ReQuest2021 Online Advent Calendar – Day 16

TEDx Talk – Tathagat Varma – Sixteen Months in Antarctica

Tathagat Varma, ex-Computer Scientist with Defense Research and Development Organization, was youngest member of the 13th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica in 1993-95. As part of the expedition, he stayed at the Indian permanent station “Maitri” for 16 icy-cold months, and carried out scientific experiments in HF Radio based Data Communication and studied various engineering systems required to sustain human life and activity in the notoriously tough environs of Antarctica. However, the expedition also taught him invaluable things much beyond the technical aspects of his work. In this talk, he will share some of his unique experiences of how human behavior is challenged and stretched under extreme inhospitable conditions of Antarctica. He will also share insights into sociological impact that comes with such long-term isolation.