Infinite oil

 

Oh no, Tucker convinced Putin (you know, *that* guy) that abiogenic oil actually exist! Jokes aside, the Russian government is apparently under the influence of a maverick believer in the existence of infinite oil. They will finance deep drilling in Komi to see if the hypothesis can be sustained (pun intended). If abiogenic oil exists in large quantities, the Russian Federation can finally (re)claim its rightful place under the sun. Or at least above the fuel reserves. 

Sabine is skeptical, since "everyone" has been looking for the elusive non-fossil oil for decades (around Lake Siljan in Sweden, for instance - not mentioned in the video) and came up short. One aspect she doesn´t discuss is the impact on our climate if abiogenic oil would be found in enormous amounts too cheap to meter. But sure, maybe the good people of Komi could need some long hot summers to grow Lysenkoite water melons, or whatever.

Dude.  

Tales of the tall

 

A short but fascinating video on "Bigfoot" observations in Czarist Russia and the Soviet Union. Of course, these are the "almas" of cryptozoology fame. 

The clip tells the story of a Soviet geologist-cum-biologist who tried to find the almas in northern Russia during the 1970´s. He originally assumed that the creatures were regular animals, but later developed ideas that they were paranormal in nature. 

After getting bad advise from a psychic in Moscow, the intrepid explorer disappeared under mysterious circumstances in the Urals during one last expedition, his fate rumored to be a gruesome one (think cannibalistic orgies)...

Vladimir Pushkarev seems to have become part of the local folklore himself.