Getting Busy in Antarctica

Posted by Nixon on June 9th, 2008 filed in News

 

“Before the winter darkness descended over Antarctica, a US research base received one crucial final delivery, according to a report today - a consignment of 16,488 condoms.

A year’s supply of the prophylactics was despatched last month to the McMurdo station, on the southern tip of Ross island, the New Zealand newspaper the Press reported.

The last staff flight out of McMurdo before winter set in was on February 26. Workers will now have to wait until August 20 for the first sunrise of the spring.

As the biggest settlement in Antarctica, the research station had a summertime population of around 1,000, but this dropped to about 125 in winter, the paper quoted its manager, Bill Henriksen, as saying.

“There are some people that tend to get a little bit bored. But for the most part, people who come down here know how to occupy their time,” he said.”

I never knew scientists liked sex so much.  A year’s supply of condoms is 16,488?  If we assume that for 6 months of the year there are 500 males in Antarctica and 63 for 6 months that is an average of 282 guys at the McMurdo research station on any day. And 16,488 condoms is equal to 45 condoms per day being used. Which means on any given day an average of 16% of the male population of Antarctica get laid.  I like those odds.  That is assuming 1) hetrosexual sex - if there is a lot of gay sex then the percentage will go down (two condoms used you see…) and 2) that only one condom per night is used which I guess may be incorrect seeing that scientists apparently really really like sex.  Especially during the 6 months of darkness.