You have to admit, it took courage for our ancestors to get in rickety boats and travel across vast expanses of ocean to find lands new to them.
It took luck, too... and ocean currents and a number of other factors.
Archaeologist Scott Fitzpatrick at the University of Oregon studies the history of colonization in the Pacific and in the Caribbean. And his studies take in weather patterns and other forces that may have forced choices on ancient explorers. Our regular segment "cUriOus: Research Meets Radio" explores the explorers with Dr. Fitzpatrick.