Perhaps it isn't about proving anything or being courageous. There are many good reasons to attempt to do something that hasn't been done before and presents a challenge. Whether it is speed skating faster than anyone, creating an electric light bulb, climbing the highest peaks, or meditatively exploring the nature of god.<br><br>The limits of a humans mind and body have not yet been found. Finding them is a worthy endeavor. The ability of a man to climb to the top of Mount Washington may prove to that man many things but it educates the human race in ways that reach beyond the life of that man and the meaning of whatever he proved to himself and the fame that he may have garnered in proving that. The nylon rainsuit, the northface tent, gortex, ice-climbing techniques used in your less challenging lower altitude entertainment, understanding of the effects of atmospheric conditions on the body that have allowed safer air travel - these all owe their development to the unquenchable thirst and curiosity that humans have to find the limits - extend the limits of their bodies and minds. Like it or not, understand it or not, you must admit that we all want to know what we can do. To find out personally what our limits and abilities are in relationship to our surroundings. For some of us this is beat out of us by the mind-numbing social process called schooling by the age of 17 or earlier but we are all born with this need to find the boundary between what we can influence and what we cannot and between what is me and what is not. This is one of the primary drivers of all achievement. Is the achievement of plastic puke that is authentic enough to cause naseua in the average audience any more worthy or less worthy than the summiting of everest? I would suggest that both were, at one point and in some senses, the same in that they were the focused goal of an individual human and in achieveing either understanding of the world and understanding of our human capacity and wisdom was advanced. Is either a current goal of mine - no. Are there risks in achieving anything yes. failure in achieving plastic puke probably didn't kill anyone outright but there were probably many chemical concoctions that were attempted that would qualify as hazardous waste. We either allow this curiosity to drive us onward in the great experiment of progress or we imitate the amish at whatever level of progress we are comfortable with and say "this is good but no more".