1 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: Guess what, Mango? What's that? Will? So you know I 2 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: love a good A t M story, right, Like we 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,520 Speaker 1: we've talked about a t M so many times in 4 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: the past, Like there's the A t M in the 5 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Vatican City and it's the only one in the world 6 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: that operates in Latin, which is pretty cool. But I 7 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: have a new favorite A t M fact that I 8 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: wanted to share. So there's actually an A t M 9 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,919 Speaker 1: located in Antarctica and it's operated by Wells Fargo, and 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: it's in the Guinness Book and they call it the 11 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: world's loneliest A t M because it's the only one. Actually, 12 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: there is a second A t M on hand, and 13 00:00:34,479 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: it's hidden in a closet or something, and it doesn't 14 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: actually work. It's just there to cannibalize for the spare parts. 15 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: That's sad. But what's even weird is that Wills Fargo 16 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: only services the machine once every two years, and that's 17 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: when Wells sends a repairment out to give the A 18 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: t M a little check up. That's crazy. So why 19 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: don't they service it more frequently? Like don't they have 20 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: to replenish the cash? Well, that's the beauty of banking 21 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,880 Speaker 1: and Antarctica, there's no need for this that, you know, 22 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: the population there is so small that the money just 23 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: keeps recirculating. But learning about that a t M did 24 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: make me wonder, like, what are the other peculiarities of 25 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: living in Antarctica? How do everyday things like plumbing and 26 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: internet work down there? And that's what today shows all about. 27 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: So let's dive in. Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 28 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,839 Speaker 1: friend man Guesh Ticketer and sitting behind the soundproof glass 30 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 1: vigorously shaking a snow globe in each hand as our 31 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: producer Tristan McNeil, Where did you get those things? He's 32 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: making it blizard so ango, I'm gonna ask you right 33 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: off the bad what what's your interest in visiting the 34 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: South Pole? So? I mean, it looks beautiful, but there's 35 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: so many beautiful places in the world, and you know, 36 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: I hate the cold. Plus some of those early X 37 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: additions to Antarctica sounded so miserable it's kind of scared 38 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: me off, I know, and I actually want to talk 39 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: a little bit about those expeditions later. And clearly we 40 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,200 Speaker 1: both like warm weather because we live in warm places, 41 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: but I kind of want to see the landscape in 42 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 1: person at least once. So I started looking up tours 43 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 1: this week and I found this group called White Desert 44 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: Luxury Tours. Have you ever heard of this company? Because 45 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: they basically, do you know, like glamping for an arcticle? 46 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: How do you glamp in Antarctica? Well, I was reading 47 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 1: this article in Wired, and basically White Desert is set 48 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: up these luxury camping pods and this beautiful Mars like 49 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: area of Antarctica. The pods have solar panels and propane heaters, 50 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: and their eco friendly too, but you know, to keep 51 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: you safe. They're also designed to withstand a hundred and 52 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: eighty mile per hour. Well that's how wendy it gets there. 53 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: And you know the pods are beautifully outfitted, but the 54 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: whole camp must have cost a fortune to build that. Well, remember, 55 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: getting stuff to Antarctica isn't cheap. According to the article, 56 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: it costs thirty eight dollars a pound to fly furniture there, 57 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: and the pods themselves weigh three tons of piece, which 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,920 Speaker 1: is insane. And and trips like that always sound like 59 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: something rich people do just because they're looking for new 60 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: ways to spend their money. It's like God's way of 61 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: telling you have too much cat Well, you know, the 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: camp only services around a hundred clients a year, so 63 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: it's definitely exclusive, but you'd be in some pretty classy company. 64 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,679 Speaker 1: So you know. Past travelers include Saudi princesses, Prince William 65 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: and also buzz Aldering Wait, buzz Aldering Glance apparently so. 66 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: But you know, what you experience Antarctica is also insane. 67 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: Once your Goldstream jet lands on the icy runway, you'll 68 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: get to explore neon blue ice tunnels and lakes, and 69 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: go on guided hikes, penguins up close, visit all these 70 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: science bases. They even take you to the South Pole. 71 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: I mean, everyone who's gone says the beauty of this 72 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: untouched land is just overwhelming. Plus you get unlimited champagne. 73 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: So I just pulled this up on my computer. Hot 74 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: showers first draped on all the dining chairs. It looks 75 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: so fancy. I'm I'm definitely in all right. Well, the 76 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: only catches it costs eighty tho dollars a person. But 77 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: you know, I've always said I just don't like the 78 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: cold that much, and I have to be true to myself, 79 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:19,680 Speaker 1: So I'm out again. That didn't take long. So speaking 80 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: of hot showers, it it reminds me of this event 81 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: that takes place in Antarctica. It's called the Race around 82 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: the World. Basically, it's this fun two mile race that 83 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:29,760 Speaker 1: takes place on Christmas Day at the South Pole and 84 00:04:29,800 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: it's for the scientists there. It's called around the World 85 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: because you're actually racing through every single time zone. I 86 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: didn't think about that, so you would touch every single 87 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: time zone. Wow, that's amazing. It's pretty awesome, man. And 88 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: while some people run the course, you can actually do 89 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:46,520 Speaker 1: it on skis or snowmobile. But the reason I'm mentioning 90 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: it is that the prize for the winning runner is 91 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: a five minute hot shower. So according to Business Insider, 92 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: residents at the South Pole station are limited to to 93 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: two minute showers a week, so a bonus five minute 94 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: shower is like a huge tree. I guess that makes sense. 95 00:05:01,360 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: I mean, it's funny how you just expect things like 96 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: hot showers are everywhere by now. But you know, one 97 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: of the things that's so cool about Antarctica is how 98 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: environmentally friendly the camps are. The Treaty of an article 99 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: which was signed by twelve countries back in nineteen fifty nine. 100 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: It was this, It was this agreement that the land 101 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: there would be used for science and peaceful purposes. And 102 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: part of the agreement is that you can't dirty the 103 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: landscape or leave any contaminants there. In fact, if you 104 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: want to organize your own expedition to Antarctica, the process 105 00:05:29,920 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: involves three things. So first it is showing that you 106 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: will be completely self sufficient. Second is that you have 107 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: a good reason for being there, and third is that 108 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: you have little or no environmental impact on the land. 109 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: And there's special attention paid to this, and if you 110 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: can't lay out your plan for creating zero waste, they'll 111 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: deny you permission to go there. That's pretty interesting. So 112 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: I was actually reading about the recycling and Antarctica and 113 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: it's like at Portlandia levels. I saw the spreadsheet on 114 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: Boing Boing from America's McMurdo base and have this matrix 115 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 1: for where to recycle or dispose of wood, and it's 116 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: pretty intense, like pens and pencils have a specific bin, 117 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: and drained radiators have their own bin, and mops and 118 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: brooms haven't been everything is clearly charred out where it 119 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: goes and how it gets separated. But they also poked 120 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: fun at themselves. What do you mean by that? So 121 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: one prankster put all these jokes signs up of what 122 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: can and can't go into the bins, and they seem 123 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: to have stuck around, Like there's a recycling bin that's 124 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: for glitter, and in the rules for what's recyclable glitter 125 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:35,679 Speaker 1: it lists red glitter, blue glitter, ground, unicorn, horn, wizards, hats, 126 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,119 Speaker 1: and wands, but into no section it lists no child 127 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: beauty pageant, sashes or Mariah Carey movies. And that's fair enough. 128 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,479 Speaker 1: We sort of dove right into hot showers and glitter 129 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: recycling somehow. But before we talk about things like how 130 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: plumbing works, why don't we talk a little bit about 131 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,719 Speaker 1: who lives in Antarctica? Definitely, but why don't we do 132 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,280 Speaker 1: some local slang first? God, do you immediately put it 133 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: off track again? I doe Gannard explained, So, what are 134 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: some of your favorites? One of my favorite terms is 135 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: city mice and also country mice, Like city my state 136 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: put on the McMurdo station, will country mice wandered to 137 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: other camps and travel around. That's pretty cute. So you 138 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: got any others, Yeah, gombles or tiny snowballs that stuck 139 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: to dogs for so the d goombles when you rub 140 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 1: that loose snow off before you come inside. And also 141 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: Hollywood showers. Those are when you take a fantasy shower 142 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: that's more than the alot of two minutes. Oh God, 143 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 1: why do you keep bring up showers here? You know, 144 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: when I started abroad and upon to bed in college, 145 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: it was freezing and you didn't get to take hot 146 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: showers that often. So I took like ten or eleven 147 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: bucket showers during the trip, and they were mostly with 148 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: lukewarm water. It's strange being there, Like I realized there's 149 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: so many things I could live without. I don't really 150 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: need TV or a lot of clothes or a lot 151 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: of amenities, but hot showers. But when I came back 152 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: to the college, I just stand in the shower and 153 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: praise American plumbing. I can understand that. All right, Well, 154 00:07:57,640 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: here's a bit of jargon I found on mental flaw 155 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: sits ice shock, and that this is the idea that 156 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,800 Speaker 1: no matter how crazy everything seems in an article while 157 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: you're there, it's this acknowledgement that the rest of the 158 00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: world is even crazier. Alright, let's get back to who 159 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 1: lives there. Obviously, Antarctica doesn't have an indigenous population. Do 160 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: you know the site cool and arctica dot com. I 161 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: can't say I'm familiar with it, says education will say 162 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:22,480 Speaker 1: that's run by a former an Arctic marine biologist and 163 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 1: now he's a school teacher and puts out great information. 164 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: But on a site he writes there around sixty six 165 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 1: scientific basis, of which thirty seven are occupied year round. 166 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: Around four thousand people living in Arctica during the summer months, 167 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:38,720 Speaker 1: and that reduces to about a thousand who over winner there. 168 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: It's also rare that someone will stay there for two 169 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,040 Speaker 1: winners in a row. They might do one winner wrapped 170 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: in two summers, but two winners in a row tends 171 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,080 Speaker 1: to be bad for people's mental states. Uh. And so 172 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,920 Speaker 1: the McMurdo station actually has about like a thousand or 173 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 1: so people during peak season though, right, yeah, that's right. 174 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: And what's funny is that I didn't quite put together 175 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,320 Speaker 1: how large an Artica is and how far some of 176 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:02,080 Speaker 1: the bases are from one another. It's apparently the fifth 177 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: largest continent and because five percent of it is covered 178 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,480 Speaker 1: in ice, the size of the continent actually changes like 179 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,959 Speaker 1: according to Live Science, the quote size varies through the seasons. 180 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 1: Expanding sea ice along the coast nearly doubles the continent 181 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: size during the winter. Isn't that crazy? It nearly doubles 182 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 1: it that it is crazy, you know. And in speaking 183 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: of the geography, I was stunned by the geography, and 184 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that the land is basically all desert. 185 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:30,240 Speaker 1: You know, the inner regions of Antarctic cold get less 186 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 1: than two inches of precipitation each year. I mean, this 187 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,360 Speaker 1: is less than the Sahara desert. And it's also cold there. 188 00:09:37,400 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: I don't know if you knew this about Antartica. I didn't. 189 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: The Russian Vostok station there recorded the lowest temperature in 190 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: the world at negative a hundred and twenty nine point 191 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: three degrees fahrenheit. I mean, I guess it's that extra 192 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: point three that really gets to you. Yeah, it's cold, 193 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: but it's a dry cold, you know. I know we're 194 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: supposed to be talking people and not penguins here, but 195 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,080 Speaker 1: one of the things I thought was funny was that 196 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: the male emperor penguins are the only warm blooded animal 197 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:08,440 Speaker 1: to stay on the continent during the freezing winters. Apparently, 198 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: when the female lays an egg, it's a very were 199 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: pregnant situation, like the daddy bird sits on the family 200 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: egg keeping it warm while the mama penguin goes out 201 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: to sea for nine weeks and and then the mom's 202 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: return just before the eggs hatch, which is because you know, 203 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: male penguins are so woke. Glad you're able to work that. Alright, Well, 204 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: I actually have a funny penguin story to talk about, 205 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 1: and I also want to discuss the crazy ways Chile 206 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: and Argentina have, you know, tried to each claim part 207 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: of Antarctica as their own territory. But before we get 208 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: to that, let's take a quick break, all right, Mango, So, 209 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: how many times have we had a super talented poet 210 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: on the show? Has that happened before? I don't think 211 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: it's happened yet. I don't think it has either. I mean, 212 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: I know Tristan dabbles a little in poetry, but I mean, 213 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,600 Speaker 1: between us, they're they're not the best poems. But he's trying, 214 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,439 Speaker 1: he's trying ring hard. But we're super excited to have 215 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,080 Speaker 1: Jen Dilling Martin on the show today, and and as 216 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,920 Speaker 1: we discussed Jen as an accomplished poet, she's an associate 217 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 1: publisher at Riverhead, which is one of our favorite book 218 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: publishers in the world. But that's not the reason we've 219 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,719 Speaker 1: got her on today. We actually begged her to come 220 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: on because in two thousand and thirteen Jen became the 221 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,439 Speaker 1: Antarctic Artist in Residence and she used the six week 222 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: stint there to inspire her poetry. So Jen, welcome to 223 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:28,280 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius. Thank you so much. So, Jen, I 224 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:30,760 Speaker 1: know you're in pretty esteemed company as an artist in residence. 225 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,520 Speaker 1: I believe Werner Herzog was also an artist there too, 226 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: But can you tell us a little bit about how 227 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: you got that gig and what's included? Totally, it's this 228 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: incredible grant run through the National Science Foundation that they 229 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:45,079 Speaker 1: give to about two people a year from any discipline 230 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: at all to go make art inspired by the work 231 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,560 Speaker 1: that you then get to witness being done in Antarctica. Uh. 232 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:56,719 Speaker 1: It is a really elaborate application process that I think 233 00:11:56,720 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: weed's out the people interesting. You have to go through 234 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 1: all kinds of bureaucratic paperwork to just even apply for it. 235 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: But once accepted, you get to I mean, you get 236 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:09,480 Speaker 1: to lead the coolest life imaginable. You get to go 237 00:12:09,559 --> 00:12:12,400 Speaker 1: to any of the base camps that interests you. You 238 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: can ask the scientists any questions you want of them. 239 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: You get to travel all around the continent. I got 240 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: a helicopter pilot Ryan to take me um two different 241 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: base camps and basically it's just like the most incredible 242 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 1: experience that I will ever have in my life. So 243 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:30,679 Speaker 1: whatever it is you want to go and study as 244 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: an artist, do you ask for and they make it 245 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 1: all come together for you. Wow, that's uh, that's pretty incredible. 246 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,560 Speaker 1: I will say one of the things that surprised me 247 00:12:38,679 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: was was all the training that you talked about in 248 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: your first few weeks there. You know how to fix 249 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,119 Speaker 1: the snowmobile, how to pitch a tent and a blizzard. 250 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,120 Speaker 1: I'm just curious, like were you were you expecting that? 251 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: And can you talk a little bit about that experience? Absolutely, 252 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: you know, it's one of those things where it doesn't 253 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: really dawn on you, or at least I didn't dawn 254 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: on me fully until really down there, just how isolated 255 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: and vulnerable you are and in actually grave peril should 256 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:10,559 Speaker 1: anything go dramatically wrong on your visit, and there can 257 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: be winds so high even in the summer season on 258 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: the continent that they cannot get planes to and from 259 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 1: Antarctica for a week or two at the time, so 260 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: we're there to be a very bad accident, you could 261 00:13:21,559 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: be stuck with you know, the medical facilities of you know, 262 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: just like a small clinic to take care of you. 263 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: So um, they're they're very rigorous even before you go 264 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: down with getting all kinds of doctor and dental records, 265 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: and then upon arrival there's just an enormous battery of 266 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: trainings and tests and um presentations to make sure you're 267 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,760 Speaker 1: behaving as safely as possible and equipped for uh, you know, 268 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: as they call it, white out conditions which can arise 269 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,400 Speaker 1: sort of in less than an hour's time out of nowhere. 270 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:53,719 Speaker 1: So um, it is it is. It is pretty raw 271 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,080 Speaker 1: in a way that's hard to fully appreciate when we 272 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: live in a you know, within the first world nation 273 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: where help is just a simple mind one one call away. 274 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: And yeah, I mean I another thing I was fascinated 275 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: by was well, I spent a little time on your 276 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: tumbler page, which is so great, and uh, I was 277 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 1: fascinated by the specific gear you had to pick up 278 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 1: in New Zealand, and especially the bunny boots. Can you 279 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about why you have to 280 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:23,360 Speaker 1: take special care of them on airplanes. Yeah, as we 281 00:14:23,360 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 1: were preparing to leave New Zealand, there was all kinds 282 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: of kind of off hand information that they were just 283 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: throwing out there. And most everyone had been down to 284 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: Antarctica many times, when it was my first time, and 285 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: already I was trying to digest so much new information, 286 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: and very casually the guy handing out these huge, white, 287 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: eight pounds inflatable white bunny boots said, oh, yeah, don't 288 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: forget to open the valves so your boots don't explode 289 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: on the plane. It seemed like something that maybe they 290 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 1: should have emphasized even more directly and not just muttered 291 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: as they passed them across the table to me, But 292 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: the boots are pressurized in this actually the I guess 293 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: the air air cushions inside that keep them warm. But 294 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 1: because you take a you know, only semi pressurized military 295 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:12,520 Speaker 1: jet to Antarctica, the boots are in danger of exploding 296 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: from the pressure change on the plane. If you don't 297 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 1: open these little mini air valves on them. That's so crazy. 298 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: And the idea that these things called bunny boots are 299 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: so dangerous is amazing. The case of the exploding bunny boots. 300 00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:30,680 Speaker 1: You know, it was really fun looking at so many 301 00:15:30,720 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: of your photos from the trip, and one of the 302 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: things that struck me was just how intense the sun looks. 303 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: And I was curious to hear, you know, what was 304 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: it like to be in constant daylight? And was it 305 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 1: tough to figure out, you know, tricks that're going to 306 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: sleep each night? Totally? Yeah. You know, everyone talks and imagines, 307 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: you know, if you live in Scandinavia or Antarctica, like 308 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: how horrible must be when it's dark all the time. 309 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: But the truth is is actually equally horrible to have 310 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: it be light all the time, and not just sort 311 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,600 Speaker 1: of light, I mean like high noon light all the time. 312 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: And um, some of might say I was actually living 313 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: in a tent, which meant there's no there was just 314 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: no way for it to not be so glaringly bright, 315 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: and that light is bouncing off all the ice and 316 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,120 Speaker 1: the snow, and you do, you you do start to 317 00:16:16,120 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: get fatigued and just longing for one night of real 318 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: darkness and and sleep. Um, and the times that I 319 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: was in kind of a little hut or dorm situation. 320 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: I got so desperate that I actually took the wool 321 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: blanket and took kind of like some tax and tacked 322 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: it over the window to try to block all the 323 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: different cracks of light that kept coming in. It was 324 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 1: so kind of enervating by several weeks deep into it, 325 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: It's insane. Yeah. But the other thing that happens is 326 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: it's very easy to lose track of all time because 327 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 1: the sun isn't moving and so um, particularly at night 328 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 1: it was you know, you'd be hanging out with people 329 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 1: talking and drinking and you would feel like, oh, it's 330 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: probably like seven or a p m. And it's actually 331 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: two in the morning, and you've totally lost track of 332 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: all all passative time. It does really mess with with 333 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,480 Speaker 1: your mind. So I saw in your tumbler that you 334 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: visited an Antarctica Latin club, and I was curious, what 335 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:13,960 Speaker 1: are some of the other fun recreational activities we might 336 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: not have heard about. Oh, totally there. It's kind of 337 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,080 Speaker 1: like Oberlin, but with like weirder, really cool adults. I mean, 338 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: every night. We're probably fifteen or twenty different clubs or 339 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: activities that you could do that we're all just being 340 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: voluntarily taught by the awesome people of Antarctica who wanted 341 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: to share their talents and entertain each other. So everything 342 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,679 Speaker 1: from every kind of sport you can imagine too, you know, 343 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: knitting club, guitar club, chess club. People would give just 344 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: lectures and presentations on things that they were themselves studying. Uh, 345 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: and even people not showing up for clubs were always 346 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: up to something really weird. There was this very introverted 347 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 1: woman who I always saw like running around with pieces 348 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: of PBC pipe and they were all laid out on 349 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: this desk and I finally stopped in to ask what 350 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: was going on, and she goes, oh, oh, you know, 351 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: I'm I'm assembling a PVC harp, like a PVC and harp. 352 00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:14,399 Speaker 1: She's like, oh, yes, I'm sure you haven't heard that 353 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:18,399 Speaker 1: is say you can make a harp out of TVC. No, 354 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: I wasn't. I wasn't familiar. But I love that you 355 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 1: are committed to doing this down in your free time 356 00:18:24,200 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: on Intartica. So that's pretty great. Now, do you do 357 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 1: you think you'll have the chance to get back anytime soon. 358 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 1: You know, this is the saddest thing of at least 359 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: the way that I went is I don't know that 360 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: I will ever get to go back again, and pretty 361 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: much any other place any of us will go in 362 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:42,239 Speaker 1: our lives. You know, if you love it, you're like, oh, 363 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,280 Speaker 1: I can't wait to go back with my sister or 364 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,520 Speaker 1: my friend or my partner. But this is an experience 365 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: that I don't know that I will ever get to 366 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: go have again. So leaving was incredibly sad. Um I 367 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: will say, there's just an incredible global society of what 368 00:18:59,080 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: are called ice people, and it basically means that you 369 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: lived on Antarctica at some point, and there's just this 370 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: deep understanding and familiarity when you meet another ice person 371 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: in the real world. And I've stayed even now, several 372 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 1: years later, in very very close contact with a number 373 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,800 Speaker 1: of really dear friends I made while down there, and 374 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 1: I think there's something in that that connection that we 375 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,680 Speaker 1: all have shared this weird world. What would you want 376 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: to experience again? Oh wow, I just the vastness and 377 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: the untouched nous, Like I've I am a big traveler 378 00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,440 Speaker 1: and I've been to incredible places like the Sahara, the Himalayas, 379 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: but even they just have no the sense of scale, 380 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: and Antarctica is something so staggering and beyond anything that 381 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,399 Speaker 1: I had ever witnessed in my life. And again, besides 382 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: outer space, I don't think there's anything you could see 383 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: that would make you feel just so totally dwarfed as 384 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: a human um in a way that I find totally 385 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: freeing and exciting and so beautiful. To see so much 386 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: of the world that the in fact probably be the 387 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: only last part of the world that we haven't managed 388 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: to pave over we're destroying somewhere. Well, you'll be happy 389 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: to know that in one week we've spoken with an 390 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: astronaut and now someone who's been to Antarctica. I didn't 391 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:10,640 Speaker 1: even realize. I didn't even think about that, but in 392 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: in one in one week, so we spoke to uh 393 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: astronaut Chris Hadfield from from Canada on an episode about Canada. 394 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: But you know, for all of our listeners out there, 395 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 1: I hope you'll check out Jen's book, We Mammals and 396 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: Hospitable Times. It's a It's a terrific book, and Jen, 397 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: thanks so much for joining us on part time genius. 398 00:20:41,160 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: Welcome back to part time Genius, and we're talking Antarctica. 399 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: So will you said you had a funny penguin story 400 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: to tell I do, and that this is from Maggie 401 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: Kurth Baker and it's a piece on Boing Boying. But 402 00:20:51,359 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: you know, in the early nineteen hundreds, as Robert Scott 403 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 1: was making his way to the South Pole, he was 404 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,080 Speaker 1: accompanied by this surgeon named George Levic, and most to 405 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,680 Speaker 1: the team's observations were printed up in the team's official journals, 406 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: all except this one section of levis notes explicitly describing 407 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:13,240 Speaker 1: penguin sex, and apparently Levic witnessed penguin on penguin acts 408 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: so depraved that while he felt he had to document them, 409 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: he wrote them all in Greek rather than English. I 410 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,440 Speaker 1: don't know why that makes it better, but it's only 411 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,800 Speaker 1: recently that they've been discovered and added to the journals. 412 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:27,639 Speaker 1: But on the topic of sex, maybe now it's a 413 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: good time to talk about No not I was actually 414 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: gonna say how Chilly and Argentina have tried to use 415 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: pregnancies to their territorial advantage. But now I'm curious what 416 00:21:37,640 --> 00:21:40,040 Speaker 1: you have to say about tender so this is kind 417 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 1: of a ridiculous story. But Nolan found this bit about 418 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:45,520 Speaker 1: an American scientist who decided to log on too Tinder 419 00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: and Antarctica, and at first no one showed up on 420 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: his radar, but when he widened the radius, he found 421 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: a match of forty five minute helicopter right away. Unfortunately, 422 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,320 Speaker 1: the scientist he was chasing was in the field and 423 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: couldn't meet up, and they only met very briefly the 424 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: day she was leaving Antarctica. As he told the cut quote, 425 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: I've yet to become the first tender hook up in 426 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: Antarctic history. But she's actually coming back and we may overlap. 427 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: There's still hope. He's just a romantic, I guess. I guess. So. 428 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: I mean that's got to be pretty good press for Tender, though, 429 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: wouldn't you think, And you know that you can find 430 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 1: love or or lost whatever it is on any continent. Yeah, 431 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,640 Speaker 1: But but the scientists wanted to stay anonymous because you're 432 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: not supposed to be taking up airways with social apps. 433 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: I guess, like the Internet's this prize commodity down Antarctica 434 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: and netflix ing or using apps isn't really possible because 435 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:36,720 Speaker 1: it takes too much bandwidth. But let's talk Chilian Argentina. 436 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: That's a bummer. You can't use Netflix there. I didn't 437 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: know that, all right, So so so back to this topic. 438 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: So we've already said Antarctica doesn't really have towns, but 439 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:47,920 Speaker 1: Chile and Argentina have each set up the closest thing 440 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: to that. So Chile has v Los Astreas and Argentina 441 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: has Esperanza. Both areas have between fifty and eighty people 442 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: living there during the winters. They both have schools, gyms, 443 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 1: medical silities. But as The New York Times points out, 444 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: both of these so called towns were clear attempts to 445 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,119 Speaker 1: lay claim to Antarctica, you know, should the Antarctic Treaty 446 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,119 Speaker 1: be renegotiated, And the fact that the two countries are 447 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:15,360 Speaker 1: regional rivals only made the situation worse. Like when Pinochet 448 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: made a visit to Antarctic in the nineteen seventies, Argentina 449 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: felt like they were losing the upper hand, so soon 450 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: after his visit they quietly sent a pregnant woman and 451 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,520 Speaker 1: her third trimester so she could give birth to the 452 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: first quote native Antarctica. And according to Alice Obscura, the 453 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: joke was that you know, after they heard this, Chile 454 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: started sending down couples to conceive the first baby in 455 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: the region, since you know, some people think that birth 456 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: starts a conception there, but it's Argentina who's taken it 457 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: the farthest. In Argentina, it's illegal to show a map 458 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: of the country that doesn't include the section of Antarctica 459 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: that they consider. There's how bizarre. So I actually want 460 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,920 Speaker 1: to switch gears and talk entertainment. But before we do that, 461 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:58,080 Speaker 1: should we talk about why we're both so terrified to 462 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,600 Speaker 1: the continent And that's you know of those early explorer stories. Yeah, well, 463 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: the early explorer stories are definitely terrifying. And not only 464 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:09,119 Speaker 1: were they wearing things like well clothing which really just 465 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: absorbed the snow and kept them damn but but they 466 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,360 Speaker 1: couldn't stop being cold, like this guy, absolutely Cherry Garrard, 467 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: who sailed with Captain Scott to the South Pole. He 468 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:22,200 Speaker 1: said this about his teeth quote, the nerves of which 469 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: had been killed split to pieces from the chattering. His 470 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: account in the Antarctic trip was titled the worst journey 471 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: in the world. Yeah, he definitely wasn't glancing. And you 472 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: don't have to go that far back to see how 473 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: dangerous it can be. Like in two thousand and fourteen, 474 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 1: the British Halley six Research Station lost its power and 475 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: that is terrifying. There the closest help was like eighteen 476 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: hundred miles away in the Falkland Islands. There was no sun, 477 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: the temperature was negative sixty seven degrees fahrenheit, and the 478 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 1: winds were crazy. The only thing that worked was a 479 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: single satellite phone. But the staff somehow managed to patch 480 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:03,000 Speaker 1: the problem in nineteen hours and get limited electricity back. 481 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: Of course, they kind of dismissed it as being a 482 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: you know, not that big of a deal, and the 483 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:11,280 Speaker 1: station's electrician tweeted got Internet, lots of Yorkshire tea and 484 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: a big cattle. Really, what more do you need? Well? 485 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: I love that he was so calm. I was chatting 486 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: with Noland, our researcher, about this, and he was saying, 487 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: the worst story he read was about this Australian explorer 488 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,200 Speaker 1: Douglas Mawson. This is back in and I'm gonna tell 489 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:30,560 Speaker 1: the story here. So Mawson's this superstar geologist and he 490 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,879 Speaker 1: turns down Robert Scott's expedition to lead his own. But 491 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:37,679 Speaker 1: his story is so tragic. His timing was horrible, right, like, 492 00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: the blizzards were constant and winds off the coast were 493 00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: anywhere between fifty and two hundred miles per hour. He 494 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: split up his group into different assignments, and he led 495 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 1: a three man party to map the far eastern shore. 496 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: This was the most difficult journeys. He was trying to 497 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 1: map glaciers hundreds of miles away, and so everything terrible happens. 498 00:25:57,480 --> 00:25:59,960 Speaker 1: They make it about three hundred miles out pretty smoothly, 499 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: and then some weird, superstitious things happen, like this petrol, 500 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: which is this bird you never see this far inland, 501 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: comes out of nowhere and just crashes into the sled 502 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: and one of the huskies eats her young one of 503 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:15,560 Speaker 1: his colleagues gets snowblindness. Then a hundred fifty ft crevice 504 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:19,640 Speaker 1: opens up and swallows that colleague. Yeah, as well as 505 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: like their supplies and a dog, elements are just against them. 506 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: Then there's more snowblindness, their dogs die, They run out 507 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,960 Speaker 1: of food, so they have to eat their dogs. Masson's 508 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: other colleague falls sick and he carries them along even 509 00:26:32,560 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: though he has a fever and dysentery, and despite all 510 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,960 Speaker 1: his best efforts and trying to carry him, the palal 511 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,400 Speaker 1: passes away. So Mosson is basically alone at this point, 512 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 1: and he's weak and damaged too, but he somehow makes 513 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: it to this cash of supplies at this location called 514 00:26:47,280 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 1: Aladdin's Cave, and when he's there, another blizzard comes through 515 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: and he's trapped for five more days. But when he 516 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: finally makes it back to camp to meet up with 517 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 1: the other teams, it's just in time to see that 518 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: the expedition ship has left for Australia. The crew had 519 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: actually waited for him, but now he's watching the ship's 520 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,639 Speaker 1: sail away and yes to stay in Antarctica for another 521 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 1: winner before he returns home. And then the commercial ends 522 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:12,679 Speaker 1: and it says, come to Antarctica. I mean that is miserable, 523 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: and you're right, the elements just feel so raw and vicious. 524 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 1: But I think we should lighten us up a little 525 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:20,880 Speaker 1: bit with some events to put on your calendar if 526 00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: you're headed to Antarctica. So al right, here's a few 527 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: of them. If you like music, there's ice Stock, which 528 00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:29,919 Speaker 1: is Antarctica's woodstock. There's barbecue in bands and people in 529 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:34,200 Speaker 1: costumes there. There's also Freezing Man, which is Antarctica's burning man. 530 00:27:35,119 --> 00:27:37,800 Speaker 1: Midwinter Day is a big deal. It's his celebration held 531 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,640 Speaker 1: halfway through The Miserable Winner, when everyone huddles and watches 532 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 1: the shining. Apparently I don't know why they do this. 533 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:46,600 Speaker 1: Then there's the Ross Cup, where once a year the 534 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:49,919 Speaker 1: Americans play scientists from New Zealand and rugby and of 535 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: course the Kiwi's always slaughter the Americans and you know, 536 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: personally because they actually know how to play rugby. But 537 00:27:55,600 --> 00:27:58,639 Speaker 1: also they do that intimidating hawka dance that we've seen before. 538 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 1: This is, you know, all before they had the field. 539 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: That's pretty great. And there's one other tradition I actually love, 540 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: and it's the moving of the South Pole. How does 541 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,399 Speaker 1: that work? Well, it's because the ice shifts and so 542 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: the marker for the south pole moves about twenty five 543 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: or thirty feet every year. So there's this big ceremony 544 00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: that everyone from the South Pole station attends and the 545 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: south pole is recalibrated and then a new pole is 546 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 1: placed in that location. Those are also fun. So I 547 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:26,080 Speaker 1: also looked into some of the more standard things you 548 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:29,680 Speaker 1: could do, like people play cards and board games. Argentina 549 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,320 Speaker 1: also just set up this new movie theater. This might 550 00:28:32,359 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: be part of their ploy to seem like it's a 551 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 1: real town, because they also bring directors and actors there 552 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: to talk about the films, and they premiere new movies 553 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,760 Speaker 1: which are all subtitled for visitors. But all the bases 554 00:28:42,800 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 1: also have some version of the three hundred club, which 555 00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:47,080 Speaker 1: is where you sit in a sauna that's three hundred 556 00:28:47,120 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: degrees hotter than the temp outside, then you run through 557 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: the snow naked or do a polar plunge, and then 558 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: rush back in. I guess it's supposed to be exhilarating. 559 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: I just I've never understood the whole like polar bear 560 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 1: plunge thing that happens in so many places, and it 561 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,440 Speaker 1: just sounds even worse here. But so I was reading 562 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: on slate there's an antarctic saying that if it's twenty 563 00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: below and the wind ain't blowing, it ain't bad. It 564 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 1: sounds bad though, Yeah, I can't say that I would 565 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: agree with that statement. But the strangest mundane thing I 566 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: found that's actually no longer. There was a two lane 567 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,800 Speaker 1: bowling alley at McMurdo Station can you imagine bringing all 568 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 1: that wood down in materials to build a bowling alley. 569 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: It's yeah, it's kind of insane. But I found the 570 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:27,479 Speaker 1: photos on Laughing Squid. The alley was built in nine 571 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,280 Speaker 1: one and lasted for almost fifty years. It's funny. It 572 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:35,080 Speaker 1: used this Brunswick manual pin set system where an employee 573 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: had to pick up the fallen pins by hand and 574 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:40,240 Speaker 1: also send your bowling bowl back to you down this ramp, 575 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:43,040 Speaker 1: and when they finally tore it down in two thousand nine, 576 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: it was the only manual pin set system of that 577 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: type left in the world. Oh man, that's kind of 578 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: a kind of a shame. So so why did they 579 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,400 Speaker 1: end up tearing it down. Well, eventually the wood on 580 00:29:51,440 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 1: the lanes wore down, and replacing the bowling alley was 581 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 1: just too expensive. So they've turned it into a curling club, 582 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: and I would guess that ice is a little bit 583 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: easier to maintain. And you know what I found really 584 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:06,160 Speaker 1: interesting was just how much responsibility bartenders have an antarctic 585 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,640 Speaker 1: I mean's it's actually kind of an important job. Why 586 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,440 Speaker 1: is that? Well, obviously people want to drink, I mean 587 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: there's little else to do, so having a good bar 588 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: keep is comforting. But you know, even though people aren't 589 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: driving drunk, their real dangerous to drinking and Antarctica. I 590 00:30:20,840 --> 00:30:22,920 Speaker 1: was reading this account of a scientist who worked as 591 00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: the volunteer bartender at Club nineties south and this is 592 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: the bar at the South Pole station, and this is 593 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:31,760 Speaker 1: how he's quoted in the Guardian. It says I made 594 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,720 Speaker 1: it a point of honor to be the last person 595 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:36,400 Speaker 1: to leave the club each night. I learned to spot 596 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: the signs that someone was likely to wander drunkenly into 597 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:42,040 Speaker 1: the Antarctic night. And I heard too many stories of 598 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 1: people returning to base with hypothermia and frostbite. My theory 599 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 1: was it's easier to recover from too much drinking than 600 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:52,280 Speaker 1: to grow back a missing limb. I was happy only 601 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 1: when everyone was safely tucked up and accounted for, even 602 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: if it meant leaving them passed out on the bar's couch. 603 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 1: I mean, with that blinding snow, it's supposedly really easy 604 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 1: for people to get lost. I read this account from 605 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 1: the National History Museum where the scientists talked about how 606 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:10,160 Speaker 1: he and a colleague walked just two yards to get 607 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: snow samples, and they thought they were walking parallel to 608 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 1: this seismic tunnel and then they crossed it and almost 609 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:18,320 Speaker 1: fell in, and they weren't even slashed. They were like 610 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: totally sober. So I'm really glad the bartender has taken 611 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,920 Speaker 1: upon themselves to watch over their patrons. But by the way, 612 00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:27,000 Speaker 1: the strangest thing I read about drinking in an article 613 00:31:27,080 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: was that people often go outside to be sick, but 614 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: the stuff freezes as soon as it touches the ice, 615 00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,360 Speaker 1: so people are expected to clean up after themselves with 616 00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:38,160 Speaker 1: pick axes to chip that frozen grossness away and then 617 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:42,280 Speaker 1: throw it out all right. Well, on the flip side 618 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: of that, one thing I didn't expect to find an 619 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:48,240 Speaker 1: Antarctica was so many beautiful churches, definitely. So I saw 620 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,280 Speaker 1: this gallery of seven churches in Antarctica at Messy Messy 621 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: Chick and they were all gorgeous. My favorite was this 622 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:58,200 Speaker 1: beautiful Russian Orthodox church that's a wooden structure like you 623 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:00,560 Speaker 1: wouldn't think that would last through those wind but it's 624 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,680 Speaker 1: somehow survived. It's like the other miracle on ice exactly. 625 00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 1: I mean, they're all sorts of these churches. There's there's 626 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: a Catholic church that was built in an ice cave. 627 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: This Bulgarian church that's basically under the snow, you know, 628 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: except for the church bell. And it's kind of a 629 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: sweet thing that they ring it with some frequency, you know, 630 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 1: especially when you consider it was built for a four 631 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 1: member Bulgarian team. There's some inner faith churches, you know. 632 00:32:24,680 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: The priest is happy to conduct both Buddhist and Behigh 633 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: services as well. Well. I think we've covered where to 634 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: get sazzled and where to get saved, but I know 635 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:34,520 Speaker 1: we want to talk about why plumbers are the real 636 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:37,160 Speaker 1: heroes of Antarctica, or at least I do. So let's 637 00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:51,800 Speaker 1: take a quick break and then discuss Welcome back to 638 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,760 Speaker 1: Part time Genius. Now, before the break, Mango, you were 639 00:32:53,800 --> 00:32:57,160 Speaker 1: making some pretty big statements about plumbers and Antarctica. I 640 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:01,200 Speaker 1: was reading about Brendan Hopkins, who's this Australian plumber at 641 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,640 Speaker 1: the Casey Station, and he was talking about how he's 642 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:05,640 Speaker 1: tricked out the pipes so they don't freeze in this 643 00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:08,280 Speaker 1: crazy climate. I mean, that's an important thing. And so 644 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:10,880 Speaker 1: for most of the pipes, water is constantly running through them, 645 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: but that isn't the case with the sewer lines. So 646 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: it's really complicated when you hit the flush. Like to 647 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 1: keep the sewer pipes from freezing, his team runs these 648 00:33:19,440 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: electric cables around the pipes just to heat the pipes. 649 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,320 Speaker 1: And because no ways can be left in Antarctica, he's 650 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:29,080 Speaker 1: built this crazy wastewater treatment plant that filters the waste 651 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: multiple times with microbes. And there's even this additive that 652 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,880 Speaker 1: he uses to help package and reduce the ways so 653 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: it can be shipped off the continent. He has this 654 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: pager set up just to watch the sewer systems at 655 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,320 Speaker 1: all times, because fixing it is an enormous task. But 656 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: the one perk that the electricians and plumbers get is 657 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: taking turns brewing beer. While they're supposedly sworn enemies in 658 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: their natural habitat. According to Brendan, they get along swimmingly 659 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 1: in Antarctica. It's pretty fun, you know. I actually think 660 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,320 Speaker 1: of being a chef down there is pretty darn heroic 661 00:33:59,360 --> 00:34:01,920 Speaker 1: as well. In fact, it's an honor to be chosen 662 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: to cook at the Concordia base there, you know, since 663 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 1: you actually have to win a lottery to work at 664 00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 1: the French and Italian base. But before you can even 665 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,600 Speaker 1: put your name and you have to demonstrate a mastery 666 00:34:11,640 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: of numerous international cuisines, and you have to be a 667 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 1: work course. I mean you're making all three meals a 668 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: day by yourself for the crew there. But the cook 669 00:34:20,719 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: seems to love the high pressure environment and the food 670 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 1: is top notch. Lonely Planet calls it the best cuisine 671 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: in Antarctica, with the seven course Sunday lunches being the 672 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,640 Speaker 1: absolute highlight. Well, speaking of absolute highlights, you know what 673 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: time it is? Time for the PTG fact off, let's 674 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: do it. H Do you know that Antarctica is one 675 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: of the best places in the world to find meteor rights? 676 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: Apparently that snow white landscape is perfect for finding space junk. 677 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: I mean everywhere else in the world, it's so much 678 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,960 Speaker 1: more difficult. Oh that's interesting, Well I've got one here. 679 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:01,399 Speaker 1: So Metallica once played a concert in Antarctica and they 680 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,400 Speaker 1: did this just to be the first band to play 681 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,840 Speaker 1: on all seven continents. Pretty impressive. Uh yeah, and Metallica 682 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:09,719 Speaker 1: is so cool. Do you know what small icebergs are called. 683 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:12,799 Speaker 1: I don't. They're called growlers. They're usually the size of 684 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: a grand piano or a truck, and if you want 685 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:18,160 Speaker 1: to upgrade to a medium sized iceberg. Those are called 686 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:23,200 Speaker 1: burgie bits burgs. Nice. Well, according to Australia's government site, 687 00:35:23,239 --> 00:35:26,560 Speaker 1: doctors who winter in Antarctica must have their appendix removed 688 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:29,800 Speaker 1: before traveling there. That's because they don't want anyone having 689 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:34,800 Speaker 1: appendicitis while they're Oh, that's crazy. So this summer in Edinburgh, 690 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,879 Speaker 1: geographic survey found ninety one volcanoes hiding two kilometers under 691 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,360 Speaker 1: the ice and Antarctica. It's apparently the largest volcanic region 692 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,160 Speaker 1: on Earth. All right. Well, when scientists discovered a new 693 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: species of yeti crab living in the thermal vents under Antarctica, 694 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 1: they were so impressed with its hairy chest that they 695 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,880 Speaker 1: named it for David Hasselhoff. It's affectionately known as the 696 00:35:55,960 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 1: Hoff crabf crab. I've actually seen that critter, and I 697 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:02,520 Speaker 1: think it's way better looking than its namesake. But I 698 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 1: do love that fact. So why don't you take home 699 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 1: today's trophy? I can do that, all right, Well, that's 700 00:36:06,800 --> 00:36:09,040 Speaker 1: it for today's show. If you have any Antarctica facts 701 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:11,000 Speaker 1: you're dying to tell us, don't forget. You can always 702 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:13,719 Speaker 1: drop us a line on our seven Fact hot line 703 00:36:14,040 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 1: one eight four four pt Genius or email us at 704 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,839 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius at how stuff works dot com. Thanks 705 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:35,040 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Thanks again for listening. Part Time 706 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,320 Speaker 1: Genius is a production of How Stuff Works and wouldn't 707 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:40,080 Speaker 1: be possible without several brilliant people who do the important 708 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: things we couldn't even begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does 709 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 1: the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song and 710 00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:48,360 Speaker 1: does the mixy mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the 711 00:36:48,400 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 1: exact producer thing. Gay Bluesier is our lead researcher, with 712 00:36:51,600 --> 00:36:54,719 Speaker 1: support from the research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown 713 00:36:54,760 --> 00:36:56,879 Speaker 1: and Lucas Adams and even Jeff Cook gets the show 714 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,120 Speaker 1: to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like what 715 00:36:59,200 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you really 716 00:37:01,200 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 1: really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave a 717 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:05,280 Speaker 1: good review for us. Do we do? We forget Jason? 718 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:06,200 Speaker 1: Jason who