Why is it that we’re drawn to the blank spots on the map? Whether it’s crossing oceans or ordering unfamiliar dishes at a restaurant, we seem to be wired to explore. In this Can Geo Talk, journalist Alex Hutchinson digs into the ancient patterns of human migration and modern theories of neuroscience that explain the itch to discover new things, expressed not just on the slopes of Everest but in the ways we work, play, and live. Drawing on the stories and reporting from his new book The Explorer’s Gene, Hutchinson investigates how we decide when to stick with the familiar path and when to veer off into the unknown, what we’re seeking when we explore, and why it’s worthwhile. The takeaway: even in our fully mapped digital world, the age of exploration is not dead—but it’s different, and understanding why can help guide us in the right direction.

About Alex Hutchinson

  Alex Hutchinson is a National Magazine Award-winning science journalist who writes about endurance, adventure, and fitness. In addition to The Explorer’s Gene, he is the author of the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. He writes Outside magazine’s Sweat Science column, and also contributes to the Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, the New York Times, and other publications. Before journalism, he competed for the Canadian track and field team and received a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge. He lives with his family in Toronto.