Olympic Ski Mountaineering, And Mountain Goat Climbing Feats

Science Friday

Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Natural Sciences, Wnyc, Science, Friday, Life Sciences

4.4 • 6.3K Ratings

🗓️ 6 February 2026

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The mountaineering history behind "skimo," a new Winter Olympic event. Plus, research into a true alpine champion, the mountain goat.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, I'm Flor Lichten, and you're listening to Science Friday.
0:06.9	This weekend, the Winter Olympics begin in Milan, and there's a brand new event.
0:13.5	Schemo.
0:15.5	One more, are you ready?
0:21.6	We're all back. Thank you. Are you ready? It is all time. Thank you.
0:23.6	Take your mark.
0:28.6	Set.
0:29.6	It is go time.
0:32.6	Here we go.
0:34.6	And we go.
0:35.6	All 12
0:36.6	Schemo or ski mountaineering.
0:38.7	It's a new event, but obviously mountaineering is not.
0:43.4	Here to guide us through the history of schemo and the science connection is Dr. Peter Hansen.
0:48.6	He's a mountaineering expert and professor of history at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
0:53.4	He's also the author of the book, The Summits of Modern Man,
0:56.5	Mountaineering After the Enlightenment.
0:58.8	Hey, Peter.
0:59.7	Hi. Nice to be here.
1:01.5	What's up with Schemo?
1:03.0	What is the deal with this sport?
1:04.6	Well, it's a new angle on an old activity.
	...

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