Coping With Risk

<p>Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, of Skywalkers<em> </em>Netflix documentary fame, climbed the Empire State Building without ropes, got engaged at the summit as the world watched on, and claimed it was all in service of a message about peace and love. </p><p><br></p><p>This week, Alice Griffin and Jannah Anderson unpack why we’re so drawn to the daredevils among us (the biology, the psychology, the myth-making) and how our relationship with risk continues to evolve – shaped by context, age, and even the generation we grew up in. </p><p><br></p><p>☆ Flavour up your Dry July with<a href="https://angosturabitters.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"> ⁠Angostura Bitters⁠</a>.  We’ll see you at the bar this month with a lemon lime n Angostura bitters in hand, our go-to non-alc choice (it’s a literal Aussie icon). ☆</p><p><br></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/01/nyregion/empire-state-building-climbers.html" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Climbers Get Engaged Atop Empire State Building. Then They Get Arrested.</a> By Andy Newman, Maia Coleman and Chelsia Rose Marcius, The New York Times</p><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81758544" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Skywalkers: A Love Story</a> documentary, Netflix</p><p><a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/browse/entity-5bc87ba3-cda0-4f46-b81c-4c3ea170e9d1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Free Solo</a> documentary, Disney+ </p><p><a href="https://nautil.us/the-strange-brain-of-the-worlds-greatest-solo-climber-236051" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The Strange Brain of the World&#39;s Greatest Solo Climber</a> by J.B. MacKinnon, Nautilus</p><p><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-new-brain/202601/the-morbid-curiosity-of-watching-a-daredevil-risk-his-life" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">The Morbid Curiosity of Watching a Daredevil Risk His Life⁠</a> by R. Douglas Fields, Psychology Today</p><p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59189-y" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠An integrative framework for mapping the psychological landscape of risk perception⁠</a> by Sarah C. Jenkins, Robert F. Lachlan and Magda Osman, Scientific Reports</p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/08/05/nx-s1-5493502/coast-guard-titan-submersible-oceangate-investigation" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠Coast Guard says Titan submersible deaths were preventable and faults company&#39;s CEO⁠</a>, by Victoria Hansen, NPR </p><p><a href="https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81712178" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster</a> documentary, Netflix</p><p><a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/arthur-brooks-gen-zs-great-retreat" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Gen Z’s Great Retreat from Risk</a> by Arthur Brooks, The Free Press</p><p><a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/en-au/browse/entity-37b62808-2368-4688-9410-2dcf7461e258" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Finding Nemo</a> (yes, really), Disney+ </p><p><br></p><p>Want to support our show? We&#39;d be so grateful if you hit &#39;follow&#39; or left us a 5-star review so we can bring you more Coping content.</p><p><br></p><p>Plus, you can follow along with us on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/copingwithus/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>,<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@copingwithus" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>, and <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/copingwithus/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>. Find out more about what we&#39;re up to (and how you can get involved) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="http://copinginc.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠copinginc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>⁠⁠⁠⁠.</p>