Roland Huntford, Lore-Debunking Historian of Polar Exploration, Dies at 98
He caused an uproar by challenging the heroic status of Robert Falcon Scott, the Briton who led a doomed quest to the South Pole in 1912.
Exploration and Explorers
A Norwegian Who Shared Underwear With the Inuit and Found the Northwest Passage
Unlike the leader of the doomed Franklin expedition, Roald Amundsen delighted in getting to know and learning from the Inuit.
Canada Moves to Discourage Arctic Rivals as the Fabled Northwest Passage Opens Up
The Inuit of the far north helped solve the mystery of a doomed 19th-century expedition. Now Canada needs them to strengthen its claim to this newly contested region.
We May Know Why Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance Really Sank
The explorer’s journey to Antarctica was likely doomed before it began.
Want to Be a Deep Sea Explorer? Don’t Worry, There’s Lots Left.
Researchers collected more than 43,000 records of dives and assessed the photos and videos to determine how much of the bottom has been seen by humans.
Helen Schreider, Intrepid World Traveler, Is Dead at 98
She and her husband were the first people to travel the length of the Americas in an amphibious vehicle. But he was recognized for their accomplishments long before she was.
‘Rooftopping’ Is Popular on Instagram, but the Risks Are High
“Rooftoppers” get a thrill from taking photos atop skyscrapers and sharing them on social media. Detractors call them reckless.
Hamish Harding, Explorer Who Knew No Bounds, Dies at 58 During Titanic Dive
An aviation tycoon who pushed the limits, he went to the depths of the ocean and the blackness of space before his fateful dive to the Titanic on Sunday.
Tourist Submersible Vessel Vanishes on Its Way to Titanic Wreckage
A spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard said the five people on the submersible theoretically had 70 to 96 hours of oxygen before the situation became dire.
Read Your Way Through Kerala
A strip of lush land at the tip of India where spices grow wild, Kerala has long drawn the gaze of outsiders. Here’s Abraham Verghese’s guide to its literature, which nods at these influences but is very much its own.