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For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

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Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#101

Post by blhack »

saalweachter wrote: post #97
Florin_Andrei wrote: post #65

> Old Karp was usually delighted by the latest innovations that the scientists brought up from their camp, and though he steadfastly refused to believe that man had set foot on the moon, he adapted swiftly to the idea of satellites. The Lykovs had noticed them as early as the 1950s, when "the stars began to go quickly across the sky," and Karp himself conceived a theory to explain this: "People have thought something…

It makes me a little jealous of the quality of sky they must have had.

We used to be able to see these from my backyard in Northern Minnesota too.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#102

Post by pyre »

grecy wrote: post #56
throwmeaway33 wrote: post #40

"When the warm days do arrive, though, the taiga blooms, and for a few short months it can seem almost welcoming." Hahaha. This guy has no idea what he's talking about. As someone who has been in the taiga in the summer, it's absolutely horrible. The air is alive with mosquitoes. There are clouds of them around you 24/7. The place is just permafrost and swamps. It's really pretty, but a miserable place to live. That'…

Which is welcoming compared to winter. Trust me, when summer finally comes and there are actual green things an animals and berries around, mosquitoes can be tolerated (I live above 60 degrees north - it's well past -40 here today)

Note: -40C == -40F, so grecy doesn't need to specify the units[1]!

[1] Unless he's using Kelvins.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#103

Post by ars »

sixQuarks wrote: post #28

How did they tell their kids about the birds and the bees? Must have been very awkward as a teenager.

In a house that small they probably saw their parents.

Poor nutrition reduces the sex drive and delays maturation, so it probably wasn't as tough as you might think.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#104

Post by siodine »

loeg wrote: post #33
jusben1369 wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The other main predator that also hunts in this fashion? Wolves/dogs. There's a theory that it was this overlap in hunting styles that made us natural "partners" and led to the close relationship we have today.

Wolves and dogs can't do this over nearly the same distance humans can — they shed body heat through panting and can only keep up a run for 3-6 miles[0]. Humans can run marathons. [0]: I don't remember my source for this, sorry. But this is interesting for similar reasons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_versus_Horse_Marathon Edit: I should say, wolves/dogs can run for long distances too, at a slower gait. But they…

I don't know. In Herzog's "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga," you see a dog keeping up with a snowmobile at a constant pace for several hours. (Edit: the dog ran 150 kilometers nonstop at a snowmobile's pace)

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#105

Post by Florin_Andrei »

jcrites wrote: post #89
Florin_Andrei wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Come to think of it, our legs (including associate muscles like the gluteus) are indeed disproportionately large for our overall body size. It would be interesting to know how do we measure up against other mammals in terms of... uh... I forgot the technical name, it's the ability to absorb and metabolize oxygen. It's determined by lung size among other things, and it's a strong predictor of endurance. Add to that a…

I believe the concept/term you're looking for is VO2 max: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max

Exactly. Thanks.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#106

Post by [deleted] »

saalweachter wrote: post #97
Florin_Andrei wrote: post #65

> Old Karp was usually delighted by the latest innovations that the scientists brought up from their camp, and though he steadfastly refused to believe that man had set foot on the moon, he adapted swiftly to the idea of satellites. The Lykovs had noticed them as early as the 1950s, when "the stars began to go quickly across the sky," and Karp himself conceived a theory to explain this: "People have thought something…

It makes me a little jealous of the quality of sky they must have had.

[deleted]

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#107

Post by aleyan »

saalweachter wrote: post #97
Florin_Andrei wrote: post #65

> Old Karp was usually delighted by the latest innovations that the scientists brought up from their camp, and though he steadfastly refused to believe that man had set foot on the moon, he adapted swiftly to the idea of satellites. The Lykovs had noticed them as early as the 1950s, when "the stars began to go quickly across the sky," and Karp himself conceived a theory to explain this: "People have thought something…

It makes me a little jealous of the quality of sky they must have had.

The first and the last time I have observed satellites in the sky was about 20 years ago in Kirov Oblast (Russia). They were fainter than the brightest stars but still distinctly visible with a few crawling across the sky at a given time. The area was rural then but not completely desolate with several villages within 10k radius. There should be large areas of the US where there is comparable or lower level light pollution than in Kirov Oblast. Depending on where you live such an area might be only a few hours drive away.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#108

Post by learc83 »

cowpewter wrote: post #82
scrapcode wrote: post #29

This is absolutely amazing. This woman is more of a man than any man I know, living in some desolate valley for all of those years now absolutely ALONE? One word: Wow.

Not to start drama, but that's a bit sexist, isn't it? Can't she just be 'stronger than any person you know'? There's nothing inherently 'manly' about being a strong independent person.

>There's nothing inherently 'manly' about being a strong independent person.

No, but being strong interdependent person in modern civilization is different than living alone in the wilderness.

It is inherently easier for a man to survive for years alone in the wilderness, without the aid of technology, than it is for a woman. The extra size, strength, and endurance is handy.

Re: For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact

#110

Post by dredmorbius »

grecy wrote: post #55
cdjk wrote: post #39

Dick Proenneke ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Proenneke ) did something similar in Alaska. He lived alone, but brought supplies in, had a wood stove, a rifle, and even spent the occasional winter in civilization. He wrote a book about his first couple years: http://www.amazon.com/One-Mans-Wilderness-Alaskan-Odyssey/dp... It suffers a little from some heavy editing, but is very interesting. There's also a vide…

The documentary is called "Alone in the Wilderness" - I highly, highly recommend it. His woodworking skills are hard to imagine. Part 2 was just released in 2012, and PBS have said they will release Part 3 this year or next. Outwardly it sounds like he lived a lonely existence, though in part 2 we learn his brother was a bush pilot in Alaska, and they would spend summers together flying around, camping and hiking. Di…

YouTube has at least a portion of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYJKd0rkKss http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3NRdZ8J24Q

Dick's capabilities (he had been a carpenter when living in civilization) were amazing, though he remained in periodic contact with the rest of civilization, including receiving regular supplies.

It's also interesting to note his reliance on steel tools that he wasn't capable of replacing: saws, adzes, planes, axes, stove, pots and pans. He did pack in many of these, most without handles (he fashioned those from wood on site). While creative and highly independent, Proenneke was by no means self-sufficient.

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