The Great Balloon Escape

DEC 9, 202518 MIN
The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

The Great Balloon Escape

DEC 9, 202518 MIN

Description

Astronomer Jules Janssen was desperate to escape the siege of Paris in 1870 and observe an eclipse in Africa—work that he hoped would confirm his discovery of a brand new element in the Sun, helium. So he devised a plan to escape the city in a hot-air balloon, despite promises by the German army to shoot him as a spy if he dared try... Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.