Hey, I'm Britt Hanson and I'm Rebecca Ramirez. We're the producers on this podcast.

Some might say the real talent. Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say that.

Yeah. Anyway, once a year at this time, we ask for your help to keep this podcast coming to you for free, each and every weekday.

Here's how you can help go to donate.npr.org slash short to find your local public radio station and give any amount you can.

Whatever you can give. We're super grateful. Okay, turning it over to Maddie, Sophia and Emily Kwong. Let's do the show.

You're listening to shortwave from NPR. Hello, hello, anybody there? So Maddie, yes, man.

Last week, Britt and I connected to a radio station. This is VIA radio in Piston, Pennsylvania.

To have a conversation with space physicist and electrical engineer Nathaniel for Zell.

Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here. And in 2014, his research took him to Antarctica.

Cool. Yeah, home to the South Pole and a hub of scientific activity with research stations and field camps spread across the continent.

New Zealand has a station down there. Several European countries do two. Scientists are asking questions you can only answer in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean this time of year about wildlife like penguins.

Yeah, sure. Like penguins, microbiology, tectonics, the northern lights. Nathaniel was down there to look at the Earth's magnetic field and polar regions.

I picture this whole space, Maddie like science summer camp, but spread across a desolate icebound landscape. What a dream.

Yeah, you're kind of summer camp. Yeah. And these people, they're far from home, which can be really tough during the holidays.

So Nathaniel, when he was down there, took part in a musical tradition that queues up every year on this day, December 24th.

South Pole station, we are ready and standing by. Thanks.

The Antarctic Christmas Carol, basically the different stations in Antarctica sing to each other over shortwave radio.

Oh my god.

This is legitimately the cutest thing I've ever heard.

They're singing over the radio.

That transmission was from the Aminson Scott South Pole station.

Aminson Shada.

...