talk about living on the edge, well, the man who jumped down from space through the stratosphere at 800 miles an hour, he survived. and almost a picture-perfect landing. >> yes, he did live to tell about it. so is there anything left to conquer in this brave new world? abc's david wright looks at these daredevils, past and present. >> reporter: we call them daredevils because they're literally daring the devil. forming a suicidal stunt, and getting away with it. in this case, a stunt seen before only in a "star trek" movie. hollywood fantasy made real. no wonder we're all transfixed. harry houdini, evel knievel, david blaine, showmen all, but what separated daredevils from mere stuntmen may be the backdrop. the tightrope walker perched over niagara falls is as compelling in 2012 as it was in 1876, where a manmade wonder, a bridge, or a building.