Exploration

Poles Apart: Why Amundsen’s Professionalism Triumphed Over Scott’s ‘British Spirit’ The 1911–1912 race to the South Pole remains the definitive story of polar exploration—a stark, tragic comparison between Roald Amundsen’s brilliant, focused determination and Robert Falcon Scott’s ultimately fatal reliance on antiquated methods and an unpragmatic commitment to the romanticized “British spirit.” Amundsen’s victory was a masterclass in modern, goal-oriented exploration; Scott’s defeat stemmed from a multifaceted expedition burdened by poor decisions, split focus, and an overconfidence that prioritized “pluck and confidence” over practical survival. ...

Arid Ambition: Conquering the American Desert 1 Arid Ambition - Part 1: John Wesley Powell and the Folly of Settlement 2 Arid Ambition - Part 2: The Syndicate That Stole a River 3 Arid Ambition - Part 3: The Gods of Concrete and the Pork Barrel 4 Arid Ambition - Part 4: Teton and the Price of Engineering Hubris 5 Arid Ambition - Part 5: The Mirage of Augmentation and the Looming End ← Series Home The American West often appears as a land of limitless possibility. This vision, fueled by relentless optimism, masked an intractable truth: the West is a semidesert with a desert heart. This region cannot be remade into the image of the wet eastern United States. It requires manipulation of water, capturing it behind dams, storing it, and rerouting it over hundreds of miles in concrete channels. Ignoring this environmental reality led directly to disaster, political conflict, and the rise of a pervasive welfare state disguised as rugged individualism. ...