Dr. Michael Garton's talk draws on his life experiences as a former solo climber (before being paralyzed by an accident) and delves into the bizarre human impulse that makes some of us want to leave the security and predictability of familiar environments, and venture into the terrifying unknown – often just for the fun of it. Professor Garton draws on his experiences both as a climber and a scientist to bring colour to the idea. Michael Garton is professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering (IBBME). His talk draws on his life experiences as a former solo climber (before being paralyzed by an accident) and a researcher to delve into the human impulse to leave the security of familiar environments and venture into the unknown. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx