The Fearless Brain of Alex Honnold

(Originally aired: June 17, 2017) Guest: Jane Joseph, PhD, Professor of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina The world’s best rock climber, Alex Honnold, does free solo climbing. Meaning no net, no safety gear. Last June, he climbed the face of Yosemite’s El Capitan in less than four hours, with nothing but his fingers, his toes and a bag of chalk clipped to his belt. Many, many people have wondered over the years if Alex Honnold is even capable of feeling fear. Is there something wrong with his brain that makes it so he can do these insanely risky things?