Chapter
The Seed Bank that Preserves Life
54:42 - 1:01:35 (06:53)
The seed bank in St. Petersburg, despite being laid siege to during World War II, has managed to preserve a couple hundred thousand seeds which could have saved lives had they known about it back then, and now has enough to actually make a difference in the present day.
Clips
This episode tells the story of Nikolai Vavilov, a Russian scientist and botanist who dedicated his life to promoting the importance of crop diversity and food security.
54:42 - 57:25 (02:43)
Summary
This episode tells the story of Nikolai Vavilov, a Russian scientist and botanist who dedicated his life to promoting the importance of crop diversity and food security. Despite his contributions to science, Vavilov was ultimately arrested, tortured, and sent to a Soviet gulag where he died of starvation.
ChapterThe Seed Bank that Preserves Life
EpisodePart One: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
During the Siege of Leningrad, the scientists maintaining the world's largest seed bank had enough seeds to potentially save them from starvation, but feared that if the seeds were discovered, people would eat them in a frenzy to save their own lives.
57:25 - 1:00:15 (02:49)
Summary
During the Siege of Leningrad, the scientists maintaining the world's largest seed bank had enough seeds to potentially save them from starvation, but feared that if the seeds were discovered, people would eat them in a frenzy to save their own lives.
ChapterThe Seed Bank that Preserves Life
EpisodePart One: The Russian Scientist Who Helped Kill 30 Million People
PodcastBehind the Bastards
The Lysenko Affair was a political campaign against genetics and science in the Soviet Union, led by a man named Trofim Lysenko.
1:00:15 - 1:01:35 (01:20)
Summary
The Lysenko Affair was a political campaign against genetics and science in the Soviet Union, led by a man named Trofim Lysenko. His influence subverted science, leaving genetic research in Russia lagging decades behind the West.