EP1: From Timekeeping to Antarctica: The Human Drive for Wonder and Discovery

Esplicito

This episode starts with the topic of humans' relationship with time and timekeeping and finishes with a narrative about the race to be the first people to reach the South Pole in Antarctica. There's a good deal in the middle connecting these ideas, and that part was a lot of fun for me to learn. You'll have to listen to understand how they're connected.

What did I learn from writing this episode?

Well, without spoiling anything, I learned about how hindsight frames our world and what we know about it to a large degree. When something works out great, the risks taken seem worth it. But when they don't pan out, it becomes easy to be more critical. A lot of times, the difference between victory and defeat comes down to luck. When doing future research, I will try to hold back on any harsh judgments for failure until I have a complete pi ...