【AI前沿】On Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and history

EntertainmentColumnScienceOn Trails is a wandering tale that blends hiking, science, and historyFrom ants to colonization to the internet, Robert Moor looks at how trails touch every part of life.From ants to colonization to the internet, Robert Moor looks at how trails touch every part of life.byTerrence O’BrienMay 24, 2026, 3:15 PM UTCLinkShareGiftIf you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may earn a commission.See our ethics statement.Image: Simon & SchusterPart OfWhat we‚Äôre listening to, watching, and reading right now.see all updatesTerrence O’Brienis the Verge‚Äôs weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.Hiking is one of life‚Äôs great joys. Turning off the screens and stepping out into nature for an extended period of time, perhaps even several days, is rejuvenating. Unfortunately, as someone with two young kids and a bad back, I‚Äôm not really able to gobackpackinganymore. So I often find myself trying to live vicariously through others who write about their lengthy travails along the Appalachian or thePCT. That‚Äôs what I thought I was signing up for when I picked upOn Trails: An ExplorationbyRobert Moor. But it turned out to be so much more.The prologue starts with Moor talking about his decision to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. And chapter one doesn‚Äôt stray too far from the expected subject matter either. It focuses primarily on Moor‚Äôs trip to Western Brook Pond in Newfoundland and broadly discusses the concept of wilderness.His talents as a writer are apparent from moment one. A storm pins Moor down on a ridge:For the better part of an hour, awash in mounting waves of tympanic rumble, I had time to reconsider the merits of hiking. Stripped of its Romantic finery, the wild ceased to inspire; only a gauzy scrim separated sublimity and horror.This is perhaps the first hint that what you‚Äôre in for is not some travelogue or a simple memoir that uses the trail as a narrative device. Chapter two immediately solidifies this, launching a discussion of ant trails and the fine distinctions of various English words for lines of movement.On Trailsbounces around gleefully from topic to topic: Game trails, fiber optic wires, Moor‚Äôs stint as a shepherd. And all throughout, Moor seamlessly navigates shifting tones. One moment, he‚Äôs waxing poetic about the power of nature, the next, he‚Äôs spinning an anecdote about misplacing an entire flock of sheep with a comic‚Äôs sense of pacing, then turning philosophical about the damage done by colonialism.It‚Äôs a testament to Moor‚Äôs skill that the book not only manages to be compulsively readable, but never feels disjointed as he swings wildly from exploring a proto-internet envisioned by engineer Vannevar Bush in 1945, to quoting poet Gary Snyder.On Trailsstarts with a simple idea: how did the Appalachian Trail, or any hiking trail for that matter, form? And from there it branches off endlessly into a thousand different tributaries, exploring how the very concept of trails can help us understand the world.On Trailsis available onmostebookstores, but I highly recommend you buy a physical copy at your localindependent bookshopor support yourlocal library.Follow topics and authorsfrom this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Terrence O’BrienBook ReviewBooksColumnEntertainmentScienceMore in:What we‚Äôre listening to, watching, and reading right now.Oddity is masterfully tense horror from the director of HokumTerrence O’BrienMay 17Ashnymph‚Äôs Childhood EP is exhilarating dance goth rockTerrence O’BrienMay 10Oh, hey, it‚Äôs Bandcamp Friday again.Terrence O’BrienMay 1Most PopularMost PopularGoogle‚Äôs new anything-to-anything AI model is wildIf I could only have one laptop for work and gaming, I‚Äôd get this oneApple‚Äôs latest MacBook Air is $200 off in both sizes for Memorial DayThe man behind the legendary MPC, Roger Linn, stays focused with a single browser tabI have a new go-to browserThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to ourTermsandPrivacy Notice.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the GooglePrivacy PolicyandTerms of Serviceapply.Advertiser Content FromThis is the title for the native ad