Saturday, July 10, 2010

U-chan's birthday!

We three musketeers celebrated with a trip to the American Museum of Natural History. Some logistical issues - I misunderstood which 5th Ave entrance, U-chan misunderstood which train - but G-san got us all sorted out in time to meet a penguin and see the Race to the End of the Earth exhibit.

The south pole expedition is set up in a way that unemotionally compares the Norwegians' well-planned expedition with the British one, allowing visitors to see for themselves the mistakes and inevitable failure of Scott and his men.

How did the leaders select their men? Scott chose 60+ men with upper crust credentials, including (as I recall) a few paying volunteers. Amundsen chose 18 hardy outdoor men.
How did they gear up? The Norwegians learned from the Inuits, bringing sled dogs and animal skins. The British seem to have planned from the comfort of their armchairs, bringing ponies and woven clothing.
How did the two expeditions spend their forced wait over the winter months? The British wrote letters home and engaged in scholarly and scientific pursuits. The Norwegians tested and refined their equipment under the harsh local conditions, solving difficult practical problems like leaking fuel tanks (which was literally the difference between life and death).

Over and over again, we see how carefully the Norwegians planned and focused on their goal. They achieved it ahead of schedule and without losing a single man. Ironically, they brought more than they needed, and yet much less than the British. (They ended with extra dogs to sell to another expedition. And they were even able to leave some supplies behind for the British as they returned to their ship; they chose not to leave fuel, however, because they didn't want to risk the lives of their men if they ran into unexpectedly bad conditions.)

The timeline comparing where each expedition was at each time is particularly compelling.

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