Walk the line

Estonian athlete Jaan Roose recently completed a jaw-dropping slackline display, performing daredevil tricks 120 metres above the streets of central Seoul, South Korea.

This exciting event by a world champion slackliner got the Unexpected Elements team thinking about risk-taking, acrobatics and skyscrapers.

First up, we discover that there may be anatomical differences in the brains of people who engage in risky behaviour. Next, we find out more about the engineering that keeps skyscrapers stable.

We then speak with Dr Lucia Jacobs, who spent years studying the acrobatic skills and cognition of the squirrels at the University of California, Berkeley.

We also learn about the dances of the Maasai, why spiders don’t get stuck in their own webs, and how high an insect can fly.

All that, plus many more Unexpected Elements.

Presenter: Marnie Chesterton, with Andrada Fiscutean and Michael Kaloki Producers: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell, with Ella Hubber and Robbie Wojciechowski