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When Undersea Cables Break
Episode 108
Published 1 day, 22 hours ago
Description
An undersea cable breaks in the middle of the Atlantic, and the answer to “what happens now?” takes us back to 1866. The Great Eastern is searching for a lost cable with a hook, a winch, and a crew trying to hear one word from Ireland. Then Samanth Subramanian explains why repairing the internet still involves dragging a grapnel across the ocean floor.
Full show notes for this FIVE MINUTE SHORT and resources
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Featuring: Samanth Subramanian, author of The Web Beneath the Waves.
Dramatization: “Alive or Dead” is based on contemporary accounts. Dialogue is invented, and the events follow first-hand records of the 1866 recovery.