Alex Honnold Scales Taipei 101 Without Ropes
American rock climber Alex Honnold recently upped the ante with a daring climb in Taipei, Taiwan.
On January 25th, he ascended the Taipei 101 skyscraper—without any ropes or safety gear—a feat that was livestreamed on Netflix.
Honnold made it to the top, which consists of 101 stories, in just 1 hour and 31 minutes. Once he reached the summit, he celebrated by waving his arms in triumph, later describing the view as “amazing,” despite the windy conditions.
Throughout his career, Honnold has tackled significant mountain ranges across the United States and even the vast sea cliffs of Greenland, which are reportedly three times taller than the Empire State Building.
In a study conducted in 2016, neuroscientist Jane Joseph scanned Honnold’s brain to explore his motivations for such risky climbs. The aim was to understand his unique psychological profile.
According to a Nautilus report, Joseph’s team discovered that Honnold’s amygdala showed minimal activity when exposed to images that typically evoke feelings of fear or stress. The report noted that there was virtually no activity in Honnold’s brain’s fear center.
When the researchers switched tactics, introducing a reward-based task, they found that normatively, the brain scans of control subjects showed vibrant responses. In Honnold’s case, however, his brain appeared “black and white and lifeless,” with activity only noted in regions concerning visual processing—indicating a calm focus.
Honnold himself remarked, “There’s not much going on in my brain. It doesn’t do anything.”
Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist in California, has not personally scanned Honnold’s brain but specializes in brain imaging for extreme athletes. He noted that brain scans of such individuals often reveal reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a role in impulse control and fear management.
Amen explained that the brains of thrill-seekers are less prone to fear, often reacting more to challenges and new experiences. He added that these individuals tend to have more active dopamine pathways, leading them to seek high-stimulation situations.
“For them, high stimulation feels almost necessary to stay engaged,” he stated, noting that many people exhibit lower amygdala reactivity, meaning typical fear-inducing scenarios don’t provoke the same level of alarm.
Amen emphasized that individuals like Honnold possess “superior top-down control.” This means their prefrontal cortex remains functioning and organized under stress, allowing them to focus and make decisions even in high-pressure situations.
Interestingly, while Honnold’s brain manages fear circuits effectively, most people’s brains tend to overreact to perceived risks, which can limit performance in extreme situations.
Amen concluded that while the average brain prioritizes safety, the brains of extreme athletes are characterized by better control during stress and an ability to channel adrenaline into organized focus rather than panic.
