Frontiers : old, new, and final

The enduring idea of the frontier brings with it thoughts of adventure, discovery and romance, but also of hardship, solitude, and the struggle against the forces of nature. Similarly, the idea that there is a final frontier out there, just waiting to be explored and conquered, is as persistent as the idea of endless new frontiers, all waiting to be explored. The search for new frontiers arises out of humankind's longing to discover, explore and conquer the great unknown, whether in deepest darkest space, ocean, or recesses of the mind. This article begins with a conceptual history of frontier and goes on to explain why it continues to resonate more than eight centuries after the term was first coined.