# Is there any real geographic exploration of the world left?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [January 24, 2007, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236 "2007-01-24T14:20:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236/21 "2007-01-25T13:21:52Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Sapo]  
Can someone explain this joke to me?  
[/QUOTE]

There was a thread many years ago on the Dope where the Op felt it was very important that people knew that  
"Man has visited the deepest part of the worlds oceans, Challenger Deep in the Mariana’s Trench, just once. In 1960. For 20 minutes. "

This turned into a joke thread apparently and then a SDMB in-joke that is used just often enough to confuse any new members.

I have a link to the thread at home, if you Email me, I will Email it to you tonight.

Jim

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236/22 "2007-01-25T13:25:21Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=What Exit?]  
There was a thread many years ago on the Dope where the Op felt it was very important that people knew that  
"Man has visited the deepest part of the worlds oceans, Challenger Deep in the Mariana’s Trench, just once. In 1960. For 20 minutes. "

This turned into a joke thread apparently and then a SDMB in-joke that is used just often enough to confuse any new members.

I have a link to the thread at home, if you Email me, I will Email it to you tonight.

Jim  
[/QUOTE]

It’s originally mentioned in _A Short History Of Nearly Everything_ by Bill Bryson, which is where I believe the meme originated.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236/23 "2007-01-25T15:25:45Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Martini Enfield]  
There’s nothing of note in the Australian Outback from an explorer’s point of view  
[/QUOTE]

[Oh, really?](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6296029.stm)

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-real-geographic-exploration-of-the-world-left/389236.md?page=1)