Ice Coffee: The History Of Human Activity In Antarctica

Argentina and Britain needle each other over what huts go where around the Antarctica Peninsula and notes of protest change hands at a fevered pace. Hot heads at low temperatures lead to a low ebb in high latitudes camaraderie ashore at Hope Bayhia Esperanza. And Chile was there, too. 

Yet another amazing interview through which to inform you and by which to relieve myself of the burden to write and record a chronological narrative episode this month.  "Ice Coffee": where me goofing off and being lazy still results in audio gold. 

Professor Meredith Nash spent two years studying and reporting on the culture within the Australian Antarctic Division.  Their findings, released late in 2022, may prove a turning point in the history of Australia's presence in Antarctica.  Professor Nash spoke to me about their research and their experiences in Antarctica as part of the inaugural Homeward Bound voyage. Michael Marshall knows more about the flat Earth movement than anyone who doesn't believe the Earth is flat, and many of those who do, too.  Marsh spoke to me about how Antarctica fits into the history of and the models put forward by flat Earth adherents.  Finally, an important update about the past and the future of "Ice Coffee."

Josh Jensen spent an austral summer keeping LC-130 Ski Hercules operational out of McMurdo.  I spoke to him about the challenges that throws up and found out the days of boiling a pot of oil over the stove and pouring it into the sump ended with the last big roundy engines to depart the continent in the 1970s. Cheers to Josh for putting aside time to discuss the confluence of my two of my favourite things: Antarctica and aviation. 

Some historical and political context for the Russian return south in Soviet Union form.  Bolsheviks: form soviets and roll out.

I haven't interviewed other Antarctic podcasters because that would make for dull content. "Do you press record?  Wow!  I do, too!  Hey, how good is Audacity?  Antarctica's cold, huh?" This episode I interview Samantha Hodder about her Antarctic podcast because the stories told in her series, "This Is Our Time," lie so far outside those recounted in my series that there's a lot to discuss beyond the bones of the medium.  

Paul Emile-Victor's charges are ashore and charging.  But wait, there's more. Call now and get this free base fire valued at over five buildings.

Port Martin. Port Au Francaise. Port Malloy. Port Jean d'Arc. You'd think the French would switch up it with some cognac or cointreau. 

If you set an AI process in motion to build a hard as nails nineteenth century seadog you'd likely arrive at Dave Donnelly in ninety-nine percent of your iterations.  Dave looks and moves through the world as though he just stepped out of the pages of a Joseph Conrad book.  Have a listen to episode 140 to understand why I value Dave's company and regularly seek out his insights into whale biology. 

Professor Daniella McCahey of Texas Tech discusses sexism at Antarctic stations.  * Except by HamiltonSuites, who should lie on their left side, raise their right knee to their chest, lubricate this episode and stick it up their arse.

Ice'll kill ya' That's what I said Ice'll kill ya' And then you'll be dead

Thomas Walkington speaks about the wreck of the Pegasus and his time on the ice as part of VXE-6. Jim Butler showers praise on me and my output after discussing how he engages with Antarctica from half a world away. Jeff Maynard maps how he chose what to include and what to leave out of his most recent book about Sir Hubert Wilkins. Strap your ears in, folks. This is a big 'un. 

I wasn't expecting the Greek shipping magnate.

Three members of the NBSAE drown in an accident on the barrier edge.  Every other member of the NBSAE does their bit in making the project one of the most productive and smooth running examples of its type and of its time.  Besides kicking off or sustaining the high latitudes careers of several scientist with extremely long Ice Coffee legs the glaciology, geology and meteorology carried out during the two winters and three summers spent at Maudheim gave the footing for and set a high bar for subsequent scientific projects coming down the IGY pike. 

John Giaever storms it in as a high latitudes can-do-mo-fo with an international team of scientists.  No matter how many committees got involved and put their bureaucratic handbrake on the NBSAE, the residents of Maudheim got south and got on with their data gathering and trail prep.

The role of ham radio operators in keeping Antarcticans sane through the long dark is given some attention.  Additional audio of Vivian Fuchs speaking to Donald Milner at the BBC was made available by Thomas Henderson of Graceful Willow Productions and with the permission of Jules Madey (http://www.gwillow.com/) The music closing out this episode is "Can you hear me: part 1" composed by Wally Gunn (http://www.wallygunn.com/) and performed by Passepartout Duo (https://passepartoutduo.com/).

A brief and patchy history of Chile as context for the nation's expeditions southward in the twentieth century. 

Heard and Macquarrie Islands: tragedy, rockets, sheep, and ham.

The first Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition gets moving.  Led my Campbell, informed by Mawson, and ignoring any potential input from Davis, the first foryas didn't kick all the committee proposed goals but a start is a start. Heard Island. Macquarrie Island. The last Antarctic outing of the Wyatt Earp.  The first Antarctic outing of LST 3501, which was almost also the last.

A mixed bag of achievements and tragedy for the 1948 FIDS. New faces with big Antarctic careers ahead of them show up in the narrative. If you are working through the series in order and don't usually listen to episodes immediately after they're released I urge you to give this one an early play as there's an important message about pies near the end that's only relevant for the weeks immediately after I hit the "Publish" button.