The Shocking True Story of the World's First Seed Bank—And The Scientists Who Sacrificed Their Lives to Save It
Gastropod25 Helmi 2025

The Shocking True Story of the World's First Seed Bank—And The Scientists Who Sacrificed Their Lives to Save It

During World War II, the Soviet city of Leningrad was surrounded, cut off from food supplies for nearly two and a half years. People were desperate: they ate boiled leather, machine oil, toothpaste, and wallpaper paste just to stay alive. But, in the center of the city, a group of botanists spent their days surrounded by food that they refused to touch—nuts, seeds, and even a basement full of potatoes—even as several of them starved to death. The seeds for which these scientists were willing to sacrifice their lives formed the collection of the world's very first seed bank: a library of crop varieties that contained the genetic diversity future generations of plant breeders have relied on to feed the world. In this episode, the story of the almost unimaginable bravery that lies behind the food we eat today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Jaksot(293)

Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-O

Salad Days: A Story of Science, Sexism, and Jell-O

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Where There's Smoke, There's...Whiskey, Fish, and Barbecue!

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America's Forbidden Fruit and Forgotten First Soda: Ask Gastropod

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What the Shell? Cracking the Lobster's Mysteries

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Consider the lobster roll: tender chunks of lobster bathed in butter or mayo, sandwiched between two slices of a squishy bread roll… Have we caught your attention yet? Lobster is a summertime staple i...

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A Dog's Dinner: What Should We Really Be Feeding Our Pets?

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5 Touko 44min

White vs. Wheat: The Food Fight of the Centuries

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