119: Surviving Against All Odds: Endurance by Alfred Lansing

Dec 11, 2024

Dive into the thrilling saga of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, where a crew of 28 men battled extreme conditions for nearly two years. Discover the profound impact of Shackleton's leadership and how it averted madness among his men. Explore the intersection of historical expeditions with modern space missions, and debate whether past generations were tougher. Reflect on gripping survival tales from Elephant Island and the psychological challenges of isolation. This journey is a testament to human endurance and resilience in the face of dire circumstances.

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ANECDOTE

Nat's Antarctic Adventure

Nat Eliason read Endurance while visiting Antarctica.
He and his friends also set a ship record for time spent in the freezing Antarctic water.

INSIGHT

Ross Sea Party's Ordeal

The Shackleton expedition's Ross Sea party faced even greater hardship, surviving until 1917.
Shackleton, rescued in 1916, later participated in their rescue.

INSIGHT

Endurance's Origin

Alfred Lansing compiled Endurance from crew diaries.
Journaling provided a crucial record, especially given the era's high exploration mortality risk.

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“In that instant they felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. Though they had failed dismally even to come close to the expedition's original objective, they knew now that somehow they had done much, much more than ever they set out to do.”

Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! If you love exploration books as much as we do, you'll definitely enjoy this episode. Today, we're talking about Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing. Join us as we explore Shackleton's legendary expedition, where a crew of 28 men faced nearly two years of extreme conditions after their ship became trapped in ice.

We cover a wide range of topics including:

How Shackleton's leadership prevented descent into madness
Physical vs. mental challenges in extreme survival situations
Were previous generations tougher than we are today?
Antarctic exploration's parallels to modern space missions
The life-or-death decisions in the final rescue attempt

And much more. Please enjoy, and make sure to follow Nat, Neil, and Adil on Twitter and share your thoughts on the episode.

Links from the Episode:

Mentioned in the Show:

Equip (1:35)
TrueMed (1:39)
Gusto (3:15)
CrowdHealth (4:16)
Ross Sea Party (9:31)
SpaceX 'Chopsticks' (14:20)
Kerbal Space Program (15:57)
Oppenheimer (22:55)
Apollo 13 (40:06)
The Martian (40:35)
Endurance Documentary (43:50)
Free Solo (44:34)
JD Vance on Joe Rogan (1:14:04)
Justin Mares - The Next (1:20:19)
Anthony Gustin - The Feed (1:20:43)
News article on Epic (1:21:43)

Books Mentioned:

Colony One Mars (19:21)
The Fourth Turning (28:08) (Book Episode)
Dune (33:57)
Musashi (34:11)
East of Eden (34:12) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
Lord of the Rings (35:29)
The River of Doubt (48:10) (Book Episode)
Hatchet (1:02:36)
The Lost Men (1:04:17)
Where Is My Flying Car? (1:08:07) (Book Episode)
Energy and Civilization (1:10:00) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes)
How the World Really Works (1:10:03) (Book Episode)
The Prize (1:10:44)
Oil 101 (1:11:31)
The Brothers K (1:12:00)
Power to Save the World (1:12:19)
How to Drive a Nuclear Reactor (1:12:29)
Crypto Confidential (1:29:43)

People Mentioned:

Show Topics:

(0:00) After an unintended hiatus, we’re back! We begin the episode with a tangent on our favorite blender, health insurance plans, and protein powder.

(5:44) We begin our discussion of Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Nat shares a unique perspective, having read the book during his own trip to Antarctica.

(09:15) The timeline of Shackleton's expedition spanned from August 1914 to September 1916, marking nearly two years of survival against impossible odds. Later on, Shackleton would help rescue another stranded crew in January 1917.

(11:16) Endurance draws from the crew's journal entries, a common practice during the age of exploration when survival wasn't guaranteed. We discuss how these historical records parallel potential Mars missions in the future.

(13:46) We explore current Mars exploration initiatives across the globe. China aims for a sample return mission by 2030, SpaceX targets 2028 for their missions, and India continues to advance their rover program.

(18:01) The core of Shackleton's story unfolds: an attempted Antarctic crossing, leading to a two-year fight for survival. Despite the world presuming them dead, every crew member survived, with many later serving in World War I, highlighting their extraordinary resilience.

(22:11) "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."

Shackleton's legendary recruitment advertisement exemplified his unique approach to crew selection. Nat, Neil, and Adil also discuss whether the people of previous generations were tougher than we are today.

(30:30) Shifting the conversation to growing up in the pre-Internet era. We reminisce about outdoor adventures, early video games, and how different forms of entertainment shaped our imaginations compared to today.

(35:54) The physical hardships endured by the crew were severe, with frostbite being a constant threat. Shackleton's leadership proved crucial, maintaining strict schedules and discipline to prevent the crew from succumbing to despair during their long wait trapped in ice.

(39:26) We draw parallels between Shackleton's earlier failures and the Apollo 13 mission.

(42:41) The type of ship they chose for the journey actually had a huge impact on the outcome. Its specific shape made it vulnerable to being trapped within the large blocks of ice.

(46:31) National parks and the preservation of nature. There are very few places left in the country where there is no light pollution at all.

(49:43) After a year on the ship and another camping on ice, they modified their lifeboats for a perilous journey to Elephant Island. Shackleton's team then faced the task of scaling mountains without proper gear and navigating treacherous waters.

(55:12) Nat, Neil, and Adil debate whether the physical or mental challenges were the most difficult to overcome in this expedition. Would you rather have been on the boat with Shackleton, or waiting for the boat to return for rescue?

(1:01:32) The book itself has an interesting publishing history. Though it achieved only modest sales during Lansing's lifetime, it found massive success about a decade after his death.

(1:07:49) We reflect on a few other books we've read on energy. If you have any recommendations, send them our way!

(1:13:07) A discussion about current political leadership's understanding of technology and its implications for policy decisions.

(1:20:55) The 'Make American Healthy Again' efforts, healthcare system incentives, and potential future programs in the U.S. What is to come under the new administration?

(1:24:59) It wouldn’t be an episode of MYT without a little crypto and meme coin talk!

(1:34:58) That concludes this episode! If you're interested in reading Endurance, you can grab a copy of the book here. Next up on the podcast, we will be reading Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. Make sure to stay tuned to our website to see what's next and leave us a book rec!

If you enjoyed this episode, let us know by leaving a review on iTunes and tell a friend. As always, let us know if you have any book recommendations! You can say hi to us on Twitter @TheRealNeilS, @adilmajid, @nateliason and share your thoughts on this episode.

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