Where is that old explorer spirit?

Watching the A&E mini-series "Shackleton" made me realize that we have totally lost that zest for exploration that got us to the moon, to the ocean floors, and to every inch of our own planet. These days we're lucky if we're adventurous enough to explore under the cushions of our sofas, let alone to strange and unchartered territories.

The bravery and unbridled spirit felt by those who sought out the unexplored just seems so foreign to our society. Maybe this is why when Bush mentioned going to Mars, it tapped into our desire to discover something totally unknown. (And not just because people expected to see little green men with flying saucers.)

Not that I think that everyone in ye olden days was caught up in the fervor of exploration either; I'm sure we know about those who were since they're the ones history remembers. But where are our Shackleton's, Columbus's, and De Gama's? Is it because there remains very little on Earth that hasn't been trod upon by man, so there is nothing left on Earth to discover? Or is it just that technology and modern society have robbed us of our curiosity?

Of course it could be because no one wants to starve for days on end, lose toes and other body parts to frostbite, and possibly die stranded in the middle of the wilderness.

To all that I say, "CHICKEN!"