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Visitors To China's Antarctic Research Stations Are Harassing Scientists
Some people simply aren't any good at fun. Instead of romping on a beach somewhere, they insist on burning their vacation hours in places adverse to life itself, like Antarctica.
Asya M/Adobe StockWe’re still unsure at what point “life-affirming” became code for “potentially life-ending.”
And it is a major pain in the ass for the scientists stationed there.
China maintains three research stations in the antarctic, which are not only a boon for science, but also for sadistic travel agents who -- for around $100,000 per person -- will ship boatloads of tourists out there with little to no supervision. As a result, the scientists regularly have to step in and play tour guide when they aren't stopping people from wandering off and dying a cold, lonely death.
In order to ease the scientists' burden, the Chinese government recently enacted laws banning tourists from littering and bothering the local flora and fauna, and you don't need us to tell you those laws are doing squat. It's not exactly like the scientists can kick them out -- if weather conditions aren't great, tourists have been known to get stranded on King George Island for hours, meaning that they have to hunker down with the scientists and eat their food. Food which is only delivered once a year.
This is, of course, to say nothing of their problems with shapeshifting aliens.
3
The Beach From The Beach Needs A Timeout Every Year
Back in 2000, the world fell in love with a fun, lighthearted little comedy called The Beach. You probably know it best for its video game adaptation, Far Cry 3.
video game tie-in well taken care of." width="350" height="184" class="lazy" data-src="https://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/3/5/0/670350_v2.jpg" />20th Century FoxNot that The Beach didn't already have the video game tie-in well taken care of.
What? Is that not an accurate description of the film? We've never seen it.
Anyway, love for the movie has been so pervasive that all the way out here in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Eighteen, the Thai government is forcing the Beach (the place) from The Beach (the movie) into a mandatory timeout.