Insanity in the name of Science?

There is an age of the exploration of Antarctica labeled “The Heroic Age”. Between 1897 and 1922, there were 17 major expedition by 10 countries. Some for fame – such as the race to the South Pole – and some for pure science.

The Australasian Antarctic expedition of 1911 – 1914, was of the latter kind. Leaving from Hobart on December 2, 1911, they would not return until February 26, 1914.

Led by the intrepid Sir Douglas Mawson, it delivered a treasure trove of Antarctic maps, terrestrial biological studies, meteorological measurements and observations, oceanography and tests of modern wireless communication across large distances.

The conditions they lived under were difficult, to say the least. Yes, there was a tragedy, part of which is discussed in the link below:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australasian_Antarctic_Expedition

Today, in Hobart, there is an exact replica of the wooden huts that housed 18 men! It is an extraordinary thing to visit. These were hard men who were driven by a “need to know”.