Inthisdeepcutfrom2012,wearesearchingforplatonicidealslongingforcompletion,engagedinepicquestsforholygrailsinscience,linguistics,andworldpeace.Andalongtheway,we’llmeetthedreamersandmeasurejusthowimpossibletheirdreamsare.
First:aperfectmoment.Onday86ofa3-monthtrektoandfromtheSouthPole,adventurerAleksanderGamme(https://zpr.io/ryaJzt5vaNTZ)discoveredsomethinghe'dstashedundertheiceatthestartofhistrip.Hewasn'texpectingsucharushofhappinessinthatcold,hungryinstant,buthehittheblissjackpot.ProducerTimHoward(https://zpr.io/bfxEEMYHf5vT)bringsustheincredibleandtragicstoryofCharlesBliss--themanthatinspiredthisshow.AsCharles'sfriendRichardUreandwriterArikaOkrent(https://zpr.io/3gjsdSePpQbG)explain,Blissbelievedthatwarwasoftencausedbythemisuseoflanguage.HavinglivedthroughthehellofNaziconcentrationcamps,hesetaboutcreatingtheperfectlanguage,basedonsymbolsandlogic.Yearslater,ShirleyMcNaughtonaccidentallydiscoveredit,andstartedusingittocommunicatewithherstudents--kidswithcerebralpalsywhoquicklypickedupthelanguageandmadeittheirown.Atfirst,Charleswasthrilled...untilhestartedtofeelhisoriginaldreamofsavingtheworldwasslippingfromhisfingers.Andfinally,co-hostLatifNasser(https://zpr.io/pJsnQSYWJLTe)explainshow,onacold,snowyfarminVermontin1880,akidnamedWilsonBentleyputasnowflakeunderamicroscopeandstartedalifelongquesttocaptureperfection.
EPISODECREDITS:Reportedby-TimHowardProducedby-TimHoward
CITATIONS:
Videos:
Aleksanderandhisgloriousgifttohisfutureself.(https://zpr.io/STUpZqWqrBwy)Books:
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ArikaOkrent,IntheLandofInventedLanguage(https://zpr.io/uqBLpYQr7xNT)
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LorraineDastonandPeterGalison,Objectivity(https://zpr.io/JpdC8rS7Uqjq)
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DuncanC.Blanchard,TheSnowflakeMan:ABiographyofWilsonABentley(https://zpr.io/YaqeAw4XucRT)
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KenLibbrecht,TheSecretLifeofaSnowflake:AnUp-CloseLookattheArtandScienceofSnowflakes(https://zpr.io/DtZrbyFc3M75),KenLibbrecht'sFieldGuidetoSnowflakes(https://zpr.io/wg79x4HPCFun)
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W.A.Bentley,SnowflakesinPhotographs(https://zpr.io/ccQfy9ZGFDDh)
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