Mammoth

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No creature from the Pleistocene Era captivates the imagination like the woolly mammoth. Cave paintings reveal their significant role in early human culture, where our Ice Age ancestors constructed huts from mammoth bones and consumed mammoth tongues. Since Peter the Great's time, explorers have searched Siberia for mammoth remains. Today, a new generation, equipped with GPS, ground-penetrating radar, and Soviet-era helicopters, seeks a mammoth carcass to uncover its life, death, and potential resurrection. Science writer Richard Stone chronicles two teams—one Russian/Japanese and the other French—as they face extreme cold, strong winds, supply shortages, and the superstitions of indigenous peoples wary of disturbing the "rat beneath the ice." Stone's journey spans from St. Petersburg to the Arctic Circle and high-tech Japanese labs, capturing the surreal quest of these scientists whose findings could alter our understanding of evolutionary history. This gripping narrative blends high-stakes adventure with scientific ambition, prompting reflection on the ethical implications of resurrecting ancient creatures.