Live Bravely
When it comes to important innovations in sports technology, few inventions can compete with the sports bra. In the 1970s, women’s interest in athletics was surging following the passage of Title IX. There was just one problem—actually, make that two problems: breasts. Boob bounce hurts, as women getting in on the jogging craze quickly found … Continue reading "XX Factor: How the Sports Bra Changed History"
Nearly every sport can point to a classic comedy film taking aim at its flaws. Hockey has Slap Shot. Car racing got Talladega Nights. Skiing will always have Hot Dog. And dodgeball has, well, Dodgeball. Now cycling can claim its own: HBO’s Tour de Pharmacy, featuring executive producer Andy Samberg and a laundry list of … Continue reading "Dispatches Ep 09: Andy Samberg’s Tour de Farce"
When something goes wrong in the wilderness, someone needs to evacuate and get help. When that someone is you, and every minute counts, the stress is enormous. And you just might not be fast enough. Scott Pirsig and Bob Sturtz were on a spring canoeing adventure in the Boundary Waters, a million-acre wilderness in northern … Continue reading "Science of Survival Ep 18: Racing a Dying Brain"
You hear sometimes about how the Arctic changes people — how It can lead them to lose their minds a little bit, or make dumb mistakes. Then there are those rare adventurers like Sarah McNair-Landry who are at their best on the ice. McNair-Landry grew up near the Arctic Circle, on Baffin Island. At 18, … Continue reading "XX Factor: The Ice Queen Cometh"
Water is life, we’re told. But what if you drink too much? As it turns out, there’s a little-discussed flipside to dehydration called hyponatremia—and it’s been on the rise, killing athletes and otherwise healthy people every year. And while you may think you know how much you need to drink, chances are you’re wrong.
What does it take to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage? According to Diana Nyad, the answer is passion bordering on obsession. Nyad first attempted the 111-mile crossing in 1978. Thirty-five years later, at the age of 64, following four failed efforts that left her devastated, she became the first person to … Continue reading "XX Factor: Diana Nyad Goes the Distance"
Mona Seraji is the first snowboarder from the Middle East to compete professionally in the Freeride World Qualifier, a series of big-mountain events that attract the best riders in the world. She’s also a talented surfer, rock climber, and mountain biker. All this is more impressive when you consider the fact that in her home … Continue reading "XX Factor: Snowboarding While Iranian"
Human beings spent centuries trying to control the weather. Then, about 70 years ago, we figured out the basics of what it takes to make it rain. Now, we’re controlling more weather than you might think—and on the brink of a technology that may save us from the effects of climate change. But only if … Continue reading "Science of Survival Ep 16: Cloudbusters"
Science can’t fully explain why and how tornadoes form. But on May 31, 2013, all the factors we do understand pointed towards off-the-charts risk in central Oklahoma. Hundreds of amateur storm chasers, professional meteorologists, and thrill-seekers flocked to the area expecting an incredible storm. What actually touched down blew them all away.
Back when men still believed the “weaker sex” were inferior climbers, Arlene Blum led an all-women’s ascent of Annapurna, the world’s tenth-highest peak. The 1978 climb put the first women—and first Americans, period—on the summit, but the death of two climbers sparked controversy. Outside contributing editor Florence Williams talks with Blum and Alpinist editor in … Continue reading "XX Factor: A Woman’s Place is on Top"
