Discovering the Explorer's Gene with Alex Hutchinson

Wild Ideas Worth Living

REI Co-op

Rei, Writing, Trailrunning, Mountaineering, Author, Sailing, Girlboss, Sports, Environmentalism, Lifestyle, Health, Entrepreneurship, Snowboarding, Paddle, Activelifestyle, Outdoorsports, Rockclimbing, Health & Fitness, Running, Surfing, Inspiration, Athlete, Skiing, Nutrition, Vegan, Alternativelifestyle, Watersports, Podcast, Camping, Climbing, Yoga, Travel, Society & Culture, Snowsports, Places & Travel, Cycling, Backpacking, Fitness, Adventure, Wilderness, Endurancesports, Wildideas, Outdoors, Sup, Womensadventure

4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Alex Hutchinson is a science journalist who explores how technology is reshaping the way we experience the outdoors. While apps can guide us to trailheads and campsites, they can also strip away the thrill of the unexpected. In his recent book, The Explorer’s Gene, Alex blends stories of adventure with insights from psychology and neuroscience to show how breaking routine and embracing the unknown can lead to a more meaningful, fun, and productive life.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	These days, your phone can prepare you for almost everything about adventuring outside.
0:10.7	Apps like Google Maps, All Trails, and Hip Camp point you to the trailhead, map your route, and even recommend a campsite.
0:18.3	Technology has made the outdoors safer and more accessible than ever, but it can also take away some of the mystery and awe.
0:25.6	Some of the most magical moments happen when we stumble onto the unexpected, a hidden campsite, a surprising viewpoint, or even a wild animal crossing our path.
0:36.6	So how do we balance the thrill of discovery with the convenience of modern tools?
0:41.8	And what does it really mean to explore today?
0:45.3	That's the question journalist Alex Hutchinson digs into in his new book, The Explorers Gene.
0:51.9	Drawing on behavioral psychology and neuroscience, Alex looks at how we explore in modern life.
0:58.6	I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living, an REI Co-op Studios production
1:04.4	presented by Capital One and the REI Co-Op MasterCard.
1:10.9	Along with The Explorers Gene and several other books, Alex has written outside magazine's
1:16.8	sweat science column since 2017.
1:20.1	His work often focuses on human performance.
1:23.3	It makes sense.
1:24.5	Alex once ran in the Canadian Olympic trials as an elite athlete.
1:30.3	Alex Hutchinson, welcome to Wild Ideas Worth Living. I'm really excited to talk to someone who talks
1:36.5	about the science of human performance and exploration. You're like the perfect guest for us.
1:41.2	Thanks, Shelby. It's great to be here. This is random, but how fast can you run a
1:44.7	mile today? Oh, that's a good question. And if my friends are listening, they'll hold me to it if I make any predictions. I would like to think I could dip under five minutes, but I would probably die at that point. Dang, that's amazing. Okay, so how fast could you run a mile back in the day? Like, what was your time?
2:00.2	So I raced mostly 1,500 meters,
2:02.7	which is slightly short of a mile.
2:04.4	If you do... could you run a mile back in the day? Like, what was your time? So I raced mostly 1,500 meters,
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from REI Co-op, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of REI Co-op and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.