Antarctica is the Earth’s southernmost continent, located on the South Pole, where temperatures reach up to -90C. Anywhere between 1,000 and 5,000 scientists reside there at various research facilities across the continent. However, over the years, government scientists, including those from NASA, have come under fire amid claims they are working on secret projects and hiding the truth from the public.
However, Jane Francis, Director of the British Antarctic Survey, has publicly backed the scientists.
Addressing BBC Radio 4 listeners on an "Antarctica" episode of "In Our Time", she revealed exactly why agencies like NASA are so keen to explore the icy region.
Dr Francis said in 2010: “It is just a fantastic natural laboratory, you can go to Antarctica and the scientists can work very high on the top of the ice sheet.
“This means you can work at high altitude, the
