David Kushner is a contributing editor at Outside, as well as the author of The Players Ball: a Genius, a Con Man, and the Secret History of the Internet's Rise.
As one of the northernmost settlements on earth, the Norwegian hamlet of Longyearbyen has become a magnet for adventurous souls looking to start a new life. But when an unsettling crime happened, it brought home a harsh reality: in the modern world, trouble always finds you.
Maybe not in our hearts, but certainly in our brains. Plus, they can make you love the indoors far too much—which is why there’s now a full-fledged, woodsy rehab center for joystick addicts who need a soothing pathway back to a normal life.
American tourist Noel Santillan became an unlikely folk hero in Iceland after he entered a typo into his GPS and drove hundreds of miles out of his way. How can anyone wander so far off the mark? A growing body of research suggests that our reliance on navigational technology might be altering our brains in ways we’re only beginning to understand.
In the quest to make—and sell—the perfect drink, no one is going further than Scott Lindquist of Alaska Distillery. To concoct his premium vodkas, he hunts down 300-pound icebergs on Prince William Sound, then taps their ancient waters to power mysterious blends that keep winning awards. David Kushner heads north to sail and sip with the intrepid craftsman.
