Helen Mirren Mourns Kurt Cobain’s Analog Navigation

It’s difficult to think about the “what ifs” in life. What if you got in a car crash? What if you were born into a different family? What if you never got to experience when the Global Positioning System’s capabilities were expanded in 2000, eventually creating a Lightning McQueen voice telling you to make an unprotected left turn on a busy street? Since 2014, Helen Mirren hasn’t stopped thinking about all the tech Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain missed out on when he died at 27 in 1994. Most recently, she was saddened that the Nirvana singer never got to experience Google Maps or any other navigation tech. “I always say, it’s so sad that Kurt Cobain died when he did, because he never got to see GPS,” Mirren tells The Standard. “It’s the most wonderful thing, my little blue spot walking down the street. I just find it completely magical and unbelievable.” It’s not even just Google Maps; Cobain never had to print out MapQuest directions and scramble when someone didn’t make the exit. While we could think of a million things more amazing than GPS (Dippin’ Dots, anyone?), maybe its the simple things we take for granted that we should be more grateful for, like hearing a “Kachow” when you reach your destination.