Conquering Fear with Alex Honnold
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
About time we revisited neuroscience. Yeah. Of fear. Fear is the mind killer. Yeah, we got the guy who was featured in Free Solo. Yeah. Not dying, ascending that cliff face. Yes. Coming up on StarTalk Special Edition. Welcome to StarTalk. Your place in the universe where science and pop culture collide. StarTalk begins right now. This is StarTalk Special Edition. Neil deGrasse Tyson, your personal astrophysicist. And when it's Special Edition, it is Gary O'Reilly. Hey, Neil. Hey, man. Chuck, how you doing? Professional comedian? Yes, sir. All right, dude. Feeling good, man. All right. So, Gary, you cook these topics up. Got a good one. I'm impressed every time. Yeah, man. Tell us what you brought us.
Got to give a shout out to Lane Unsworth over in LA. All right, so getting to the top, reaching the summit, they are goals for millions, maybe if not billions of people daily around the world.
Yes. Either literal or figurative summits.
Totally, yes. But not all of us can get over our fears to reach it. But then there are some of us who can. So we've got to think about that. Today, we're going to talk about the science of fear. Yes, the science of fear. I like that. And how we can change it.
The neuroscience of fear.
Of course. And change our brains to overcome it. And who better to discuss that with a neuroscientist and a freestyle rock climber. Plus, I want to find out about his podcast.
What's it called? Planet Visionaries.
Yes, it's with Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiatives.
Okay, we'll find out more about that. Yes. So, Neil, please introduce our first guest. I will be delighted to. We have in our midst, sitting right here in my office at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, we have world-renowned freestyle climber, oh my gosh, Alex. Alex Hanold. Alex, welcome to StarTalk.
Thanks. Thanks for having me.
I mean, everyone learned about you through the indelible film Free Solo on a climb that you did of El Capitan. Yes. This is a mountain in Yosemite.
How does Alex Honnold define free solo climbing?
Yeah. Could you just explain what Free Solo means?
So before you do that, let me just say, because I don't think we gave Alex the proper reverence This guy is the best climber in the world that we have sitting here. Like, there is no one better. You understand what I'm saying? Like, he's a rock star. And what I love is he's like, yeah, whatever. You know, I just like to climb stuff. Wait, wait, he's a rock star? Ah, did you see what I did there? I see what you did there. You weren't supposed to point it out.
So explain what it means. Yeah, so free solo climbing is climbing without a rope or harness, just climb with your hands and feet up a cliff.
So no extra tools or clips or hammers or safety net.
Which means if we think things through just a little bit. Yeah, if you fall, you die. Thank you. Thank you. I didn't want to say it because I didn't want to be my car.
Because if free solo equals you fall, you die.
Yeah, basically.
Yeah.
Unless you trip in the first five feet. Well, that's exactly. Well, I was actually, because if you fall and you don't die, then you were bouldering. Right. Because that actually is another discipline of climbing is going bouldering, which is what most people do in gyms, which I'm actually going to do in the gym here in New York as soon as we're done chatting.
Right.
Go to the gym and go bouldering to train. And so that's when you climb without a rope and everything as well, but you're climbing 10 or 15 feet, you fall onto pads, it's all safe.
Right.
But basically, if you go much beyond that and you're looking at serious consequences. The laws of physics will kill you. Yeah, then you're free-sailing. Wow. Free-sailing is kind of defined once you cross that line where you have serious consequences.
Can't play with that guy.
So I've had a few rock climber friends in my life, one of whom is dead.
What mental state is required for successful rock climbing?
In a climbing accident? Yes, in a climbing accident back in college. What impressed me was the things they could do they were kind of lean and lanky. So just like you can do one arm push-ups and finger pull-ups. Just tell me the kinds of things you can do that most of us can't or none of us can.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–2:16
2
How does Alex Honnold define free solo climbing?
2:16–3:55
3
What mental state is required for successful rock climbing?
3:55–6:23
4
How can fear be managed during high-risk activities?
6:23–9:54
5
What role does the amygdala play in fear responses?
9:54–12:35
6
How can we train ourselves to overcome fears?
12:35–14:51
7
What is the significance of preparation in risk-taking?
14:51–17:28
8
How does Alex Honnold apply his experiences to broader life lessons?
17:28–57:40