Science

what were you doing at 27

This guy was cutting out his own appendix in Antartica.

“Rogozov, then 27, had come to Antarctica in 1961 as part of the Sixth Soviet expedition, which established his nation’s third base on the continent, the Novolazarevskaya Research Station. On April 29, with the autumnal nights quickly getting longer and a fierce storm raging all around, Rogozov began to feel ill. He woke up that morning feeling lethargic, and got weaker as the day went on…”

“…This is it. I have to think through the only possible way out: to operate on myself . . . It’s almost impossible . . . but I can’t just fold my arms and give up…

“…Working by feel, he cut through skin, muscle, and fat tissue, and then used the mirror to watch the knife as he came to the delicate business of exposing the peritoneum, the membrane that surrounds the internal organs. After half an hour he felt weak and dizzy, and had to stop for a rest.”

I am beyond impressed. Luckily he was a doctor, but even still, that takes more than know-how!

This is him a week later, messing around with his pet penguin. (not really his pet.. maybe)