A Big Jump for Humanity?

Sunday was an unusual day for me, as I stared for almost two hours at a huge helium balloon from which a tiny capsule was suspended. This was the balloon that took Felix Baumgartner to where no man ever got in this kind of vessel: 39,000 meters high.

When I looked for the article in the New York Times ("24 Miles, 4 Minutes and 834 M.P.H., All in One Jump", by John Tierney, October 14th, www.nytimes.com), it was published in the Science section. I am sure the editor could have placed it in the World, Sports, Technology, Travel, or even in the Health and TV sections, because it was a phenomenon that spanned all these areas of interest. But the whole experience and the ultimate goal of the mission, which was to brake a bunch records first (the scientific side of the story feels like a side dish to legitimate the endeavor and expand its media exposure), left me thinking that this adventure belongs more in the Extreme Sports section than in the scientific arena.

Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Stratos, via A.P.

Seeing the man elevate in that magical chariot reminded me of Hans Pfall, the man in Poe's story that wanted to reach the moon in a revolutionary air balloon capable of turning the air in space into breathable air. Almost 180 years after the hoax was published, this Austrian daredevil backed by Red Bull and a team of almost 300 scientists, did the unimaginable: he surpassed the speed of sound with no mechanical help, just the effect of gravity.

Although I feel this was a major achievement, and a very exciting one from every possible aspect, I am reluctant to circumscribe it to the scientific field, as most media did. For me, even if it brings a lot of scientific numbers and applicable knowledge to the table, it still belongs to the sports arena. I don't see a huge difference with other records held by open water swimmers, runners, and climbers who fought the most adverse weather conditions and psychological challenges to prove they could do it.  So, when I heard the commentator say "This is a big jump for humanity" I could not help but laugh. How can you even start comparing this with the landing on the moon? What aspect of discovery and deep human realization is hidden behind this rogue jump that I was not able to get?

Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/us/felix-baumgartner-skydiving.html?hpw&_r=0