In May 2000, 32-year-old Australian astrophysicist Rodney Marks died suddenly on an Antarctica base after falling ill just 36 hours earlier. The National Science Foundation (NSF) released a statement saying he most likely died of natural causes. But when the toxicology report came back, it revealed he had actually been poisoned by methanol. How did the methanol get in his system? And why did New Zealand authorities feel like the NSF wanted to stonewall their investigation? We spoke with reporter Stephen Davis, whose own investigation into the death of Rodney Marks first began more than two decades ago Stephen is also a professor and the host of the audio series The Secret History of Antarctica. It’s available on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Conspiracy Theories is on Instagram @theconspiracypod! Follow us to keep up with the show and get behind-the-scenes updates from Carter and the team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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This episode includes discussions of murder, substance abuse, suicide, and sexual assault. Consider this when deciding how and when you'll listen. For mental health support, visit Spotify.com slash resources. Imagine a place without war, without mineral exploitation, where the environment is fully protected.
A place where peace and cooperation, science and the environment come before money and power. This sounds like an imaginary place, doesn't it? However, this is reality in Antarctica under the Antarctic Treaty System, which was put into place in 1959. The treaty is a very successful example of how governments have worked together to protect this unique continent.
Every word I've said so far has been a verbatim quote pulled from the UK-funded website Discovering Antarctica, which also highlights a line from the treaty itself that states, "...Antarctica shall continue to be used forever for peaceful purposes and shall not become the scene or object of international discord."
With that said, this is New Zealand-based investigative reporter Stephen Davis talking about a story that came out of an Antarctic base back in 2000.
We have a man dying suddenly, and we don't know why. The organization responsible for him just wants to wrap it under the carpet. And they have no grounds for complaining that there are lots of suspicions because they acted in an incredibly suspicious way right from the start. You know, it's appalling.
It's appalling that the National Science Foundation and the US government allowed this to happen.
Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here every Wednesday. Be sure to check us out on Instagram at The Conspiracy Pod. And we would love to hear from you. If you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts.
To help us tell today's story, we interviewed Stephen Davis, an investigative reporter, professor, author, and the host of the podcast The Secret History of Antarctica. We're grateful for his time and insights. Stay with us.
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