What public good comes from the wingsuited daredevils who flew between the soaring towers of Dubai Marina? Compared to those who cure cancer or rescue people from burning buildings, the risks taken by these adventurers might seem both excessively selfish and pointless.
On one level, Vertical Maze Dubai, the two-minute video XDubai and Skydive Dubai posted of their flight, bolsters Dubai’s brand as a world centre for extreme sports. More importantly, it enhances the impression that Dubai is the kind of place where bold dreams can be brought to fruition.
But on another level, humanity has always relied on that unquenchable desire to push the boundaries of possibility, even when it did not involve an obvious beneficial component. Without this kind of drive, would humans have ever taken to the seas and sailed beyond the horizon? Would we have decided to explore the universe? Would we ever know just how much we can actually do?
