David Bianculli

Hope Wilson is our consulting visual producer.

For Terry Gross and Tanya Mosley, I'm David Bean-Cooley.

This is Fresh Air.

I'm David Bianculli.

Veterans Day has us thinking about our interview from last year about some brave and obsessive scientists.

Before and during World War II, they did underwater research, which was essential to the success of D-Day.

When allies had to conduct surveillance, searching for traps and mines underwater and on the shore before storming the beach at Normandy.

We're going to listen back to Terry's interview from last year with Rachel Lance.

She wrote the book titled Chamber Divers, The Untold Story of the D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations Forces Forever.

She's a biomedical engineer and blast injury specialist.

Some of her research revolves around the questions, how can the human body survive the extremes of the deep sea?

And how do blasts and bombs underwater affect the body compared to the impact of blasts on land?

For several years, Rachel Lance was an engineer for the U.S.

Navy, researching and testing new underwater technology for Navy divers, SEALs, and Marine Force recon personnel.

She also conducted research at Duke University using their hyperbaric chamber.

That's an enclosed chamber in which the air pressure can be increased or decreased, along with the levels of oxygen and other gases, to simulate the extremes of underwater environments, monitor the negative impact on the human body, and test solutions.

In order to do the research, the scientists during World War II put themselves through extremes in the hyperbaric chamber and sustained some fairly serious injuries.

Rachel Lance speaking to Terry Gross in 2024.

After a break, we'll hear more of their conversation.

And Justin Chang reviews Surat, the new movie from Spain he calls one of the best films he's seen all year.