Monday 6 January 2014

Antarctic jaunt takes money from true exploration science

The head of France's polar science institute voiced fury on Friday at the misadventures of a Russian ship trapped in Antarctic ice, deriding what he called a tourists' trip that had diverted resources from real science.
The Russian vessel, the Akademik Shokalskiy, became stuck on December 24th in frozen seas, 100 nautical miles east of the French Antarctic base, Dumont d'Urville.
Its 52 passengers -- scientists, tourists and journalists -- were airlifted on Thursday to an Australian government supply vessel, the Aurora Australis, using a helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker, the Xue Long.
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