Shackleton Centenary Expedition
As you might have noticed - our interactive map has been moved.
We wanted to show you that our focus has changed from the Expedition to the Foundation. If you're looking for the map, and want to listen to those daily broadcasts from Antarctica click here
'Psychologists categorize Antarctic research stations as isolated, confined environments (ICE, appropriately).'
So begins an article from the Stanford University Humanities Lab. The SHL believes that some crucial questions - about what it is to be human, about experience in a connected world, about the boundaries of culture and nature - transcend the old divisions between the arts, sciences and humanities, between the academy, industry and the cultural sphere.
The article that the quote came from can be accesed by clicking here. It looks at the lives lead by researchers in Antarctic research stations, and notes the psychological challenges of living in confined quarters with a diverse group of people who (most likely) did not know each other previously and did not choose to live together, isolated from friends, family and the rest of the world.
This sounded reasonably salient to us, although we'll be in a tent rather than a presumably much larger and much warmer research startion.
Even more interesting to know is that in the 1960s, psychologists hired by the U.S. Navy analyzed evaluations of over 1,000 people who had wintered over in order to create a system to screen candidates before going to Antarctica. They determined that the most important factors for effective performance in the Antarctic are industriousness, emotional stability, and sociability.
Looking around the site a bit more I also happened to stumble upon their take on the original Nimrod Expedition which can be seen by clicking here.
The MSN website have also covered our story, focussing on the Shackleton Centenary Expedition.
Click the following link Shackleton's descendants in polar bid to see what they have written about us.
Merry Christmas from everyone here at the Shackleton Foundation.
2008 is going to be a big year for us. The training will be that much more intense as the team will be going out to Antarctica in October.
This time next year Henry Worsley, Will Gow, and Henry Adams will be spending their Christmas on the ice. It's an interesting proposition for those of us who are aiming to go out and do the last 97 miles to the South Pole with them, as we will have been able to spend Christmas at home with our families.
An interesting article by Sarah Murray appeared in the Financial Times on Friday looking at how the newly rich are now giving away their money much earlier in life, in effect reviving and remodelling the nineteenth century tradition of business philanthropy.
'Surplus wealth is a sacred trust, to be administered during life by its posessor for the best good of his fellow-men'.
It appears Andrew Carnegie's spirit lives on in a new generation of self-made wealthy individuals who now make up 75% of the Sunday Times Rich List, as opposed to the 25% who have inherited their wealth (fifteen years ago the ratio was the other way around).
According to the article, 'Many people are creating their wealth earlier in their lifetime and retiring at a younger age but wanting to remain active. Lifetime giving provides a focus for their energies.'
This has led to a change in terms of the type of philanthropist willing to part with his or her money, and a businesslike focus on how effectively their money is used.
The key question for new-school donors is: how can they make sure the money they give away works as hard as they do?
The Shackleton Foundation intends to be part of this new wave, by using funds donated by businesses or individuals as a form of social venture capital, and helping donors to identify people and projects deserving their support.
We will be exploring this theme further on these pages: stay tuned.
Click here to read the whole FT article.
Today's topic ladies and genlemen is innovation, something that we here at the Shackleton Foundation are trying to further by making it one of the key components for choosing recipients of the Foundation's charitable grants of up to £10,000. Bold, innovative and useful is the order of the day.
Browsing the BBC's website today, I came across an article by the Open University's Professor Paul Quintas regarding the long view on innovation.
The risk and uncertainty of taking ideas forward and turning them into reality takes time and money. Managing that risk and investing that time and money is something that the Austrian theorist Joseph Schumpeter advocated, as the benefits accrued to the wider society can be almost infinite. We believe that this is true today as it ever was.
Professor Quintas argues: there are currently unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurial activity to exploit the technological platform provided by, in particular, information and communications technologies including the world wide web, new materials and biotechnology.
This then led me to an article about managing innovation. The Open University again uses Schumpeter to argue that the concept of innovation itself has evolved from the original view that Schumpeter in his early years advocated, that of the individual innovater as an entrepreneur and leader. Now to a greater degree, interdisciplinary teams facilitate innovation through interaction.
Either through incremental innovation, or through the radical innovation that Schumpeter argued led to the gales of creative destruction, we want to hear from you if you have an idea that is bold, innovative and useful.
Page 15 of 25 « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 »
To sign up to receive daily emails about the Matrix Shackleton Centenary Expedition's progress please click here.
There are 125 entries in this category
Page 15 of 25 | « Previous Next »
Mission Statement
Get a capsule view of who we are, where we're going and why we're doing this by reading our brochure.
View our brochure 
(PDF 2.5mb)
Sir Ernest Shackleton is widely known as one of the most inspirational leaders of the twentieth century. The Shackleton Foundation is a new charitable trust.
Matrix Group are proud to be the Headline Sponsors of the Shackleton Centenary Expedition
The South Pole Gazette is a round-up of Antarctic news stories from around the web.
The SCE receives a small percentage of the price of all Antarctic and Shackleton books bought through the links listed below. Please note that buying through our UK Amazon affiliate account you are directly helping to sponsor the Expedition.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch with the SCE if you have any questions regarding our project, or if you would like to know more about how you can become a sponsor.
The Shackleton Centenary Expedition,
c/o The Lansdowne Club,
9 Fitzmaurice Place,
London
W1J 5JD
Email us at info@shackletoncentenary.org
For press enquiries, please contact Mark Cooper at Van Communications, mark.cooper@vancomms.com
RSS feeds are a way of keeping up to date with your favourite websites by delivering fresh content to your desktop.
The SCE is a not-for-profit venture of the Shackleton Foundation.
All rights reserved © 2006 The Shackleton Centenary Expedition [SCE] except where noted.
Company No. 06107694, Charity No. 1118686.
The Shackleton Centenary Expedition, c/o The Lansdowne Club, 9 Fitzmaurice Place, London W1J 5JD
"Difficulties are just things to overcome, after all." - EHS 1909
Sponsored by Matrix
