Chapter 1807 The Polar Regions Are Not a Place for Humans
The 'neighbor on the other side of the earth' that Moiseyev mentioned was not really referring to America, but to the South Pole.
There are scientific research stations of many countries in Antarctica, and the relationship between them is relatively harmonious - after all, there are only a few people on such a vast land.
But polar life is really not as romantic as imagined. If you ask all those who live in the polar regions to describe their feelings in one word, I am afraid that the first word that most people think of is "boring".
It's really boring. You may not believe it, but the biggest event there is the chess tournament held at Australia's Davis Antarctic Station, where people from all the research stations gather together to play chess...
However, everyone will be cautious when playing chess with Russians: in 1959, a murder occurred at the Soviet Union's Vostok Antarctic Station: two scientific researchers had a dispute over chess while playing, and one of them picked up an axe and killed the other.
Since then, the Soviet Union, including the current Russian Antarctic research station, has banned chess sets. When playing chess with Russians, everyone is always on edge: "This is a game that could cost someone their life!"
In fact, accidents often happen in Antarctica. Just two years ago, a homicide occurred at the Russian Bellingshausen Station on King George Island in Antarctica - it was an attempted murder to be more precise, as the victim was stabbed several times but failed to die.
Both parties involved in the incident were Russians again, and the reason this time was even more ridiculous than the last time: when one person was reading a book, the other person saw that he had read the book before, so he spoiled the rest of the story, which angered the person reading the book, so he picked up a knife and started chopping!
See, spoilers be damned!
In fact, such things are not only happening to Russians. In 1983, a doctor from the Chilean Antarctic research station directly set fire to his own country's research station, and his reason was even more shocking: he just wanted to spend the winter somewhere else. Similar cases also happen from time to time in other countries. Basically, they are all because of various trivial matters.
The reason this happened was sheer boredom. Just like King George Island, home to the Bellingshausen Station, there were only about 25 people on the island at full capacity. It was basically just a few grown men living together day and night, with no other entertainment options. They had a TV that could receive two channels, a library, an exercise room, and a small chapel. And they couldn't leave their homes. It would be crazy to be in such an environment!
The pressure is too great!
In such an isolated environment, many people are on the verge of mental breakdown. Many Antarctic expedition members suffer from mental illness or violent tendencies.
Of course, there are also good people in Antarctica. Both China and the United States have done quite well in this regard. They both have several Antarctic scientific research stations that have been established for decades, and no cases have occurred.
However, the reasons why these two countries did not encounter any problems are quite different.
What about Daxia? They prioritize the spiritual well-being of their expedition members, providing broadband internet early on, allowing them to call home for assistance. Originally, the entire station shared 4Mbps broadband, but now they've upgraded to 5G. Daxia is doing a really good job of this, prioritizing the spiritual well-being of its members. Haven't you noticed there's a live broadcast on the space station now?
And the Americans? That’s amazing!
Their solution to mental problems relies on two things: First, the human wave tactic! Second, drugs, alcohol, and "raincoats"...
The total number of scientific expedition teams from all over the world in Antarctica now may not be as large as that of the United States alone.
McMurdo Station alone has over 200 staff members stationed there year-round, not counting those who visit for "visits and exchanges" from September to February. Basically, there are 2,000 people in the summer and 200 in the winter.
Why are there so many people there? The reason is simple: their research stations are not as shabby as those in Russia. They have clubs, bars, cinemas, and shopping malls!
After all, those in Antarctica are "scientists and heroes," so of course there needs to be someone dedicated to taking care of their daily needs. Consequently, their research stations employ dedicated cleaners, construction workers, and logistics personnel, significantly increasing the number of people on board. Unlike other research stations, where one person juggles multiple roles, it's only in recent years, when Daxia became wealthy, that they've started hiring full-time chefs at their Antarctic research stations. Previously, these chefs were often hired part-time by the station's scientists themselves.
As for the Americans, they are rich and powerful, so they just spend a little more money.
As for the second one, it is quite surprising.
March to August every year is the winter in Antarctica, which is also the coldest and darkest time in Antarctica. At that time, people living in scientific research stations are under great mental pressure. The American scientists there have a special way to keep warm, which is "bang bang bang".
McMurdo is just one of five Antarctic research stations, and every Antarctic winter, they use over 16,500 umbrellas, an average of 120 umbrellas per person.
Even though most of the scientific researchers there are married, it doesn't stop them from looking for an 'Ice Snow Wife' or 'Ice Snow Husband', and sometimes they switch to keep things fresh.
Originally, this was a "secret that cannot be told," but a former McMurdo Station employee exposed the matter and wrote a book that sold well. He even sold the book to HBO TV station to have them make a TV series. Thus, a scandal that shocked the world scientific community was exposed.
Putting himself in Xiao Peng's shoes, he felt like he was on the verge of a breakdown after spending more than a month in the "Shamrock". He was so bored that he braved the temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius to play with snow sculptures to kill time. What about the scientific researchers in Antarctica?
Scientists are human beings too.
But this matter is indeed quite destructive...
Russia's approach is still simple and crude: there are only a few women in such a large military base, and they are all middle-aged women. On the one hand, it can alleviate the problem of excess male hormones here, and on the other hand, it can avoid scandals to the greatest extent.
Of course, there are definitely those who are not picky about food. Auntie herself has needs too, right?
During the time Xiao Peng was here, many middle-aged women came to him to ask about his well-being. Xiao Peng was almost on the verge of collapse: he really felt that he would be a little sorry for himself if he did that!
Now that Moiseev is back, he should be able to bring results.
No, he has to leave here regardless of whether he brings it back or not!
Whether it is Antarctica or the North Pole, the polar regions are not places for people to stay!
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