
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


This year’s Winter Olympics feature a new event called “skimo,” or ski mountaineering. The racing event involves periods of skiing uphill using “skins” for traction, sprinting uphill on foot, and a downhill ski slalom to the finish. Mountaineering historian Peter Hansen joins Host Flora Lichtman for an introduction to skimo, and the scientific connections of early modern mountaineers.
Then, wildlife ecologist Kevin White describes the amazing capabilities of the mountain goat, what’s known about the physical features that contribute to their climbing ability, and risks to mountain goat populations.
Guests:
Dr. Peter Hansen is a professor of history at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and author of the book The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment.
Dr. Kevin White is a wildlife ecologist based at the University of Alaska Southeast.
Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.
Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.
By Science Friday and WNYC Studios4.4
60206,020 ratings
This year’s Winter Olympics feature a new event called “skimo,” or ski mountaineering. The racing event involves periods of skiing uphill using “skins” for traction, sprinting uphill on foot, and a downhill ski slalom to the finish. Mountaineering historian Peter Hansen joins Host Flora Lichtman for an introduction to skimo, and the scientific connections of early modern mountaineers.
Then, wildlife ecologist Kevin White describes the amazing capabilities of the mountain goat, what’s known about the physical features that contribute to their climbing ability, and risks to mountain goat populations.
Guests:
Dr. Peter Hansen is a professor of history at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and author of the book The Summits of Modern Man: Mountaineering after the Enlightenment.
Dr. Kevin White is a wildlife ecologist based at the University of Alaska Southeast.
Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com.
Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

91,011 Listeners

21,948 Listeners

44,034 Listeners

32,333 Listeners

38,609 Listeners

30,768 Listeners

43,536 Listeners

38,846 Listeners

1,581 Listeners

480 Listeners

946 Listeners

12,713 Listeners

14,452 Listeners

12,165 Listeners

821 Listeners

1,543 Listeners

3,505 Listeners

2,801 Listeners

1,405 Listeners

9,566 Listeners

1,196 Listeners

5,571 Listeners

5,767 Listeners

421 Listeners

16,480 Listeners

6,573 Listeners

674 Listeners

2,823 Listeners

2,323 Listeners

645 Listeners

1,970 Listeners

83 Listeners

259 Listeners

20 Listeners