Photograph by Håkan Dahlström's
Become a sofa based explorer with Google Street View
As humans many of us have the desire to explore and discover new things. Going on exotic overseas adventures and seeing something for the first time appeals to the human need for new experiences. Not all of us however relish the thought of eighteen hour stop over flights and malaria medication.
But hope has arrived for the sofa slug standard of explorer in the form of Google Street View which has decided to go off the beaten track and offer new places to discover including ancient Japanese Caves.
Click here to see the Okubo-mabu mine, a series of vast underground passageways or here to explore the Akiyoshi-do limestone cavern. The video below from Mashable also gives a nice overview.
If it’s anything like the new equipment my gym spent £3 million pound on with virtual runs across the Hollywood Hills or Nevada Desert then the novelty will soon wear off after all its not quite the same as feeling part of something for real.
But as a teaching aide which could take students to the other side of the world in seconds or for individuals who may not have the means financially or strength physically to be a real life explorer then why not settle down on the sofa whilst also doing something different?