The Way of the Runner - conversations on running with Adharanand Finn 'Exploring feels good, it feels meaningful' - author questions with Alex Hutchinson
Nov 6, 2025
Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author of Endure and The Explorer's Gene, explores why humans seek novelty and big challenges. He discusses genetics versus environment in exploration, the costs and benefits of curiosity, and how belief and psychology shape endurance feats. They also cover embodied learning, ethical exploration, and how exploration changes across life.
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Why He Wrote The Explorer's Gene
- People pursue new projects partly to answer why they wanted to start them in the first place.
- Alex wrote The Explorer's Gene to discover why the urge to explore persists in himself and others.
Genes Influence But Don't Decide Exploration
- A DRD4 dopamine receptor variant links historically to human migration but doesn't deterministically make someone an explorer.
- Exploration is influenced by genetics, environment, and context, so curiosity varies by domain and circumstance.
Balance Exploration And Contentment
- The explore-exploit tension lives in running and life: achieving goals fuels new goals and restlessness.
- You should interrogate exploration urges and pursue new things thoughtfully, not blindly.
