Things are heating up in the deepest frozen places. Newsweek ran a startling story yesterday headlined, “Scientists trapped in Antarctica plead for help as violence breaks out.” You’ll instantly recognize the story, since it was exactly like the setup of countless horror-survival movies. All it needs is aliens.
A team of climate scientists hunkers down for a 10-month winter in a remote Antarctic base cut off from civilization. They have all been vetted by detailed psychometric evaluations and probed by psychological profiling— but the doctors must have missed something.
The team is completely isolated on its cliffside base, where the typical winter temperature deep freezes to -23C, and wind speeds can reach a punishing 150mph. It is 2,500 miles from South Africa’s closest point, meaning there is zero outside human contact during the ten-month overwintering period.
The assignment is a glacial pressure cooker.
Last week, South Africa got a desperate call for help from its stranded team, the South Africa National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE IV). A frantic email from the base said one of the scientists is growing increasingly mentally unstable. He is physically and sexually assaulting the other scientists.
“His behavior has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence," the tersely-worded email said. “It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
South Africa’s environmental minister told the Sunday Times that “people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.” It has happened before. People Magazine’s story reported that six years ago, someone was removed from South Africa’s Marion Island base after “allegedly running amok with an axe.”
In most cases, running amok with an axe can safely be considered a “red flag.” I think there was a famous movie about that particular theme, actually.
Anyway, an “environment of fear and intimidation” now permeates the SANAE IV base. Anxiety is spiraling out of control. “I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim,” the unnamed scientist pleaded.
Because of the base’s remote location, it’s not clear whether any immediate action can be taken. It will take months for weather conditions to allow the South Africans to safely mount a relief expedition. But Germany’s Neumayer Station III base lies ‘just’ 186 miles east from SANAE IV. Maybe the German climate scientists can go fight him.
There’s a little good news: South African shrinks are on the job. They have been counseling the team members daily about ‘coping mechanisms’ and strategies for better ‘handling interpersonal conflicts’ with axe-wielding maniacs. But we’ve all seen the movie. Next, the battery cables in the snowmobiles will be mysteriously cut, and then the satellite uplink will be chopped into splinters in the middle of the night.
I’m not saying that you have to be crazy as a rabid penguin to take this kind of job. But it helps. We’ll pray for the terrified climate scientists. Paging John Carpenter.
www.coffeeandcovid.com
A team of climate scientists hunkers down for a 10-month winter in a remote Antarctic base cut off from civilization. They have all been vetted by detailed psychometric evaluations and probed by psychological profiling— but the doctors must have missed something.
The team is completely isolated on its cliffside base, where the typical winter temperature deep freezes to -23C, and wind speeds can reach a punishing 150mph. It is 2,500 miles from South Africa’s closest point, meaning there is zero outside human contact during the ten-month overwintering period.
The assignment is a glacial pressure cooker.
Last week, South Africa got a desperate call for help from its stranded team, the South Africa National Antarctic Expedition (SANAE IV). A frantic email from the base said one of the scientists is growing increasingly mentally unstable. He is physically and sexually assaulting the other scientists.
“His behavior has become increasingly egregious, and I am experiencing significant difficulty in feeling secure in his presence," the tersely-worded email said. “It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
South Africa’s environmental minister told the Sunday Times that “people do get cabin fever. It can be very disorientating.” It has happened before. People Magazine’s story reported that six years ago, someone was removed from South Africa’s Marion Island base after “allegedly running amok with an axe.”
In most cases, running amok with an axe can safely be considered a “red flag.” I think there was a famous movie about that particular theme, actually.
Anyway, an “environment of fear and intimidation” now permeates the SANAE IV base. Anxiety is spiraling out of control. “I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim,” the unnamed scientist pleaded.
Because of the base’s remote location, it’s not clear whether any immediate action can be taken. It will take months for weather conditions to allow the South Africans to safely mount a relief expedition. But Germany’s Neumayer Station III base lies ‘just’ 186 miles east from SANAE IV. Maybe the German climate scientists can go fight him.
There’s a little good news: South African shrinks are on the job. They have been counseling the team members daily about ‘coping mechanisms’ and strategies for better ‘handling interpersonal conflicts’ with axe-wielding maniacs. But we’ve all seen the movie. Next, the battery cables in the snowmobiles will be mysteriously cut, and then the satellite uplink will be chopped into splinters in the middle of the night.
I’m not saying that you have to be crazy as a rabid penguin to take this kind of job. But it helps. We’ll pray for the terrified climate scientists. Paging John Carpenter.
☕️ MAGIC MONEY ☙ Tuesday, March 18, 2025 ☙ C&C NEWS 🦠
Antarctic madness unfolds; DOGE exposes magic money printers; gold surges; a ‘peace’ think tank declares war (and loses); Trump’s DEI ban survives a lefty court challenge; and much more.
www.coffeeandcovid.com
