DiscoverPersonal LandscapesAlex Hutchinson on what drives us to explore
Alex Hutchinson on what drives us to explore

Alex Hutchinson on what drives us to explore

Update: 2025-10-14
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This drive to discover is deeply human, and as today’s guest will tell you, it might even be encoded in our genes.

Alex Hutchinson is the author of The Explorer's Gene. He draws on the latest insights from neuroscience and behavioural psychology to show how the urge to explore shaped our species, and how it continues to direct our actions, even when we’re sitting on the sofa.

We spoke about the explore-exploit dilemma, memorizing a route versus mapping a landscape, and how to find the sweet spot between predictability and chaos in your own exploring life.

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Alex Hutchinson on what drives us to explore

Alex Hutchinson on what drives us to explore

Ryan Murdock