Ben on Ueli Gegenschatz: Fulfilling the dream of flight in a high-tech wingsui

Talk:
Ueli Gegenschatz: Fulfilling the dream of flight in a high-tech wingsui


Brief Synopsis:
Ueli talks about his experiences in all sorts of freefall methods--paragliding, skydiving, base-jumping, and his latest--wing-suit diving. He talks briefly about the progression from one method to the next, pushing limits by using physical preparation, developing new equipment, and mental preparation.

There is a 3 minute sequence of video towards the end of some of the events described, and a rather lengthly wing-suit dive, which Ueli calls "probably the closest thing possible to flying"


Ben on Ueli:
I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was interesting to see the progression of techniques and the knowledge and skill developed. It was also interesting to see the complete calmness in each one of the base jumps; he has complete comfort from experience, and that's relatable. We all have that for different things.

On the other hand, I thought parts of the talk were very self-congratulatory. I felt like sometimes the goal was simply to create a sense of awe in the viewer, and I never appreciate that. To me, awe is one of the worst emotions to evoke--it creates a distance between the speaker and the listener, and instead of feeling the possibility and probability of how something comes to be, the audience is asked to feel the IMpossibility of it. It all goes against this sense of understanding, progression, and preparation. And I think it happens a lot in many domains.

Lastly, I had to wonder (once again) what it means to be human. This guy has these experiences, and many of us can't have them. We get something from watching a video of someone else doing it. We could get something from a simulation of the same thing. I guess, what makes this guy's endeavor anything interesting to the rest of us? How important is personal experience vs. living "through" others? And as we start to really understand reward systems in the brain and think about taking control of them, what becomes the purpose of hard work and life? Hard questions that scientists surely aren't addressing, and that I don't trust any philosopher to tackle in any meaningful way.

Personally, I think we'll need to start making definitions of what it is to be human, what it is to lead a meaningful life, and incorporate those into our social structure. The way things are now, I feel that technology is integrated tightly with a consumer culture where the status quo is too much individuality, selfishness, and personal greed. It's a dangerous combination--allowing ourselves to take away most avenues of meaning, and in its staid placing a culture of selfish endeavors and ownership. I don't see a happy end if that paths continues.


Takeaway:
Not much!


Rating: ***