Exploration

In contrast to research and development, exploration is the act of seeking with the aim of discovering knowledge or resources, particularly in the setting of geography or space. It differs from research and development in that it is not generally focused on earth sciences or astronomy. Including humans, exploration is a behaviour that happens in all non-sessile animals. The greatest significant ascent in human history occurred during the Age of Discovery, when European explorers travelled and surveyed most of the rest of the globe for a number of reasons, including the discovery of new lands and cultures. There have been a number of important expeditions since then, most of which have been motivated by the search for new knowledge.

Throughout history, exploration (as well as science in general), particularly its understanding and application, has been critically discussed as having been framed and used for colonialistic ventures, discrimination and exploitation, most recently since the Age of Discovery up to the contemporary age of space exploration, by reinvigorating concepts such as "frontier" (as in frontierism) and "manifest destiny," among other things.