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My search for superhumans has brought me here, to Hollywood. | 0:00:18 | 0:00:21 | |
But where I'm going is a world away | 0:00:21 | 0:00:22 | |
from the bright lights of the movies, | 0:00:22 | 0:00:24 | |
cos I'm going into the darkness. | 0:00:24 | 0:00:27 | |
It's really dark down here and really creepy. | 0:00:29 | 0:00:31 | |
And if I didn't have my torch I'd probably | 0:00:31 | 0:00:33 | |
bang my head on one of these jagged rocks. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:35 | |
To see down here without any light at all, you'd need some sort | 0:00:35 | 0:00:39 | |
of incredible night vision or the powers of a superhero. | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
'A superhero like Daredevil! | 0:00:43 | 0:00:45 | |
'Though blind, Daredevil's incredible sonar sense gives him | 0:00:45 | 0:00:49 | |
'powers far beyond sighted people.' | 0:00:49 | 0:00:52 | |
Well, I've heard of a real-life Daredevil! | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
A blind man who defies science! | 0:00:54 | 0:00:56 | |
A man who uses an ability that we thought | 0:00:56 | 0:00:58 | |
only existed in the animal kingdom. | 0:00:58 | 0:01:01 | |
After losing his sight completely as a child, | 0:01:02 | 0:01:06 | |
American Juan Ruiz did something amazing. | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
With incredible determination, he set out to teach himself | 0:01:08 | 0:01:12 | |
to see with sound just like bats and dolphins do. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
Juan's astonishing ability is way beyond human capabilities, | 0:01:16 | 0:01:19 | |
so is Juan a real-life superhuman? | 0:01:19 | 0:01:22 | |
And here he is. It's a pleasure to meet you. | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
It's a great pleasure to meet you as well. | 0:01:26 | 0:01:28 | |
Can I turn off this light as ask you to navigate us | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
out of here? | 0:01:31 | 0:01:32 | |
I had no idea you even had a light. | 0:01:32 | 0:01:34 | |
Because you're completely blind, is that right? | 0:01:34 | 0:01:36 | |
That's correct. I do not see anything at all | 0:01:36 | 0:01:38 | |
because what I have actually done is | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
I have trained my brain to see by using sound. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:44 | |
That's absolutely incredible. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:45 | |
-I'm going to turn it off now. There we go. -All right! | 0:01:45 | 0:01:48 | |
-Now you get us out of here. -Excellent! Follow me. -OK. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:51 | |
-Juan, you've got me back outside again. That's good news. -Sure is. | 0:01:54 | 0:01:57 | |
Now what I'd like to do is I'd like to ask you to take part | 0:01:57 | 0:02:00 | |
in three super tests to test your superhuman abilities. | 0:02:00 | 0:02:03 | |
A superhuman versus... | 0:02:03 | 0:02:05 | |
Well, it's me...versus me. You on for that? | 0:02:05 | 0:02:08 | |
Oh, I'm excited! Let's do it! | 0:02:08 | 0:02:10 | |
-OK, let's get started. -Let's do it. | 0:02:10 | 0:02:12 | |
This is Dr Megan John, she's an expedition doctor | 0:02:12 | 0:02:15 | |
and has kept people alive in some of the most dangerous environments. | 0:02:15 | 0:02:19 | |
She's devised three super tests to discover how Tim | 0:02:21 | 0:02:24 | |
and Juan react differently without their eyesight. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:27 | |
For Super Test One, Dr Megan has brought Tim | 0:02:30 | 0:02:33 | |
and Juan to Los Angeles, California. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:35 | |
It's the home of Hollywood, | 0:02:35 | 0:02:36 | |
where the biggest movies on the planet are made, | 0:02:36 | 0:02:39 | |
and a city where the sun always shines. | 0:02:39 | 0:02:41 | |
But it's fair to say that this test has a real dark side. | 0:02:41 | 0:02:44 | |
So, guys, for my Super Test One, | 0:02:44 | 0:02:46 | |
I've brought you to this real life Hollywood film studio. | 0:02:46 | 0:02:50 | |
-Wow! -Awesome | 0:02:50 | 0:02:52 | |
I want to see how the two of you manage to navigate your way around | 0:02:52 | 0:02:55 | |
-in complete darkness. -Oh, that sounds easy! | 0:02:55 | 0:02:57 | |
It's not quite as simple as it seems. | 0:02:57 | 0:02:59 | |
Oh, it never is. | 0:02:59 | 0:03:00 | |
It certainly isn't, | 0:03:02 | 0:03:03 | |
because they'll have to get from one side of this special Hollywood set | 0:03:03 | 0:03:06 | |
to the other in total darkness and without touching any of the props. | 0:03:06 | 0:03:10 | |
Moving around in complete darkness can be extremely dangerous. | 0:03:10 | 0:03:14 | |
Now there aren't any Hollywood super-villains hiding in there, | 0:03:14 | 0:03:18 | |
but any obstacle in the dark can do serious damage | 0:03:18 | 0:03:21 | |
and these props are almost impossible to avoid without sight. | 0:03:21 | 0:03:25 | |
Some are low while others are hanging from the ceiling. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:28 | |
Tim and Juan are at risk of tripping and falling, | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
so they'll need helmets and padding. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:34 | |
But that's not all Dr Megan is going to ask them to wear. | 0:03:34 | 0:03:37 | |
OK, so, Tim, so when you've put on all your safety equipment, | 0:03:37 | 0:03:40 | |
I'm going to be fitting the two of you with your blindfolds. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:42 | |
Oh, but I have my permanent blindfold on already. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:45 | |
Unfortunately, this is a scientific experiment | 0:03:45 | 0:03:47 | |
so anything I do to Tim, I also need to do the same to you. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:50 | |
All right, that makes sense. | 0:03:50 | 0:03:51 | |
I'm going to be recording three pieces of data. I'll be timing you, | 0:03:51 | 0:03:54 | |
seeing how long it takes you to complete the challenge, | 0:03:54 | 0:03:57 | |
I'll also be recording how many objects you knock into. | 0:03:57 | 0:04:00 | |
And finally, I'm interested in seeing how hard your brain is having to work | 0:04:00 | 0:04:04 | |
to complete this test, | 0:04:04 | 0:04:05 | |
so I'll be fitting the two of you with these special headbands | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
which will record the electrical waves that your brain sends out. | 0:04:08 | 0:04:11 | |
-Are you both ready to go? -Yes! -Yeah! Yeah, let's do it. -OK. | 0:04:11 | 0:04:14 | |
When you're plunged into total darkness, your first instinct | 0:04:15 | 0:04:19 | |
is to use touch to navigate, so you'll stretch out your arms | 0:04:19 | 0:04:23 | |
to feel for things in front of you. You'll become scared | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
and disorientated and you'll walk in circles. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
Because your eyes help you balance, you'll begin to walk | 0:04:29 | 0:04:32 | |
in a crouching position to be lower to the ground in case you fall. | 0:04:32 | 0:04:36 | |
You could fall or bump into things | 0:04:36 | 0:04:38 | |
and get a nasty cut or bruise yourself on a hard object. | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
The worst case is that you could hit your head, | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
and develop concussion and concussion can be fatal. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
Because there's no light in the room, we're filming this test | 0:04:47 | 0:04:50 | |
with special cameras that can see in the dark. | 0:04:50 | 0:04:53 | |
OK, Tim, in you go. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:56 | |
OK, Super Test One, find the curtain. | 0:04:56 | 0:05:00 | |
Oh! Oh! That's a funny old thing. | 0:05:00 | 0:05:03 | |
That's, er, obviously an inflatable thing. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
Not a good start for Tim who enters the room | 0:05:06 | 0:05:08 | |
and immediately collides with an inflatable column. | 0:05:08 | 0:05:11 | |
Ow! That's something else. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:12 | |
So he's put his arms out and he's feeling his way around | 0:05:12 | 0:05:16 | |
to try and give him some more idea of where he's going. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:19 | |
Going forward now. | 0:05:19 | 0:05:21 | |
Ow! Something else! What was that? | 0:05:21 | 0:05:23 | |
I'm hearing something | 0:05:23 | 0:05:24 | |
Oh, now that's gone. | 0:05:24 | 0:05:26 | |
Because Tim can't see, he's relying more heavily | 0:05:26 | 0:05:29 | |
on his ears picking up sounds from the room around him. | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
Sound reaches the ears in waves which are channelled inside your ear | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
by the bit on the outside called the pinna. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:39 | |
Once inside your ear, | 0:05:40 | 0:05:41 | |
the sound waves hit your eardrum, making it vibrate. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:45 | |
These vibrations travel to your inner ear, | 0:05:45 | 0:05:48 | |
which sends signals to the brain. | 0:05:48 | 0:05:51 | |
Your brain then works out what the sound is and where it's coming from. | 0:05:51 | 0:05:55 | |
Sound waves bounce off hard surfaces, | 0:05:55 | 0:05:58 | |
which is why we can hear echoes, | 0:05:58 | 0:05:59 | |
especially in places with hard walls. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:01 | |
So how is Tim getting on without his sight? | 0:06:04 | 0:06:06 | |
There's something there. That's another one of those crazy columns. | 0:06:06 | 0:06:09 | |
He's looking a little bit confused. | 0:06:09 | 0:06:12 | |
That can't be the first column, can it? | 0:06:12 | 0:06:14 | |
He's quite disorientated by this experiment. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:16 | |
Oh, that's something there. | 0:06:16 | 0:06:19 | |
That's a small...foam...cube! | 0:06:19 | 0:06:23 | |
Tim is supposed to be avoiding the obstacles, | 0:06:23 | 0:06:26 | |
but instead he's touching all of them. | 0:06:26 | 0:06:28 | |
What's that? | 0:06:28 | 0:06:29 | |
Ah! That's balloons! | 0:06:29 | 0:06:31 | |
He's also lowering his centre of gravity, spreading his legs out, | 0:06:31 | 0:06:34 | |
to keep himself stable. | 0:06:34 | 0:06:36 | |
Ah, that's a corner. I've hit a corner in the room. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:39 | |
Right, that's not a good sign. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:41 | |
Let's just try and let's try and work this out. | 0:06:41 | 0:06:43 | |
So, Tim's really disorientated, | 0:06:43 | 0:06:45 | |
he's actually quite near the finish point but he's got no idea any more, | 0:06:45 | 0:06:48 | |
so he's kind of walking back into the middle of the room. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:52 | |
I could just be going round in circles. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:55 | |
Your eyesight is extremely important for you to work out | 0:06:55 | 0:06:58 | |
where you are and which direction you're going in. | 0:06:58 | 0:07:01 | |
As you pass objects, your eyes send images to the visual cortex | 0:07:01 | 0:07:05 | |
in your brain, where they are placed on a mental map. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:09 | |
When you turn left or right, your brain uses objects you can see, | 0:07:09 | 0:07:12 | |
to work out how much you've turned. | 0:07:12 | 0:07:15 | |
But without your eyesight, your brain finds it difficult | 0:07:15 | 0:07:17 | |
to tell how far you have turned or whether you have been there before. | 0:07:17 | 0:07:21 | |
Hmm! I wonder if Tim's managed to get his bearings yet? | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
That's another wall, that's not a curtain. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:28 | |
Ow! | 0:07:28 | 0:07:29 | |
There's that rock again, hang on. | 0:07:29 | 0:07:31 | |
Tim is now back at the start, but will he even notice? | 0:07:32 | 0:07:36 | |
There's another... | 0:07:36 | 0:07:38 | |
Either that's the same rock again or I really am going round in circles. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:44 | |
He's now right back at the beginning where he started from. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:48 | |
Now this is where I came in. | 0:07:48 | 0:07:50 | |
I think he's probably feeling a bit disappointed. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:52 | |
OK, let's try this again. I'm going round the rock...forward. | 0:07:52 | 0:07:58 | |
The longer he goes without hitting an obstacle, | 0:07:58 | 0:08:01 | |
because he knows I've put obstacles in there, | 0:08:01 | 0:08:03 | |
it's almost like the more apprehensive he gets. | 0:08:03 | 0:08:06 | |
There's the ball. | 0:08:06 | 0:08:07 | |
When he reaches an obstacle, particularly one he's seen before, | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
his brainwave activity does go a bit lower. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:13 | |
The longer Tim's in the room, | 0:08:13 | 0:08:15 | |
the more this becomes an experiment about how good his memory is, | 0:08:15 | 0:08:18 | |
rather than how good he is at using his senses. | 0:08:18 | 0:08:21 | |
Oh, wow! That's a tree. I've not found that before. | 0:08:21 | 0:08:23 | |
You can see that as soon as that happened, | 0:08:23 | 0:08:26 | |
brainwave activity went up. | 0:08:26 | 0:08:27 | |
As soon as he knows it's a safe thing that's not going to hurt him, | 0:08:27 | 0:08:30 | |
it relaxes back down again. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:32 | |
TIM EXHALES | 0:08:32 | 0:08:33 | |
Oh, that's new as well. | 0:08:35 | 0:08:36 | |
That's a fairly solid object. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
When he hit the rock, there as a peak in brainwave activity. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
He's reached a road sign, there was another peak. | 0:08:43 | 0:08:46 | |
OK, so this is an area we've not been in before. | 0:08:46 | 0:08:48 | |
He doesn't realise it, but the finish is just one step to his left now. | 0:08:48 | 0:08:53 | |
That's a curtain! | 0:08:55 | 0:08:56 | |
He's just hit the end, so I'm just going to get him out. | 0:08:56 | 0:08:58 | |
Now is that a different curtain? | 0:08:58 | 0:09:00 | |
Tim, it's the right curtain! | 0:09:00 | 0:09:01 | |
-It's the right curtain! -It's the right curtain! | 0:09:01 | 0:09:04 | |
I've made it! I've found the curtain. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:06 | |
-You've made it! -How exciting is that?! | 0:09:06 | 0:09:07 | |
I think I went round in circles a lot. | 0:09:07 | 0:09:09 | |
-I'm going to take your blindfold off, OK? -OK. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:12 | |
Now the bright lights will be a bit much for you to get used to. | 0:09:12 | 0:09:14 | |
Might have to take a second on that. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
-Keep your eyes closed for a second. -Ow! | 0:09:16 | 0:09:18 | |
That's not very nice. | 0:09:18 | 0:09:19 | |
Oh, wow! That's really bright, isn't it? | 0:09:19 | 0:09:22 | |
Oh-h! | 0:09:23 | 0:09:24 | |
Oh, I'm there. There we go, I can see you now. | 0:09:26 | 0:09:30 | |
Tim did indeed walk around in circles. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:32 | |
He took seven minutes to cross the room and touched 30 objects. | 0:09:32 | 0:09:34 | |
'Oh, that's new as well!' | 0:09:34 | 0:09:36 | |
The results of Megan's mind-band showed that Tim found | 0:09:36 | 0:09:39 | |
the whole experience challenging and disorientating. | 0:09:39 | 0:09:43 | |
Juan is up next. | 0:09:43 | 0:09:44 | |
Will he be able to use his amazing abilities | 0:09:44 | 0:09:46 | |
to complete this challenge? | 0:09:46 | 0:09:48 | |
OK, in you go! | 0:09:48 | 0:09:49 | |
All right, well, I know two things about what I'm about to do, | 0:09:50 | 0:09:53 | |
and that is I'm going through one curtain | 0:09:53 | 0:09:56 | |
and then coming out on the other end through another curtain. | 0:09:56 | 0:09:59 | |
Immediately Juan starts making a clicking noise. | 0:10:06 | 0:10:09 | |
And, incredibly, ducks under a lampshade | 0:10:09 | 0:10:12 | |
as if he could see it, but he can't! | 0:10:12 | 0:10:16 | |
Is this noise something to do with Juan's Super Human skills? | 0:10:16 | 0:10:19 | |
Now remember, Juan hasn't even seen any of these obstacles either. | 0:10:19 | 0:10:22 | |
Tim was frightened that the obstacles were going to hurt him. | 0:10:22 | 0:10:25 | |
Juan's walking around quite quickly | 0:10:25 | 0:10:28 | |
That doesn't sound like a curtain! | 0:10:28 | 0:10:30 | |
Juan cannot see the wall and has not touched it, | 0:10:30 | 0:10:32 | |
yet he knows it's not a curtain. | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
How is he doing this? | 0:10:35 | 0:10:36 | |
You'll notice that the most obvious difference between his approach | 0:10:36 | 0:10:40 | |
and Tim's is that Tim immediately put his hands up to protect himself. | 0:10:40 | 0:10:43 | |
Juan's got his hands down by his side and is very relaxed. | 0:10:43 | 0:10:47 | |
Fine, fine, fine... | 0:10:47 | 0:10:49 | |
He's just made the curtain, I'm going to go and get him out. | 0:10:53 | 0:10:56 | |
Juan completed Super Test One in an incredible 1 minute 50 seconds | 0:10:56 | 0:11:00 | |
and touched only one object. | 0:11:00 | 0:11:03 | |
Remember, it took Tim five minutes longer and he touched 30 objects. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:07 | |
Juan's mindband results show that he found this ridiculously easy. | 0:11:07 | 0:11:11 | |
So how is he doing it? | 0:11:11 | 0:11:13 | |
When you stepped into the room you paused for a moment | 0:11:13 | 0:11:16 | |
and started making these funny noises. What was that? | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
I was clicking, I was making a click sound, just... | 0:11:19 | 0:11:22 | |
CLICKS | 0:11:22 | 0:11:23 | |
..so that I could get my orientation | 0:11:23 | 0:11:25 | |
because that click bounces off the walls | 0:11:25 | 0:11:28 | |
that are all over the room so that I get the dimensions of the room. | 0:11:28 | 0:11:32 | |
What Juan is describing is something called echolocation | 0:11:33 | 0:11:36 | |
and it's a way of using sound waves to see | 0:11:36 | 0:11:39 | |
just as bats and dolphins do. | 0:11:39 | 0:11:42 | |
When you make a noise, the sound waves come out of your mouth | 0:11:42 | 0:11:44 | |
and spread all around you. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:47 | |
They hit objects and are bounced back to your ears. | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
Like this - these are called echoes. | 0:11:50 | 0:11:53 | |
Your brain usually ignores the echoes from your own voice, | 0:11:53 | 0:11:56 | |
but Juan's brain is different. | 0:11:56 | 0:11:59 | |
Juan has learnt to use echoes from his clicking noise | 0:11:59 | 0:12:02 | |
to work out where objects are and what shape they are. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:06 | |
Every click allows Juan to see an object with his ears | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
but only while the echo lasts. | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
Being in the dark for even ten minutes really affected my eyes. | 0:12:14 | 0:12:19 | |
So imagine how your eyes would cope after months in the darkness. | 0:12:19 | 0:12:23 | |
Tragedy struck 33 miners in Chile, when a tunnel collapsed, | 0:12:23 | 0:12:28 | |
trapping them 700 metres underground. | 0:12:28 | 0:12:31 | |
They were sent food and water so they could survive, | 0:12:31 | 0:12:34 | |
but living in constant darkness can make you feel very depressed. | 0:12:34 | 0:12:38 | |
The miners needed to keep to a daily routine so they knew | 0:12:38 | 0:12:41 | |
when to go to bed and when to get up without sunlight. | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
They also sang songs to keep their spirits up. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:47 | |
After two months, rescue teams were able to lift them out. | 0:12:47 | 0:12:51 | |
The miners wore sunglasses for several days afterwards | 0:12:51 | 0:12:54 | |
to protect their eyes while they adjusted to the daylight. | 0:12:54 | 0:12:57 | |
For the second Super Test, Dr Megan has taken Tim and Juan | 0:12:59 | 0:13:03 | |
out of Hollywood down to one of the busiest piers in the world | 0:13:03 | 0:13:07 | |
at Santa Monica. | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
For my Super Test Two, | 0:13:10 | 0:13:11 | |
I want to study Juan's echolocating abilities still further. | 0:13:11 | 0:13:14 | |
So I want to see if the two of you can identify objects | 0:13:14 | 0:13:18 | |
when you go past them just by using the way they reflect soundwaves. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:22 | |
And I want to see how you do that in a real live situation. | 0:13:22 | 0:13:25 | |
In this Super Test, Juan and Tim will have | 0:13:29 | 0:13:32 | |
to correctly identify five objects on the pier | 0:13:32 | 0:13:35 | |
and once again they will be blindfolded. | 0:13:35 | 0:13:38 | |
These objects will be big, small, hard and soft. | 0:13:38 | 0:13:41 | |
So Tim is going to need some help. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:43 | |
Go ahead and click. | 0:13:44 | 0:13:46 | |
That's really gone | 0:13:53 | 0:13:54 | |
and it's not just because it's down below, I can really... | 0:13:54 | 0:13:57 | |
It's gone, it's not there. | 0:13:57 | 0:13:59 | |
It's not at the face level where it's at now. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:01 | |
The sound is not bouncing directly off of it. | 0:14:01 | 0:14:05 | |
When you are clicking, you really can feel | 0:14:05 | 0:14:08 | |
that there's something coming back at you but when it's not there, | 0:14:08 | 0:14:12 | |
I know there's nothing coming back at me | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
Tim's beginning to get the hang of it | 0:14:15 | 0:14:17 | |
but there is still a great danger that he will get a nasty bump | 0:14:17 | 0:14:20 | |
from a hard object. There's enough noise and bustle out there | 0:14:20 | 0:14:24 | |
to really confuse him. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:26 | |
From Super Test One, I saw how incredible, Juan, | 0:14:26 | 0:14:29 | |
your ability to avoid bumping into things was, | 0:14:29 | 0:14:31 | |
so I don't think you need to do this test in protective gear. | 0:14:31 | 0:14:34 | |
Tim. You on the other hand - full safety equipment. | 0:14:34 | 0:14:38 | |
OK. | 0:14:38 | 0:14:40 | |
We've asked Tim and Juan to identify exactly the same objects | 0:14:40 | 0:14:45 | |
along one of the busiest piers in the world, | 0:14:45 | 0:14:47 | |
just from the way they sound. Tim is up first. | 0:14:47 | 0:14:50 | |
Stop where you are. OK, now slightly to your right | 0:14:50 | 0:14:53 | |
is the object I'd like you to try and identify. | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
Yeah, that's there. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:01 | |
I've touched that with my elbow. | 0:15:01 | 0:15:04 | |
Unable to find the position quick enough, | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
Tim has touched the bin before he's even clicked. | 0:15:07 | 0:15:10 | |
Tim will not be allowed to guess this one. | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
Normally, to identify an object you'd use sight. | 0:15:15 | 0:15:18 | |
As well as that you'd use your other senses - smell, touch and hearing. | 0:15:18 | 0:15:22 | |
I've taken away his sight which is the easiest one to use, | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
so Tim's exhibiting exactly what I would expect | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
a normal human reaction to be. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:29 | |
To try to utilise all the other senses. | 0:15:29 | 0:15:31 | |
He can't help but put his hands out | 0:15:31 | 0:15:34 | |
to use feel and touch to give him an idea. | 0:15:34 | 0:15:37 | |
Who can blame him? Touch is one of our most important senses after all. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:42 | |
Your skin is covered in nerve cells called receptors | 0:15:43 | 0:15:47 | |
that send messages to your brain | 0:15:47 | 0:15:48 | |
whenever your skin touches something. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:51 | |
There are three types of receptors. | 0:15:51 | 0:15:53 | |
Some for temperature, some for pressure and some for pain. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
When you touch an object with your fingers, | 0:15:57 | 0:15:59 | |
your pressure sensors can help you decide if is hard or soft | 0:15:59 | 0:16:03 | |
and what shape it is. | 0:16:03 | 0:16:04 | |
Your temperature sensors tell you if the object is hot or cold. | 0:16:04 | 0:16:08 | |
This is how you can tell what things are made of. | 0:16:08 | 0:16:10 | |
Now it's time for Juan's go at the bin. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
Even though he is totally blind, | 0:16:15 | 0:16:17 | |
Juan has agreed to wear the blindfold again, | 0:16:17 | 0:16:19 | |
just to keep the test the same for him and Tim. | 0:16:19 | 0:16:23 | |
Oh, my gosh. All right so let's listen to this thing, | 0:16:25 | 0:16:28 | |
see what it is. | 0:16:28 | 0:16:30 | |
Ooh, wow. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:32 | |
Juan immediately finds the object | 0:16:32 | 0:16:34 | |
while it is still almost half a metre away from him. | 0:16:34 | 0:16:36 | |
When Tim was doing this, he was exhibiting exactly | 0:16:36 | 0:16:38 | |
what I'd expect a human to do to. | 0:16:38 | 0:16:40 | |
Putting his hands out, he couldn't help himself | 0:16:40 | 0:16:42 | |
but try to use some touch. | 0:16:42 | 0:16:43 | |
A trash can! | 0:16:43 | 0:16:45 | |
Ah! | 0:16:45 | 0:16:46 | |
It's nice and round and it's got the height of... | 0:16:46 | 0:16:49 | |
A trash can? | 0:16:49 | 0:16:50 | |
A trash can, exactly! | 0:16:50 | 0:16:52 | |
Really impressive, sir. | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
Next challenge - a vendor's booth selling t-shirts. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:57 | |
I've hit something with my head and that's probably not a good sign. | 0:17:04 | 0:17:07 | |
Once again Tim has collided with the object before finding it | 0:17:07 | 0:17:10 | |
with his clicks. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:12 | |
This doesn't seem as solid. | 0:17:12 | 0:17:14 | |
Juan's told us that not only can he orientate how large an echo is | 0:17:14 | 0:17:18 | |
using his echolocation techniques, but the density. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:22 | |
That is, how hard it is or how soft it is | 0:17:22 | 0:17:24 | |
changes the way the sound wave is reflected back | 0:17:24 | 0:17:27 | |
OK, that's the other edge. So there's edges here. | 0:17:27 | 0:17:29 | |
Oh no, maybe. | 0:17:29 | 0:17:31 | |
It's difficult because it seems to be... The sound isn't... | 0:17:31 | 0:17:35 | |
OK, Tim, let's move on now from this one. | 0:17:35 | 0:17:38 | |
Tim didn't manage to identify this one either. | 0:17:38 | 0:17:41 | |
How will Juan deal with such a large soft object? | 0:17:41 | 0:17:44 | |
OK, stop there. | 0:17:44 | 0:17:46 | |
Yes I hear it, so let's see. Let's study this obstacle. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:49 | |
Well, it's taller than me | 0:17:51 | 0:17:53 | |
but that's not too hard because I'm rather short. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:55 | |
This time Juan hears the object while he is over a metre away. | 0:17:55 | 0:17:59 | |
So straight away before I positioned him near it he said, | 0:17:59 | 0:18:02 | |
"Oh, yeah. I hear it." | 0:18:02 | 0:18:04 | |
Now, it's not making any noise, it's him hearing back those clicks. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:08 | |
See, this object is interesting because it's not very solid. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:14 | |
Different objects reflect sound waves in different ways. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:19 | |
If you were to tap on a box, | 0:18:19 | 0:18:20 | |
you could tell if it was hollow or solid, | 0:18:20 | 0:18:23 | |
or if it was made of metal or wood simply by the sound it made. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:27 | |
Amazingly, Juan's brain is able to do this just by using | 0:18:27 | 0:18:30 | |
the echoes of his click. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:31 | |
Juan's brain detects how the sound in the echo has changed | 0:18:31 | 0:18:35 | |
to work out what the objects are made of. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:38 | |
Hard objects reflect more sound than soft objects | 0:18:38 | 0:18:42 | |
and Juan's brain can detect the tiniest changes. | 0:18:42 | 0:18:45 | |
I would... You know, I would have to say this is a vendor's booth. | 0:18:48 | 0:18:53 | |
Amazing! | 0:18:53 | 0:18:55 | |
Juan is of course completely right, again. | 0:18:55 | 0:18:58 | |
About a foot in front of you is the next object I'd like you to identify. | 0:18:59 | 0:19:03 | |
Because Tim can't see, he is finding it hard to judge how far away | 0:19:03 | 0:19:07 | |
the objects are in this test. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:08 | |
Will he be able to avoid touching this one? | 0:19:08 | 0:19:11 | |
CLICKS | 0:19:11 | 0:19:14 | |
Now of course you have touched it a few times so. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:16 | |
Yeah, I can feel that there is something like, like leaves. | 0:19:16 | 0:19:22 | |
Maybe like plastic crazy foliage. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:25 | |
I don't know how to do this so my ability to get where, | 0:19:25 | 0:19:29 | |
how close it is, is quite difficult | 0:19:29 | 0:19:30 | |
so sometimes I nudge the object when I don't mean to. | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
Like I've just done it there. | 0:19:33 | 0:19:34 | |
And of course if you nudge the object you get... | 0:19:34 | 0:19:37 | |
I get some information about it. | 0:19:37 | 0:19:39 | |
Step forward. Again, again, again. And stop there. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:42 | |
It's just about 30 centimetres in front. | 0:19:42 | 0:19:46 | |
Let's see. | 0:19:46 | 0:19:49 | |
It sounds like a bush. | 0:19:52 | 0:19:54 | |
Right, Juan, you have made my test look too easy! | 0:19:54 | 0:19:59 | |
The next object is a fire hydrant | 0:19:59 | 0:20:02 | |
and Tim has found it with his stick. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:04 | |
There's something there. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:05 | |
But can he work out what it is with his click? | 0:20:05 | 0:20:09 | |
CLICKS | 0:20:11 | 0:20:13 | |
His hands are all over it. He can't help it! | 0:20:16 | 0:20:18 | |
He won't prove anything in this test, even if he guesses what it is. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:22 | |
Some sort of post. | 0:20:22 | 0:20:24 | |
Time for Juan to try - remember, he uses just his hearing | 0:20:24 | 0:20:27 | |
and he doesn't touch the object so it's a little trickier for him. | 0:20:27 | 0:20:31 | |
Oh, wow! | 0:20:31 | 0:20:33 | |
I would say this is a chair. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
OK, so about the height of a chair. Right, well. | 0:20:37 | 0:20:40 | |
It's not just the height, because the height comes up to about here. | 0:20:40 | 0:20:44 | |
But then there's something here that is more flat | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
and then the back goes up. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:47 | |
OK, all right. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:49 | |
So I think it's a chair. | 0:20:49 | 0:20:50 | |
Because Juan uses sound waves to create an image, | 0:20:50 | 0:20:53 | |
he thinks that the barrier behind the post and the box next to it | 0:20:53 | 0:20:57 | |
are all part of the same thing, | 0:20:57 | 0:20:59 | |
which does actually resemble the shape of a chair. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:02 | |
So I think we can let him off with this one. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:04 | |
Time for the next object. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:05 | |
This is really interesting, | 0:21:12 | 0:21:14 | |
cos although it's right in front of him, he's moved to the side. | 0:21:14 | 0:21:17 | |
I'm not sure he's got any idea of that. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:19 | |
Tim's shoulder has just touched the lamp post. | 0:21:19 | 0:21:21 | |
He's not going to be allowed to guess this one either now. | 0:21:21 | 0:21:25 | |
Juan's go next, but will the shape of the railing put him off again? | 0:21:25 | 0:21:29 | |
Well, it's very thin, | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
and it's right next to the railing right here. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:39 | |
But I can put my hands straight through here right behind it. | 0:21:39 | 0:21:42 | |
When Tim was putting things forward he was just touching everything. | 0:21:42 | 0:21:46 | |
Juan was able to demonstrate beautifully without touching a thing. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:50 | |
I would say it's something like a light pole. | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
I just have no idea but I'll say a light pole. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:58 | |
You have no idea but you're guessing a lamp post? | 0:21:58 | 0:22:00 | |
It's some type of pole. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:01 | |
Juan has guessed correctly an incredible four out of five objects | 0:22:01 | 0:22:06 | |
on Santa Monica Pier using only sound. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:09 | |
It sounds like a bush. | 0:22:09 | 0:22:11 | |
And although Tim made a great attempt, | 0:22:11 | 0:22:13 | |
he couldn't get over his instinct to touch. | 0:22:13 | 0:22:16 | |
His hands just got in the way, as did his mouth. | 0:22:16 | 0:22:20 | |
I was amazed at how well Juan moved about on the pier without sight. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:24 | |
But there are some people who spend their whole lives | 0:22:24 | 0:22:27 | |
in a dark environment. | 0:22:27 | 0:22:29 | |
The Penan people live in the rainforests of Malaysia | 0:22:29 | 0:22:32 | |
in South East Asia. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:33 | |
The giant trees have very thick top branches and leaves | 0:22:33 | 0:22:37 | |
which block out the | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
sun, so the forest is very dark even during the day. | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
But the tribe are perfectly adapted to finding their way around | 0:22:42 | 0:22:46 | |
so they don't get lost. | 0:22:46 | 0:22:49 | |
They can even hunt animals in the dark, the lack of light | 0:22:49 | 0:22:52 | |
and noise helps them track their prey more easily. | 0:22:52 | 0:22:55 | |
Their senses can detect even the smallest changes in light, | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
sound, smell and temperature of the forest which outsiders can't. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:03 | |
Doctor Megan's Super Test Three is taking place | 0:23:04 | 0:23:07 | |
in Irvine Park, California. | 0:23:07 | 0:23:09 | |
And it's going to be one of the most dangerous Super Tests yet. | 0:23:09 | 0:23:13 | |
Juan has told me he can do something absolutely incredible. | 0:23:13 | 0:23:18 | |
He can mountain bike without sight. | 0:23:18 | 0:23:20 | |
Wow, that's unreal. That's absolutely incredible. | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
-Completely terrifying. -It's exhilarating for sure. | 0:23:23 | 0:23:26 | |
Mountain biking is all about riding tough bikes | 0:23:26 | 0:23:29 | |
over even tougher terrain. | 0:23:29 | 0:23:31 | |
It requires endurance, strength and balance. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
Risk of injury from falls and collisions is high | 0:23:34 | 0:23:37 | |
in the sport of mountain biking | 0:23:37 | 0:23:40 | |
from minor wounds to serious damage to the head and spine. | 0:23:40 | 0:23:43 | |
Even sighted mountain biking can be very dangerous. | 0:23:43 | 0:23:46 | |
If you were to fall off you could cut yourself, break bones, | 0:23:46 | 0:23:50 | |
even knock yourselves out. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:51 | |
So I've had to take a lot of safety precautions today. | 0:23:51 | 0:23:54 | |
I've got Robin, an expert mountain biker who'll be leading | 0:23:54 | 0:23:58 | |
your way down the trail. | 0:23:58 | 0:23:59 | |
I've got Corrie with all her medical equipment and expertise on standby. | 0:23:59 | 0:24:04 | |
And Tim, because you've not done this before, | 0:24:04 | 0:24:06 | |
-I'm going to ask you to practise away from the trail first. -OK. | 0:24:06 | 0:24:10 | |
-So, guys, let's give it a go. -Let's go! | 0:24:10 | 0:24:12 | |
Worried that Tim will seriously injure himself, | 0:24:12 | 0:24:16 | |
Dr Megan asks two members of the film crew to run alongside him. | 0:24:16 | 0:24:20 | |
But even with a team of people helping, | 0:24:20 | 0:24:22 | |
Tim almost collides with a tree. | 0:24:22 | 0:24:23 | |
I don't think it would be safe for Tim to do the trail course | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
-that we've set up for you. -It doesn't sound like it. | 0:24:29 | 0:24:31 | |
-It seems like he'll need a lot more practice. -I agree. | 0:24:31 | 0:24:34 | |
This super test is just too dangerous for Tim to try | 0:24:34 | 0:24:38 | |
so it looks like Juan will be doing it on his own! | 0:24:38 | 0:24:41 | |
In this test, Juan will be cycling blindfolded for 1 km | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
along the twists, turns and steep drops of this mountain forest track. | 0:24:48 | 0:24:52 | |
Using his ears, he will be following the bike in front | 0:24:52 | 0:24:55 | |
which will be making a loud clicking sound. | 0:24:55 | 0:24:58 | |
Remember, Juan is totally blind, | 0:24:58 | 0:25:01 | |
so the blindfold makes no difference to him. | 0:25:01 | 0:25:03 | |
It's simply being worn to keep him under test conditions. | 0:25:03 | 0:25:07 | |
Cycling blindfolded, downhill is incredibly dangerous. | 0:25:08 | 0:25:12 | |
Actually, totally impossible. | 0:25:12 | 0:25:13 | |
Let's face it - you will come off your bike. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:16 | |
When this happens you could cut or bruise yourself. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:19 | |
You could even break a bone. If you hit a tree at speed, | 0:25:19 | 0:25:21 | |
you could break your neck or back, | 0:25:21 | 0:25:23 | |
or you might fall off a steep slope and crack your head on a rock. | 0:25:23 | 0:25:27 | |
Serious head injuries are fatal. | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
OK, so here we are at the start line. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:32 | |
It's a really tricky course. I can't wait to see how you get on. | 0:25:32 | 0:25:36 | |
-Are you ready to go? -Ready. | 0:25:36 | 0:25:37 | |
Off you of go. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:39 | |
Let's go! | 0:25:42 | 0:25:44 | |
Juan sets off down the hazardous track completely blind. | 0:25:44 | 0:25:47 | |
For a sighted person, | 0:25:47 | 0:25:49 | |
even attempting this blindfolded would be unthinkable. | 0:25:49 | 0:25:52 | |
Although he is listening out for the lead bike, | 0:25:52 | 0:25:55 | |
he is still using his own click to help him navigate the course. | 0:25:55 | 0:25:59 | |
Juan takes the first corner with ease. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
But remember this is just the first of many corners and dips. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
This course could be lethal. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:08 | |
As Juan begins to pick up speed, | 0:26:08 | 0:26:10 | |
it's hard to believe that he cannot see anything. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:12 | |
He is doing this incredible feat using only his hearing. | 0:26:12 | 0:26:17 | |
As he approaches a hairpin bend, | 0:26:17 | 0:26:19 | |
Juan almost comes off the track | 0:26:19 | 0:26:21 | |
but he quickly recovers. | 0:26:21 | 0:26:22 | |
What Juan is doing would be too dangerous for someone | 0:26:24 | 0:26:27 | |
without his skill and experience to try. This is incredible! | 0:26:27 | 0:26:32 | |
Another tight corner and Juan takes it with ease. | 0:26:34 | 0:26:38 | |
Watching how effortlessly Juan does this, | 0:26:42 | 0:26:44 | |
it's hard to believe that he can't see. | 0:26:44 | 0:26:47 | |
This road may be straight | 0:26:48 | 0:26:50 | |
but there's a serious drop to Juan's right! | 0:26:50 | 0:26:53 | |
He's on the home straight now and Dr Megan and Tim | 0:27:00 | 0:27:03 | |
are waiting to cheer him over the finish line. | 0:27:03 | 0:27:05 | |
-Wow, that's amazing! -Congratulations! | 0:27:12 | 0:27:14 | |
Juan has finished this course in just over three minutes, | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
making his average speed a very impressive 20 kilometres an hour. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:21 | |
Juan Ruiz can identify the world around him by seeing with sound. | 0:27:24 | 0:27:27 | |
Incredibly, he does this even in the most extreme conditions. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:32 | |
There's no doubt he IS Super Human. | 0:27:32 | 0:27:35 | |
That was simply amazing, what you just did. | 0:27:35 | 0:27:38 | |
You've developed your hearing to Super Human levels | 0:27:38 | 0:27:42 | |
with what you do with it. | 0:27:42 | 0:27:43 | |
I came here to meet a real-life Daredevil. | 0:27:43 | 0:27:46 | |
I've met him. It's you. | 0:27:46 | 0:27:48 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:27:59 | 0:28:02 |