The First Human-Powered Row Across the Drake Passage

Guest: Andrew Towne, endurance athlete and principal, Boston Consulting Group

In December of 2019, Andrew Towne and five others became the first crew to row through the treacherous Drake Passage from Cape Horn, Chile to mainland Antarctica.

 

Antarctica's Blood Falls

Guest: Jill Mikucki, Associate Professor, Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Blood Falls is a stunning feature of Antarctica’s Dry Valleys. The bright red falls are the result of a high concentration of salt and iron in the brine that escapes from under the Taylor Glacier.

 

Drive-Thru Dreams

Guest: Adam Chandler, author, "Drive-Thru Dreams: A Journey Through the Heart of America's Fast-Food Kingdom"

Usually, fast food only gets the limelight when something goes wrong. Health scares, the obesity crisis, kangaroo meat in the burgers? While these are certainly part of fast-food culture, drive-thrus, according to Adam Chandler, sometimes get an unnecessarily bad rap. He joins us to talk about fast food’s important place in American society. 

 

McMillion$

Guests: James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, writers and directors, HBO documentary mini-series "McMillion$"

Remember McDonald's Monopoly game from the 90s? The fast-food chain offered prizes up to 1 million dollars. Only problem is that the game was rigged. Not by McDonald's, but by Jerry Jacobsen, the man tasked with handling the winning game pieces during the printing process. An outrageous story of hubris and deception that impacted everyone who played that game hoping to win more than just a free Big Mac.