Episode
The Great Balloon Escape
- Published
- Dec 9, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 1087
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://samkean.com/podcast/
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Summary
Astronomer Jules Janssen was desperate to escape the siege of Paris in 1870 and observe an eclipse in Africa—work that he hoped would confirm his discovery of a brand new element in the Sun, helium. So he devised a plan to escape the city in a hot-air balloon, despite promises by the German army to shoot him as a spy if he dared try... Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy