest thing 790 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:03,417 to Superman that we have, somebody is gunning 791 00:39:03,417 --> 00:39:05,208 for his extreme sport throne. 792 00:39:05,208 --> 00:39:07,583 And that guy is Luke Aikins. 793 00:39:09,333 --> 00:39:10,875 - Luke Aikins is nuts. 794 00:39:10,875 --> 00:39:12,833 I mean, what he pulls off in 2016 795 00:39:12,833 --> 00:39:15,625 is the ultimate skydiving commitment. 796 00:39:16,125 --> 00:39:17,917 - [Dan] On July 30th, 2016, 797 00:39:17,917 --> 00:39:19,792 Luke prepares to jump out 798 00:39:20,042 --> 00:39:23,917 of a plane flying 25,000 feet above Simi Valley, California 799 00:39:23,917 --> 00:39:28,583 and land in a net, all without a parachute. 800 00:39:29,500 --> 00:39:31,208 - My whole life's been dedicated to skydiving 801 00:39:31,208 --> 00:39:32,708 and pushing the boundaries. 802 00:39:32,708 --> 00:39:35,708 - It's a square net that stands 200 feet off the ground. 803 00:39:35,708 --> 00:39:38,208 It's a hundred foot by a hundred feet. 804 00:39:38,208 --> 00:39:40,542 - From five miles above the earth, 805 00:39:40,542 --> 00:39:43,375 you can't see a 100-by-100 net. 806 00:39:43,375 --> 00:39:46,333 So you literally are taking a leap of faith. 807 00:39:46,333 --> 00:39:48,708 This is a one and done. 808 00:39:48,708 --> 00:39:53,042 - [Dan] At 5:45 PM Luke jumps, beginning his descent 809 00:39:53,042 --> 00:39:56,750 towards superhuman glory or a tragic death. 810 00:39:56,750 --> 00:40:01,542 - There is zero room for error in a stunt like this. 811 00:40:02,917 --> 00:40:05,542 - By straightening his body or moving his arm slightly, 812 00:40:05,542 --> 00:40:08,917 he can adjust his trajectory, but he is hurtling 813 00:40:08,917 --> 00:40:12,542 through space, which means that the smallest correction 814 00:40:13,417 --> 00:40:15,458 can send him miles off course. 815 00:40:17,042 --> 00:40:19,042 - The two companions that are diving with him 816 00:40:19,042 --> 00:40:23,125 pull their rip cords, and now it's just him. 817 00:40:25,667 --> 00:40:28,500 - [Dan] As he nears his target at 120 miles an hour, 818 00:40:28,500 --> 00:40:31,875 there's one final thing that he must pull off. 819 00:40:31,875 --> 00:40:34,500 - Just before he hits the net he has to flip himself over 820 00:40:34,500 --> 00:40:37,708 in order to land properly so that his back 821 00:40:37,708 --> 00:40:39,500 doesn't bend the wrong way. 822 00:40:39,500 --> 00:40:41,417 - If he comes straight into it, 823 00:40:41,417 --> 00:40:43,417 the impact will snap his spine in half. 824 00:40:45,208 --> 00:40:49,083 - For me, it was terrifying and I still have trouble 825 00:40:49,083 --> 00:40:49,833 watching it. 826 00:40:59,083 --> 00:41:02,083 (cheering and pulsing music) 827 00:41:02,083 --> 00:41:04,542 That's the new bar. You can never go back. 828 00:41:04,542 --> 00:41:06,292 - This is a superhuman achievement 829 00:41:06,292 --> 00:41:09,292 accomplished by a normal human being. 830 00:41:09,292 --> 00:41:12,125 And yet you could almost tear this from a comic book. 831 00:41:12,125 --> 00:41:14,875 It's that incredible. 832 00:41:14,875 --> 00:41:17,625 - Some amongst us push the limits of what's possible, 833 00:41:17,625 --> 00:41:21,375 whether it's through strength, power of the mind, 834 00:41:21,375 --> 00:41:23,958 pure talent or unshakeable courage, 835 00:41:25,292 --> 00:41:28,125 all of these super humans are truly unbelievable.