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South Pole Race: When the Limeys Get Scurvy

South Pole Race: When the Limeys Get Scurvy

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford


South Pole Race: When the Limeys Get Scurvy

FromCautionary Tales with Tim Harford

ratings:
Length:
34 minutes
Released:
Aug 12, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

Polar exploration is dangerous... but trudging hundreds of miles in subzero temperatures isn't made any easier if you're suffering from scurvy. The deadly vitamin deficiency destroys the body and will of even the strongest and most determined adventurer - and it seems that scurvy stuck down the ill-fated expedition of Captain Scott. 
But scurvy... in 1912? Hadn't the Royal Navy to which Scott belonged famously cracked the problem of scurvy a century before, with a daily dose of lime juice? How did the 'Limeys' seemingly unlearn that lesson? 
For a full list of sources go to timharford.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Released:
Aug 12, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They'll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.