logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
33m 20s

South Pole Race: David and Goliath on Ic...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

1910: Two men are racing to be the first to reach the South Pole. Captain Robert Falcon Scott heads a well-financed, technologically-advanced expedition - aiming to reach the pole in the "proper" and heroic way... on foot. Roald Amundsen's effort is more modest, relying on cheap sled dogs to carry him to victory. 

Scott - for all his money, for all his fancy equipment, for all his backing from the mighty Royal Navy - is doomed to failure in the icy wastes of Antarctica. Why?

For a full list of sources go to timharford.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Sep 11
Talent, Time and Money: The Curse of General Magic
It's 1990. A new company called General Magic is going to build its vision of the future: the smart phone. They have talent, almost unlimited cash, and a 15 year head start on the iPhone. What could go wrong? This episode was based, with permission, on David Epstein's book Inside ... Show More
38m 36s
Sep 4
Evel Knievel Faces the Abyss
Evel Knievel, the world-famous daredevil, is planning his greatest ever stunt. In 1974, he wants to leap over Snake River Canyon in Idaho. The chasm is almost a third of a mile wide, much bigger than any jump he's done before. To make it work, he'll need a custom-made rocket-powe ... Show More
40m 22s
Aug 28
Dumm und Dümmer: Hitler Invades Florida
In 1942, eight men are sent from Nazi Germany to infiltrate America. Their mission: to sabotage critical infrastructure. Their problem: they're idiots. Operation Pastorius soon devolves into one of the most baffling failures of World War II. For a list of sources, see the show no ... Show More
39m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
#418 | The Race To The South Pole
It is the most amazing story of success, failure against the odds, and a race to get to the bottom of the world. In this episode, we will be talking about explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott, and their intense Race to the South Pole. Antarctic expedition in 1911 Norw ... Show More
25m 5s
Mar 2022
SYMHC Classics: The Race to the South Pole
This 2010 episode from previous hosts Katie and Sarah covers Scott and Amundsen launching rival expeditions to the South Pole. knowing only one group could be the first to reach the pole. Each believed his strategy would prevail, but which explorer won?See omnystudio.com/listener ... Show More
21m 53s
Sep 2021
Endurance: Surviving Antarctica | Hope | 5
In a final attempt to get his men home, Ernest Shackleton and his crew have to get through the Drake Passage, the most dangerous stretch of ocean in the world. And that’s just the beginning. When they reach their goal of South Georgia island, they realize the only way to reach ci ... Show More
46m 23s
Jun 2024
Pack ice, seal fat and the big slide: Tim and Ernest's incredible journey
<p>Tim Jarvis takes you on his adventures, following in the footsteps of explorer Ernest Shackleton, who tried valiantly to cross Antarctica from sea to sea, from 1914-17 (R)</p> 
50m 54s
Jun 2024
Swept Away in Antarctica: Great White Chaos
Two friends from Australia attempt the first unsupported crossing of the Antarctic Peninsula. The brutal conditions of the world’s southernmost continent have defeated many an intrepid explorer. But Peter Bland and Jay Watson are undeterred. Disaster strikes though, in the middle ... Show More
54m 46s
Aug 2021
Endurance: Surviving Antarctica | Obsession | 1
In March 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton works to put together a crew of twenty-eight men to sail from England to Antarctica. It was a new continent untouched by humanity that only the most adventurous men dared to explore—men who yearned to be the first to see what no other person h ... Show More
46m 58s
Aug 2021
Endurance: Surviving Antarctica | Determination | 3
Ernest Shackleton and his men are trapped on an ice floe off the coast of Antarctica. Tensions are running high, and rations are dwindling quickly. Shackleton is unsure how they are going to survive. Escaping the ice seems nearly impossible. The crew must remain determined if the ... Show More
44m 9s
Aug 2021
Endurance: Surviving Antarctica | Perseverance | 4
Ernest Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men were finally able to set sail for Elephant Island, but now the boats have been separated. They’ll have to endure the sea’s wrath. Shackleton’s crew must win the battle against the arctic’s unruly, icy waters if they ever plan to ... Show More
46m 2s
Feb 2025
Nome Serum Run: Race Against Death | The Ice Factory | 2
The diphtheria outbreak in Nome is spreading fast as a relay of dogsled teams races across Alaska, carrying the only available medicine. Leonard Seppala knows that if he and his lead dog Togo take a shortcut across the frozen Norton Sound, they can shave off precious time and mak ... Show More
43m 8s
Jun 2025
Scott of the Antarctic
Ryan Geertsma and Marina Santee tell the story of Robert Scott. One hundred years ago, Scott battled the terrible conditions of Antarctica to explore the continent.https://spotlightenglish.com/uncategorized/scott-of-the-antarctic/Download our app for Android at http://bit.ly/spot ... Show More
15m 5s